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Six players from the Americas will suit up for this weekend’s European Cup finals, with players in each of the four teams competing. Friday’s Challenge Cup Final sees Leicester Tigers taking on Montpellier. Saturday’s Champions Cup Final is an all-French affair with Toulouse facing Top 14 rivals La Rochelle. Both games will be played at Twickenham in London.
Leicester will start Matías Moroni at outside center. The Argentine international has been a regular starter for Tigers since signing in the off-season. His club are in 6th spot on the English Premiership table with three rounds to go. Pumas hooker Julián Montoya misses out with injury while second row Tomás Lavanini has been left out. The latter is due to join Clermont Auvergne after the season.
Montpellier features USA Eagles tighthead prop Titi Lamositele and uncapped 20-year-old Canadian lock Tyler Duguid among their reserves. The former has already played 24 matches for since arriving from Saracens. Duguid has enjoyed a remarkable rise having only made his senior club debut on May 1.
Appropriately it’s Toulouse and La Rochelle who contest the most prestigious European trophy with the two clubs sitting at No1 and No2 respectively on the Top 14 ladder. The two sides could yet face off for the Bouclier de Brennus on June 25 at the Stade de France.
Toulouse feature a star-studded lineup that includes American Samoa-born All Black Jerome Kaino and France halfbacks Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack. Los Pumas will be represented by Juan Cruz Mallía at outside center, with Eagles loosehead prop David Ainu’u on the bench.
La Rochelle are noted for giant forwards Uini Atonio and Will Skelton, with block-busting Fijian Levani Botia in the midfield. Their Americas connection comes in the form of Argentine hooker Facundo Bosch, who will come on as a replacement in the second half.
