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The year of 2021 saw test debutants across the Americas. Some test teams awarded more first caps than others. None more so than the Cayman Islands; 18 players earned their first caps in the Caymans Islands’ one test match of the year.
The Cayman Islands were not alone in awarded an array of new caps. The Americas leading test team, Los Pumas, had twelve debutants. There was a heavy concentration in certain positions with five debutants being props but zero at fly half, fullback, second-row or hooker.
Canada and the USA both had many rookies. Seven played made their test debut for Canada against Wales in July while six did so for the USA against England. The matches served as preparation for the North American regional RWC 2023 qualifiers.
Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay did not have tours before the South American regional RWC 2023 qualifiers. They approached the RWC qualifiers somewhat differently. Brazil vs Paraguay featured two debutants for Brazil and six for Paraguay.
Chile and Uruguay for more settled. Three Chileans debuts against Brazil with no further first caps during the qualifiers, including against Canada. Uruguay handed out four first caps for the year.
Thomas Gallo made a massive impact in his debut. In his first cap he scored two tries for Argentina. Only two other props have ever done so in test rugby and nobody had achieved the feat since the game turned professional.
Brazil’s Leonardo de Souza scored two against Zimbabwe in November. Coming off the bench, de Souza helped Brazil fight back to finish two points behind the Sables. de Souza and Gallo make the Rookie XV of the year. They are joined in the front-row by Eduardo Bello who debuted against Australia in the Rugby Championship.
It is a Paraguay-Canada combination in the second-row. José Montiel locks the scrum with Corey Thomas. The Canadian rookie scored two tries in the RWC qualifiers and three more tries in November.
Thomas’ teammate Siaki Vikilani makes the back-row. He joins Eagle Andrew Guerra and Puma Juan Martín González. The Puma was a try scorer on debut against Romania. He went on to earn eight caps for the year.
Marcelo Torrealba had an excellent rookie year of test match rugby. The MLR scrum-half produced a high level of play in the RWC qualifiers and on tour for Chile against Russia in November. He forms a halves combination with Conal Keane who scored eight points on debut against Mexico.
Chile also contributes a player to the mid-field. Matías Garafulic gave Chile an excellent ball-carrier and defender at inside center. He is joined in the centers by Olympic Bronze Medalist Lucio Cinti. The young man from La Plata forced his way in to the starting line-up during the Rugby Championship.
The Americas rookie wingers of the year are Eagle Mika Kruse and Puma Mateo Carreras. Kruse scored tries in both RWC qualifying matches against Uruguay. Carreras also scored two tries. He was a try scorer against France in Paris and against Ireland in Dublin.
The team is completed by Canada’s Cooper Coats at fullback. Coats scored on test debut against Wales. He had a strong July series overall and merited his spot in the team for the RWC qualifiers.
AMERICAS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR XV 2021
1 Thomas Gallo (Argentina)
2 Leonardo de Souza (Brazil)
3 Eduardo Bello (Argentina)
4 Corey Thomas (Canada)
5 José Montiel (Paraguay)
6 Andrew Guerra (USA)
7 Juan Martín González (Argentina)
8 Siaki Vikilani (Canada)
9 Marcelo Torrealba (Chile)
10 Conal Keane (Cayman Islands)
11 Mika Kruse (USA)
12 Matías Garafulic (Chile)
13 Lucio Cinti (Argentina)
14 Mateo Carreras (Argentina)
15 Cooper Coats (Canada)
