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Uruguay and Romania meet in game two of a two match series on Sunday. Romania did very well to win game one after an early red card. Uruguay were second best but had fought back from a 17-3 half-time deficit and were leading 22-20 with ten minutes left to play. Quite simply, it was a result to celebrate for the Oaks and one to earn from for Los Teros.
Uruguay’s lineup is one of a team in preparations for the World Cup. There are changes where required according to injuries but there is also rotation and, in some instances, a search for the formula for Los Teros to utilize in France in their focus matches against Namibia and Italy.
Esteban Meneses has unchanged front and back-rows but has a double change in the second-row. Eric Dosantos and Franco Lamanna replace the injured Ignacio Dotti and centurion Diego Magno. Both Do Santos and Lamanna have been used by Meneses at both flanker and in the second-row, though their natural positions are flanker. Lucas Bianchi, at 1.91m (6ft3), is the tallest player in Uruguay’s forward pack.
A double change also comes in Uruguay’s halves. Veteran Agustín Ormaechea returns to start in place of Tomás Inciarte at scrum-half. He plays inside his childhood friend, Felipe Berchesi. This means that Felipe Etcheverry moves from fly half to fullback. This matches what he did in the first test.
The change of position of Etcheverry is common to other positions in the back-line. Los Teros see the return of Felipe Arcos Pérez from injury. He slot in outside captain Andrés Vilaseca to form the starting mid-field. With it, Nicolás Freitas moves from outside center to wing while Rodrigo Silva moves from fullback to the other wing.
Andy Robinson’s Oaks have been revamped for the second test match. Dorin Tică, Eugen Căpățână, and Gheorghe Gajion are to start in the front-row. New Zealander Jason Tomane comes in to play inside center while Tongan Sioeli Lama starts on the right wing. Tomane in means that fellow New Zealander Hinckley Vaovasa moves to the left wing.
Marius Simionescu leads the side again from fullback. He will again have inexperienced players in his side. They include replacements Mihai Mureșan and Gabriel Pop who will earn their debut caps. There are also three changes to the Romanian replacements. There will be opportunities for Iulian Hartig, Victor Leon and Dragoș Ser. They over hooker, tight head and flanker respectively.
The match will be a of interest to all people with a general interest in Rugby World Cup 2023. Both countries have qualified. Uruguay did so as Americas 1 and Romania as Europe 2. They are also countries with a colored history at past RWCs. Romania is well-known to Canada after their stunning comeback win at RWC 2015. Uruguay’s win over Fiji at RWC 2019 is among the greatest upsets and achievements in history.
TEAMS
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 German Kessler, 3 Ignacio Peculo, 4 Eric Dosantos, 5 Franco Lamanna, 6 Lucas Bianchi, 7 Santiago Civetta, 8 Manuel Ardao, 9 Agustín Ormaechea, 10 Felipe Berchesi, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Andrés Vilaseca (capt.), 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 14 Rodrigo Silva, 15 Felipe Etcheverry
Replacements: 16 Guillermo Pujadas, 17 Juan Echeverría, 18 Mathias Franco, 19 Tomás Etcheverry, 20 Carlos Deus, 21 Tomás Inciarte, 22 Bautista Basso, 23 Juan Manuel Alonso
ROMANIA
1 Dorin Tică, 2 Eugen Căpățână, 3 Gheorghe Gajion, 4 Marius Iftimiciuc, 5 Andrei Toader, 6 Johan Van Heerden, 7 Cristi Boboc, 8 Kamil Sobota, 9 Gabriel Rupanu, 10 Vlăduț Popa, 11 Hinckley Vaovasa, 12 Jason Tomane, 13 Alexandru Bucur, 14 Sioeli Lama, 15 Marius Simionescu (capt.)
Replacements: 16 Iulian Hartig, 17 Vasile Balan, 18 Victor Leon, 19 Ștefan Iancu, 20 Dragoș Ser, 21 Alexandru Țiglă, 22 Mihai Mureșan, 23 Gabriel Pop
Date: Sunday, July 17
Kick-Off: 3:00pm (Montevideo)
Venue: Estadio Charrúa (Montevideo, UY)
Referee: Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant Referees: Nehuen Jauri Rivero (Argentina); Gonzalo de Achaval (Argentina)
HISTORIC RESULTS
2022-07-17 – Uruguay 22-30 Romania (Montevideo, UY)
2021-11-07 – Romania 29-14 Uruguay (Verona, IT)
2018-11-24 – Romania 20, Uruguay 27 (Baia Mare, RO)
2016-11-06 – Romania 36, Uruguay 10 (Bucharest, RO)
2016-06-13 – Romania 40, Uruguay 0 (Bucharest, RO)
2014-06-14 – Romania 34, Uruguay 16 (Bucharest, RO)
2012-06-08 – Romania 29, Uruguay 9 (Bucharest, RO)
2010-11-27 – Romania 39, Uruguay 12 (Bucharest, RO)
2010-11-13 – Uruguay 21, Romania 21 (Montevideo, UY)
2009-06-12 – Romania 17, Uruguay 11 (Bucharest, RO)
2008-06-11 – Romania 10, Uruguay 6 (Bucharest, RO)
