Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News. It covers the best and worst from games involving the Americas players and teams over the previous week. This week’s Up and Under is the first edition of 2021.

 

UP

Los Cafeteros Pro
Rodolfo Ambrosio is to coach Los Cafeteros Pro. The 59-year-old for Argentina will be in charge of Colombia’s first professional rugby team. Ambrosio joins Los Cafeteros Pro after previously having been Los Pumitas Coach, Brazil’s Head Coach, having coached in Italy and having played for Argentina from 1987-1989. Ambrosio coached Brazil during the recent golden age. He was appointed Head Coach of Brazil in 2014 and left the post as the most successful Brazilian coach in history.

Peñarol
Peñarol have also confirmed their Head Coach for the 2021 SLAR. Pablo Bouza is to remain in charge of Peñarol in the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de rugby (SLAR). Bouza joined Peñarol from Argentina. He took six years of coaching experience in Argentina’s High Performance (PladAR) with him. Bouza was a prominent member of the Daniel Hourcade coaching regime. Prior to coaching Bouza was a Puma.

Seattle Seawolves
Hooker Stephan Coetzee and outside center Ross Neal both re-signed for Seattle this past week. The duo are boosts to the 2018 and 2019 MLR champions’ roster. Player recruitment for the 2021 sees many teams packing their roster with depth. The Seattle Seawolves are a case in point. Both Coetzee and Neal play in positions in which Seattle has capped international players.

AJ MacGinty
The Sale Sharks were 22-19 winners over Gloucester on Saturday. AJ MacGinty scored 17 of the 22 points for the winning team. The USA Eagle converted his team’s one try and also landed five penalties. The result sees MacGinty’s club well placed in 4th position. Gloucester are bottom of the table, though this is not likely to last. On another not, MacGinty leads the scoring for the 2020-2021 English Premiership season.

Bautista Güemes
Santiago Santos is impressed with Bautista Güemes. The Spanish Head Coach has shortlisted the Argentine player as one of three fly halves that will play for Spain in the RWC 2023 qualifiers. Güemes recently made his test debut for Spain against Uruguay. He was used out of position at inside center. Santos notes that it was strategic; Spain is eyeing a return to the RWC for the first time since 1999.

 

UNDER

Seven Viña 2021
The annual Seven Viña will not be played in 2021. The tournament was cancelled due to the global pandemic. The competition has a permanent stamp on the Chilean and South American calendars. This is true both for clubs and for senior international teams. The tournament was first played in 1986. In the most recent edition, Concepción club Old Johns were the winners.

Santiago Cordero, Facundo Isa
Two Argentine players wee injured this past week. First, Facundo Isa was ruled-out of playing on Saturday. He had been named to start for Toulon. He missed the match with a fractured hand and will now be sidelined for several weeks. Second, winger Santiago Cordero suffered a shoulder injury in the opening 10 minutes of Bordeaux’s match with Lyon on Saturday. The dislocation may require surgery. Bordeaux are considering options including a medical joker.

Jaguares Exodus
Rodrigo Bruni signed with French Pro D2 club Vannes for the remainder of the 2020-2021 season, with an option to extend for a second year. He is the latest Argentinean star to opt for a move overseas following the exit of Los Jaguares from Super Rugby. The 27-year-old No8 impressed during the recent Rugby Championship, starting in the historic win over New Zealand and both draws against Australia.

Edinburgh vs Glasgow Warriors
2021 already has a contender for worst match of the year. The Scottish derby between Edinburgh and the Glasgow Warriors was scoreless for 65 minutes. The rugby played was not the worst, though the lack of points was not without an explanation – the attack was blunt. RWC 2019 Puma Enrique Pieretto featured for the Warriors. curiously, he entered in the 66th minute just after Edinburgh had established a 3-0 lead. Edinburgh won the match.