Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News. It reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

UP

Chile
It was a memorable week for Chilean rugby. The Cóndores XV defeated their counterparts from both Uruguay and Brazil. Neither result was the norm during the RWC 2015-2019 cycle, when Chile struggled to compete and won only a single game in the Americas Rugby Championship. Investment in a professional team – Selknam – and High Performance Centers has brought results for coach Pablo Lemoine. The players already look fitter, strong, and as a result are more confident. Suddenly the RWC 2023 qualifiers look very interesting indeed.

URU, Sudamérica Rugby
Thank you URU. Thank you Sudamérica Rugby. The two governing bodies worked their tails off to ensure that we could see international rugby played in South America in 2020. The South American 4 Nations was a success on and off the field. The app enabled all people to watch the matches. Now thought can turn towards 2021. This can happen in confidence that the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby can take place in some shape or form.

Argentina XV
The favorites started slowly yet finished on a high, winning all three matches as expected. Many Ceibos and Pumas Sevens players were given an opportunity to impress with the likes of young hooker Ignacio Ruiz and creative back Teo Castiglioni putting their hand up for future consideration.

Taylor Paris
It was a good week for Canada’s Taylor Paris. The winger scored two tries for Oyonnax in a man-of-the-match performance. His team’s 46-17 win over Aurillac makes them a perfect five-from-five and moves them into third place on the Pro D2 table. Perpignan and Vannes are ahead in the standings but Oyonnax have two games at hand.

Santiago Arata
It was a big week for Santiago Arata. The Uruguayan scrum-half won 2020 Premio Charrúa Award. The award recognized him as Uruguay’s best rugby player for 2019-2020. ARN agrees with the decision, noting that Arata was excellent at RWC 2019. This past week also saw him debuting for Castres. He was unable to do so in a winning effort.

Cindy Nelles
It’s been a while since Canadian rugby fans were able to watch Nelles wear the Maple Leaf. For the past couple years she has been living in New Zealand, and next weekend will have the opportunity to challenge for the Farah Palmer Cup. Nelles was a try-scorer for Canterbury as they defeated Auckland in the provincial Semi Final this past weekend.

World Tens Series
After a seemingly cursed run-in that effectively saw three teams drop out of the opening weekend, the World Tens Series came through their first day without a hitch. Top quality production helped make up for a mixed bag in terms of rugby quality. There are some MLR players who might want to skip the buffet table for the next few months after a lackluster showing from several reputable figures. The Bermudian nationals who stepped in at the 11th hour to fill a big gap can hold their heads high knowing they were competing against many full-time professionals.

UNDER

Uruguay XV
A hybrid selection with a mix of RWC players and up-and-comers. Despite missing their European professionals, the team was still expected to finish second. It’s fair to say they did not meet those expectations, beaten by Chile on Wednesday and outmatched by Argentina on Sunday. There are two tests to come against Spain, and much work to be done ahead of key matches in 2021.

Brazil
In the case of the Brazil XV, they were absent four key forwards but were otherwise at full strength. The team’s loss against Chile highlighted that the team has not progressed. Even their scrum was a disappointment with a number of experienced players looking off the pace. Brazilian rugby seems to have taken a step backwards in 2020.

Ruben de Haas
What does Ruben de Haas have to do to get some luck? Earlier this year the Eagles scrumhalf had his would-be Pro 14 debut cancelled by COVID-19. This past weekend the coronavirus struck again, with his Super Rugby debut against the Lions scrubbed due to failed tests in the build-up. Hopefully his fortunes will turn around quickly and de Haas can make his long-awaited top-tier debut for the Cheetahs.

Jaguares in Super Rugby
The likelihood that Los Jaguares will play Super Rugby again continues to decrease. If an invitation were to come to be based in Australia or New Zealand in 2021, then what would that team be? Los Jaguares continues to lose players. This need not be a bad thing. The possibility of entering a Buenos Aires team in SLAR and spreading the talent is one worth pursuing.