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The English Premiership returned this past weekend after a four-month hiatus necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. All 12 teams were in action in the 14th round of the 2019-20 season that will be completed before the delayed start of the 2020-21 campaign that is now set for a late November kickoff.
Starting off the weekend on Friday evening was a match that featured five players of interest to Americas fans. Harlequins defeated Sale Sharks 16-12 at The Stoop with San Diego-bound Chris Robshaw captaining the home side and Martín Landajo starting at scrumhalf.
“Martin is better looking, he’s got a much sexier voice and better hair!”
Ruthless digs at @dannycare from Craig Doyle and @ugomonye 🤣 🤣#RugbyRestart pic.twitter.com/bu5AqFXqhe
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) August 14, 2020
It was Landajo who turned heads with a man-of-the-match performance as he controlled the game in tandem with halfback partner Marcus Smith. The 84-test veteran was left out of Argentina’s World Cup squad having lost form since his last cap in November 2018. A recall to Los Pumas at 32 years old seems unlikely but Mario Ledesma will have noted the effort.
Another out of favor is loosehead prop Santiago García Botta, who picked up 20 minutes coming off the bench for Quins. Paul Lasike was an unused replacement and missed out on a chance to play opposite AJ MacGinty. The Eagles flyhalf kicked a late penalty goal for Sale after coming on near the hour mark.
Tomás Lavanini started in the Leicester second row as Tigers fell to table-toppers Exeter on Saturday. Meanwhile fellow Argentine international Juan Pablo Socino made his Saracens debut in the No12 shirt but they also tasted defeat, coming up short at Bristol. Will Hooley was a late addition to the bench but did not see game time.
Next weekend will be the start of a grueling week-look schedule that will see all teams playing three games within nine days. Kapeli Pifeleti is certain to play for Saracens, while Facundo Cordero settled for a ball-boy position with Exeter over the weekend and could soon make his Chiefs debut.
Agustín Creevy will need to clear quarantine before debuting for London Irish, while Matías Alemanno and Matías Moroni are yet to arrive at Gloucester and Leicester respectively. Facundo Gigena has finally received visa clearance to re-join the Tigers but will also have to isolate before suiting up.
