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Os Cobras Brasil XV will compete in Super Rugby Americas 2023. The competition will be the fourth edition of what is South America’s professional league. The 2023 edition sees the Super Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) rebranded into Super Rugby Americas.
Os Cobras debuted in SLAR 2021 and competed again in SLAR 2022. The SLAR 2020 season saw Brazil represented by Corinthians. Os Cobras Brasil XV will be looking to go better this year than in prior campaigns. The team is yet to reach the play-off’s.
Click here to access the complete 2023 Cobras player roster.
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COACHING STAFF
Fernando Portugal coached Os Cobras in 2022 but has since been replaced. The spot has gone to former Cobras fly half, New Zealander Josh Reeves. The 32-year-old previously played SLAR as well as Major League Rugby for the Utah Warriors. He also played in amateur leagues in Ireland and New Zealand. He is new to coaching. He is tasked with getting the players to deliver results which can convert into a more competitive Brazilian test team.
RECRUITMENT
The 2023 Cobras roster consists of players from Brazil, Argentina, Ireland, New Zealand, and Spain. Donnacha Byrne arrived from Ireland while Ben Donald is eligible for Brazil and played for Brazil in 2021 as did Spain’s Diego Vidal. Four players from Argentina are on the roster. All are of quality to feature regularly for other Los Dogos or Los Pampas. Of the 36 Cobras players, 21 of them received game time for Os Cobras in SLAR 2022.
IMPORTS
Os Cobras Brasil XV is Brazilian-centric. That is to say that the players are predominantly either homegrown Brazilian players or they are eligible to represent Brazil in test matches. Facundo Villalba, and Nicolás Cantarutti are from Córdoba and will face many colleagues when Os Cobras face Los Dogos while Lucio Anconetani joins as a former Jaguares XV player and Bautista Vidal is also Argentine. Brazilian capped Argentine Joel Ramírez is back for another year at Cobras while Colombians Diver Ceballos and Alain Altahona have arrived. Both were Cafeteros players in SLAR 2022.
POSSIBLE STARTING XV
1 Alexandre Alves
2 Endy Willian
3 Bautista Vidal
4 Lucio Anconetoni
5 Gabriel Paganini
6 Diver Ceballos
7 Adrio de Melo
8 André Arruda
9 Facundo Vilalba
10 Lucas Tranquez
11 Ariel Rodrigues
12 Nicolás Cantaratti
13 Robert Tenório
14 Daniel Lima
15 Guilherme Coghetto
