Americas Pacific Challenge – Round 1 Preview

The Americas Pacific Challenge returns for the first time since 2018 on Friday. There will be no Pacific Island teams this time around, and the opening round will feature only four of the six entries with travel complications experienced by the USA seeing their opening match against the Argentina XV cancelled.

All matches will take place at the Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo. World Rugby is yet to confirm a worldwide stream. ESPN and Star Plus will broadcast in South America.

 

CHILE ‘A’ vs PARAGUAY ‘A’
Friday, October 22, Estadio Charrúa
14:00 local (10:00 Pacific, 13:00 Eastern)

Chilean rugby is on a high following the historic victory over Canada, and they have named a strong lineup to open their account against Paraguay. The forwards include six players from the Selknam roster while there is real pace in the backline with sevens exponents Vicente Tredinick, Cristóbal Game, and Luca Strabucchi.

Strabucchi is one of five players with test caps to their name. The others are Vittorio Lastra, Thomas Orchard, and replacement props Mauricio Gómez and Salvador Lues. Lastra, Orchard, and Lues were in the World Cup qualifying squad along with Diego Escobar, Esteban Inostroza, Santiago Pedrero, and captain Lukas Carvallo.

Paraguay are no longer in contention for a World Cup spot and enter as clear underdogs. Tighthead prop Martín Sitjar captains the side with fellow Olímpia Lions representatives Mariano Garcete, Sebastián Urbieta, and Marcelo Matiauda all featuring in the run-on side.

There are also several members of Olímpia’s extended training roster. Front rowers Gastón Salvi and Lucas Otaño, flanker Ariel Nuñez, midfield pair Tomás Mussi and Daniel Chilavert, and versatile outside back Arturo López trained with the SLAR side during the preseason and have graduated through Paraguay’s u20 team.

CHILE ‘A’
1 Vittorio Lastra, 2 Diego Escobar, 3 Esteban Inostroza, 4 Manuel Ripamonti, 5 Santiago Pedrero, 6 Agustín Pérez, 7 Thomas Orchard, 8 Joaquín Milesi, 9 Lukas Carvallo (capt.), 10 Diego Warnken, 11 Vicente Tredinick, 12 Juan Ignacio Piña, 13 Clemente Armstrong, 14 Cristóbal Game, 15 Luca Strabucchi

Replacements: 16 Jorge Delgado, 17 Salvador Lues, 18 Mauricio Gómez, 19 Maximiliano Silva, 20 Agustín Fernández, 21 Ernesto Tchimino, 22 Benjamín Videla, 23 Tomás Álvarado

PARAGUAY ‘A’
1 Gastón Salvi, 2 Lucas Otaño, 3 Martín Sijtar (capt.), 4 Guillermo López, 5 Mariano Garcete, 6 Matías Benítez, 7 Ariel Nuñez, 8 Lautaro Britez, 9 Elias Torres, 10 Sebastián Urbieta, 11 Marcelo Matiauda, 12 Tomás Mussi, 13 Daniel Chilavert, 14 Ignacio González, 15 Arturo López

Replacements: 16 Luciano Weston, 17 Daniel Cabral, 18 Cesar Pérez, 19 Alejandro Montiel, 20 Nicolás Arias, 21 Gonzalo Villalba, 22 Andrés Borgognon, 23 Gianfranco Parodi

Referee: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina)
Assistants: Matías Esteban (Uruguay) & Frank Méndez (Chile)
TMO: Francisco Pesce (Uruguay)

 

BRAZIL ‘A’ vs URUGUAY ‘A’
Friday, October 22, Estadio Charrúa
17:00 local (13:00 Pacific, 16:00 Eastern)

Also entering with great confidence after securing their place at Rugby World Cup 2023 are the Uruguayans. Captain Juanjuan Garese is one of five players with senior caps. The others are second row partner Felipe Aliaga, props Mateo Perillo and Ignacio Péculo, and center Felipe Arcos Pérez.

All of those appeared for Peñarol this season. Back rows Lucas Bianchi and Carlos Deus, scrumhalf Santiago Álvarez, and outside backs Baltazar Amaya and Mateo Vinals were also part of the SLAR side. Flanker or lock Tomás Etcheverry played for Colombian side Cafeteros Pro.

The Brazilians, like Paraguay, are out of the World Cup running and are now looking towards the next generation of Tupis. There are several senior international and SLAR players at their disposal. Matheus Cláudio captains the side with lock Gabriel Paganini and winger-turned-fullback Daniel Lima regular test starters.

There is a first look for two players at senior level in flanker Pedro Aparacido and wing Victor Domingues. Others set to debut for the ‘A’ side as replacements are flanker Maiki dos Santos, utility back Carlos Moura, and fullback Robson Morais. Moura played scrumhalf for the u20s but will cover flyhalf or fullback.

BRAZIL ‘A’
1 Brendon Alves, 2 Endy Willian, 3 Henrique Ferreira, 4 Gabriel Paganini, 5 Kauã Guimarães, 6 Pedro Aparecido, 7 Adrio de Melo, 8 Matheus Cláudio (capt.), 9 Douglas Rauth, 10 Lucas Spago, 11 Robert Tenório, 12 Joel Santos, 13 Gabriel Quirino, 14 Victor Domingues, 15 Daniel Lima

Replacements: 16 Leonardo de Souza, 17 Piero Pozzi, 18 Joel Ramírez, 19 Gabriel Oliveira, 20 Maiki dos Santos, 21 Felipe Cunha, 22 Carlos Moura, 23 Robson Morais

URUGUAY ‘A’
1 Mateo Perillo, 2 Emiliano Faccennini, 3 Ignacio Péculo, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 5 Juanjuan Garese (capt.), 6 Lucas Bianchi, 7 Tomás Etcheverry, 8 Carlos Deus, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Matías D’Avanzo, 11 Bautista Basso, 12 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 13 Koba Brazionis, 14 Mateo Viñals, 15 Baltazar Amaya

Replacements: 16 Santiago Bonasso, 17 Nicolás Arciet, 18 Faustino Etchegorry, 19 Federico Dibueno, 20 Lucas Piriz, 21 Juan Zuccarino, 22 Santiago Percivale, 23 Santiago Gervaz

Referee: Gonzalo de Achaval (Argentina)
Assistants: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina) & Frank Méndez (Chile)
TMO: Francisco Pesce (Uruguay)