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The all-Argentine clash will open round five of Super Rugby Americas 2023. CASI will be the setting for Los Pampas‘ home match against Los Dogos. It is simply the battle of the cities with Buenos Aires hosting Córdoba. There is plenty to look forward to with Los Dogos in top spot of the standings.
Ignacio Fernández Lobbe’s Pampas line-up could easily be the Argentina XV. In other words, the team resembles sides that have played as Argentina’s next-of-XV. The team will be led by Santiago Ruiz from N8. He will have former Wasps prop starting with him in the forwards. Martínez is the one Puma involved in the match.
Ruiz and Martínez have hungry players joining them. Rodrigo Fernández Criado and Federico Lavanini both have plenty to prove. Their opponents starting for Los Dogos have looked better so far in Super Rugby Americas 2023. Hooker Ramiro Gurovich has started the season very well.
There is no place for Pumas scrum-half Eliseo Molales in the 23. Instead, Rafael Iriarte starts at scrum-half. He partners the in-form Joaquín de la Vega Mendía in the halves. The backs have plenty of promising players. Benjamín Elizalde has been among the best wingers in the league while Manuel Alfaro is a leading mid-fielder.
Alfaro will play opposite Leonardo Gea Salim. They were teammates in SLAR 2022 for Los Cafeteros Pro. Others from the Colombian side will also feature in the match. One notable selection is that of Julián Hernández. He will play out of position at fullback with Juan Bautista Baronio starting at fly half.
Hernández is the vice-captain and deputy to Franco Molina. His form in recent weeks will certainly have attracted Argentina’s national selectors. The same applies to Agustín Moyano. The 19-year-old has been highly impressive in his rookie season at senior level.
Los Dogos have been a strong all-round team thus far in Super Rugby Americas. Molina will again play in a powerful pack. Santiago Pulela, Boris Wenger and Octavio Filippa provide a solid platform in the front-row while Lautaro Simes is a mobile second-row who compliments the rugged play of the captain. Flanker Efrain Elias has quietly gone about his work with success this season.
The match-up is the first Buenos Aires vs Córdoba professional rugby match in history. A strong turn-out is expected at La Catedral. Indications are also for an attractive game of rugby. Los Pampas need a win to return to the top four. Los Dogos need a win to retain top spot in the standings.
TEAMS
PAMPAS
1 Rodrigo Martínez, 2 Ramiro Gurovich, 3 Javier Coronel, 4 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 5 Federico Lavanini, 6 Nicolás D’Amorin, 7 Jerónimo Ureta, 8 Santiago Ruiz (capt.), 9 Rafael Iriarte, 10 Joaquín de la Vega Mendía, 11 Tomás Passaro, 12 Manuel Alfaro, 13 Felipe de la Vega, 14 Benjamín Elizalde, 15 Juan Landó
Replacements: 16 Valentino Minoyetti, 17 Miguel Prince, 18 Javier Corvalán, 19 Lorenzo Colidio, 20 Manuel Bernstein, 21 Mateo Albanese, 22 Joaquín Lamas, 23 Iñaki Delguy
DOGOS
1 Santiago Pulela, 2 Boris Wenger, 3 Octavio Filippa, 4 Lautaro Simes, 5 Franco Molina (capt.), 6 Manuel Todaro, 7 Efrain Elias, 8 Ignacio Gandini, 9 Agustín Moyano, 10 Juan Bautista Baronio, 11 Ernesto Giudice, 12 Leonardo Gea Salim, 13 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 14 Mateo Soler, 15 Julián Hernández
Replacements: 16 Roman Pretz, 17 Tomás Bartolini, 18 Ramiro Valdes, 19 Gregorio Hernández, 20 Aitor Bildosola, 21 Juan Cruz Strada, 22 Valentino Dipacua, 23 Franco Giudice
Date: Thursday March 16
Kick-Off: 8pm (AR)
Venue: CASI (Buenos Aires, AR)
Referee: Francisco González (UY)
Assistant Referees: Pablo Deluca (AR); Federico Longobardi (UY)
TMO: Marcelo Pilara (AR)
HISTORIC RESULTS
February 11, 2023 – Pampas 35-38 Dogos (Buenos Aires, AR)
