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.

UP

USA RWC 2021 Preparation
The Women’s Eagles have confirmed both a 51-strong longlist for the upcoming World Cup in New Zealand as well as their preparations for the tournament. Included are two seven-week training camps at their new training home of Glendale. There are a dozen returnees from RWC 2017 and eight players who have the opportunity to be selected for both the Tokyo Olympics and RWC 2021.

Eagles to Madrid
The upcoming Madrid Sevens will give much-needed competitive matches for both the Men’s and Women’s Eagles. Since the suspension of the World Sevens Series last year the two groups have been limited to intra-squad matches. The tournament will take place over two weekends with the games set to be streamed online.

Uruguay
Uruguay has created a new national domestic championship. The Super 4 will replicate the model implemented in Chile in 2020 with four regional teams. They are each to consist of players from clubs within the defined regions – north, south, east, and west. All four teams will be based in Montevideo. They will compete in home-and-away matches for a total of six rounds of competition. It will be split during the year with the first section of matches to take place in May.

Cafeteros Pro
Colombia’s first professional rugby team will compete in the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby. Los Cafeteros Pro revealed their home and away jersey’s for the 2021 SLAR season. The home strip has blue, and grey striped with Colombia’s national yellow and red other side of each blue stripe. It is complemented by blue shorts. The away strip is very different. It is predominantly golden yellow. The remaining color is brown, a tribute to the team’s name and the significance of coffee to Colombia.

Exeter Chiefs
The Premier 15s side kept their hot streak going with a fifth successive win, this time a 17-10 road result over Worcester. Eight of their nine North American internationals featured in the match. Kate Zackary was a try-scorer while fellow Eagles flanker Rachel Johnson made a big impression as a replacement early in the second half.

Benjamín Urdapilleta
The World Cup flyhalf scored a Top 14 record 33 points in Castres’ 48-17 hammering of Montpellier. Urdapilleta scored two tries and added nine successful kicks at goal – four conversions and five penalties. The 35-year-old was Argentina’s starting No10 against England and Tonga at RWC 2019.

Santiago Carreras, Lucas Paulos
Carreras touched down for two tries against Bristol on Friday night. Both were interceptions against the run of play. They were his first in the Premiership. Also scoring his first try for his new club was Paulos. The big lock crossed for Brive in their away match against Bayonne on Sunday.

Andrés Vilaseca
Peñarol named Andrés Vilaseca as captain. The 29-year-old replaces teammate Alejandro Nieto as skipper for the 2021 SLAR campaign. It is not a great surprise – the inside center is already captain of Los Teros, taking over from Juan Manuel Gaminara this past year.

Major League Rugby Signings
As preseason camps begin there was a flurry of signing over the past week. Most notably a number of Dallas castoffs have found new homes – Carlo de Nysschen to San Diego, Cristian Rodriguez and Ryan James to LA, Kody O’Neil and Jinho Mun to Houston, Conner Mooneyham to Austin, and Tommy Clark to Seattle. The Seawolves also unveiled newcomers Rhyno Herbst, Obert Nortjé, and Les Soloai. Utah promoted Joseph Mano and Logan Tago to senior contracts, while the Arrows announced Ross Braude and Pat Lynott.

UNDER

Brazil Women’s Sevens
Brazil has been forced out of the Madrid 7s. As Yaras were due to travel to the Spanish capital this month to compete in the World Rugby tournament. Instead no trip will be made. Brazil’s women’s team will miss the tournament due to the global pandemic. The women’s competition will consist of France, Kenya, Poland, Russia, Spain and the USA.

Injured Pumas in Europe
They are dropping like flies. That is to say that multiple Pumas suffered injuries in the latest round of rugby in Europe. Two were injured on Friday in an English Premiership match and a further player today in the French Top 14. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and Matías Alemanno were forced off early in Gloucester vs Bristol Bears while Bautista Delguy went down in Bordeaux vs Stade Français. Meanwhile, Santiago Grondona underwent knee surgery. He will not play for the Newcastle Falcons this season.

Julian Montes
Rugby ATL prop Julian Montes confirmed his retirement from rugby this past week. The 26-year-old is following the advice of doctors after scans revealed serious damage in his neck. Montes had been involved in preseason training for the 2021 Major League Rugby season prior to the diagnosis. The Collegiate All-American appeared in three matches as a replacement tighthead during the 2020 campaign and was expected to play a larger role this coming year.

Lyon
With three consecutive Top 14 defeats Lyon are falling at a rapid rate. The club is now in 7th position in the standings. The latest loss occurred on Saturday. Lyon fell to a 34-26 defeat against Racing 92. Francisco Gómez Kodela started at tight head. Involved for the winning team was one of his Tri Nations teammate. Emiliano Boffelli made his debut for Racing 92.