SLAR Preview – Peñarol vs Cobras

Peñarol and Os Cobras are close to the test teams of Uruguay and Brazil. Their match-up is one with more on the line that points on the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) table. It is a match to size-up what is to come mid-year in the RWC 2023 qualifiers.

Both teams are approaching the match with an eye to the future; there is active player rotation. In the case of Peñarol this sees Nicolás Freitas captaining the side from inside center. He is usually a winger for Uruguay, though he is arguably best at outside center. Regular captain Andrés Vilaseca will feature from the bench.

Freitas and the highly promising Felipe Arcos Pérez will be the starting centers. They will play outside the Argentine halves pairing of Manuel Nogúes and Martín Roger. Veteran Federico Favaro starts on one wing while two players being groomed for potentially playing in RWC 2023, Baltazar Amaya anf Juan Manuel Alonso, complete the back-three.

The pack is also highly reputable. The Teros trio of Juan Echeverría, Guillermo Pujadas, and Diego Arbelo start upfront whle Santiago Civetta will play at the back of the scrum. Regular Peñarol players Felipe Aliaga, and Nahuel Milan will lock the scrum while Marcos Chamyan, and Eric do Santos are being given starts as the flankers.

Os Cobras have gone for wholesale changes to their lineup. There are some familiar names, though the team is mainly that of a team rotating following the tought assignment of facing Los Jaguares XV. In the pack Lucas Abud, and Gabriel Paganini both start as does Manuel Bernstein who moves from lock to flanker.

The backs see Moisés Duque moving from inside center to fly half and starts for Gabriel Quirino at inside center and Douglas Rauth at scrum half. The remaining players are a mixture of regulars or replacements. Overall, it is a line-up behind that which has been used for Os Cobras for much of SLAR thus far.

Peñarol enter the match as favorites. The Uruguayan side has demonstrated how to defeat a team by forcing them into submission. This has been the norm throughout SLAR this season. This underlines why Martín Roger is easily the leading point-scorer thus far in 2021.

Depending on definitions, Friday’s match will be the second or third between the teams. They met in round two of the 2021 season in Santiago, Chile. In 2020, Peñarol played host to Corinthians in a pre-season match. The relationship between the CBRu and Corinthians ended with the team replaced by Os Cobras. The change is re-branding rather than a new team. This is evidenced by the players, staff and overall structure.

Peñarol are not second on the SLAR table by coincidence. The Uruguayan side has competed well and beaten all opponents with the exception of Los Jaguares XV. Os Cobras have been erratic. In some games the Brazilian side has competed for periods, in fewer games the team has been competitive for the duration of play.

Peñarol enter the match as favorites to win. ARN expects a bonus point win for the Uruguayan side. Os Cobras are expectedto compete well in the early stages but be out of the game before the completion of the third quarter. ARN projects a Peñarol victory by 22 points.

Kickoff is set for 3:00pm local time, Asunción, Buenos Aires and Brasília; 2:00pm Santiago; and 1pm Bogotá. Live broadcasts will be provided by ESPN in the competing countries.

PEÑAROL
1 Juan Echeverría, 2 Guillermo Pujadas, 3 Diego Arbelo, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 5 Nahuel Milan, 6 Marcos Chamyan, 7 Eric do Santos, 8 Santiago Civetta, 9 Manuel Nogúes, 10 Martín Roger, 11 Juan Manuel Alonso, 12 Nicolás Freitas (capt.), 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 14 Federico Favaro, 15 Baltazar Amaya

Replacements: 16 Facundo Gattas, 17 Facundo Pomponio, 18 Matías Benítez, 19 Lucas Bianchi, 20 Manuel Ardao, 21 Carlos Deus, 22 Andrés Vilaseca, 23 Santiago Álvarez

COBRAS
1 Lucas Abud, 2 Santiago Grippo, 3 Joel Ramirez, 4 Alexandre Alves, 5 Gabriel Paganini, 6 Arthur Bergo, 7 Manuel Bernstein, 8 Matheus Cláudio, 9 Douglas Rauth, 10 Moisés Duque, 11 Daniel Lima, 12 Gabriel Quirino, 13 Felipe Sancery (capt), 14 Robert Tenório, 15 Franco Giudice

Replacements: 16 Leonardo Silva, 17 Caique Silva, 18 Mateus Rocha, 19 Cléber Días, 20 André Arruda, 21 Felipe Cunha, 22 Lucas Spago, 23 Marcos de Sanctis

Date: Friday, April 16
Venue: Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
Kickoff: 3:00pm (Montevideo), 3:00pm (Brasília), 2:00pm Santiago, 1:00pm Bogotá
Referee: Esteban Filipanics (Argentina)
Broadcast: ESPN America Latina, ESPN Brasil

Historical Results:
2021-03-16 – Cobras 24, Peñarol 33 (Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile)
2020-02-26 – Peñarol 45, Corinthians 14 (Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo)