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A vital match in Super Rugby Americas 2023 sees Yacare and Pampas battling-it-out in Asunción on Friday. Both teams go into the match with two wins and two losses thus far in Super Rugby Americas 2023. The results do not lie; both have been inconsistent. Yacare followed up a 25-3 home win over the Raptors with a 45-12 away loss against Peñarol.
Based on the selection changes to face Los Pampas compared to that which faced Peñarol it is safe to conclude that Yacare rotated and fielded a weakened side in Montevideo. Ricardo Le Fort has made seven changes to his side.
It is all change in the front-row. Julián Martín, Mariano Muntaner and Estéfano Aranda make way for Puma Lucas Noguera Paz as well as Emilio Gorostiaga and Facundo Pomponio. Felipe Puertas returns at flanker with Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel dropping to the replacements.
In the backs captain Ignacio Inchauspe has a new halves partner; Federico Cacciabue, is back in place of Estanislao Gómez. Ramiro Amarilla replaces Sebastián Urbieta at inside center and Federico Gauna comes in for Facundo Paiva on the right wing.
Los Pampas are out to turn around their season. The Buenos Aires side were well beaten last week by Los Dogos at La Catedral. The 29-11 defeat followed a bye which suggests that the team is far short of being in good form.
Head Coach Ignacio Fernández Lobbe has not hit the panic button. Santiago Ruiz will captain an unchanged pack of forwards. Puma Rodrigo Martínez again starts at loose head and the forwards are an outfit which could play as the Argentina XV.
Fernande Lobbe has made three alterations in the backs. The son of a teammate of his from Rugby World Cups 1999 and 2003, Diego Albanese will start. While Diego Albanese was an outstanding winger his son, Mateo Albanese plays scrum-half. Albanese will start in place of Rafael Iriarte.
Joaquín de la Vega Mendía is retained as the play-maker at fly half and Manuel Alfaro outside him. A change at ioutside center sees Felipe de la Vega making way for Benjamín Elizalde. It is a first start for Elizalde in the position; he has featured on the right wing in prior matches.
The final change is that of the right wing. With Elizalde moving to the mid-field, Iñaki Delguy is back starting outwide. Delguy is the brother of Clermont flier Bautista Delguy.
On paper this match is the first ever between the teams. Notwithstanding, the Olímpia Lions and Los Jaguares XV played each-other in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). The Olímpia Lions also played against Los Ceibos in SLAR. The overall results are six wins for the Argentine teams.
TEAMS
YACARE
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Emilio Gorostiaga, 3 Facundo Pomponio, 4 Ignacio Martínez, 5 Mariano Garcete, 6 Felipe Villagrán, 7 Felipe Puertas, 8 Marcos Riquelme, 9 Ignacio Inchauspe, 10 Federico Cacciabue, 11 Juan González, 12 Ramiro Amarilla, 13 Tomás Acosta Pimentel, 14 Federico Gauna, 15 Tomás Mac Call
Replacements: 16 Mariano Muntaner, 17 Julián Martín, 18 Estéfano Aranda, 19 Carlos Plate, 20 Juan Cruz Perez Rachel , 21 Diego Miño, 22 Sebastián Urbieta, 23 Arturo López
PAMPAS
1 Rodrigo Martínez, 2 Ramiro Gurovich, 3 Javier Coronel, 4 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 5 Federico Lavanini, 6 Nicolás D’Amorim, 7 Jerónimo Ureta, 8 Santiago Ruiz (capt.), 9 Mateo Albanese, 10 Joaquín de la Vega Mendía, 11 Tomás Passaro, 12 Manuel Alfaro, 13 Benjamín Elizalde, 14 Iñaki Delguy, 15 Juan Ignacio Landó
Replacements: 16 Valentino Minoyetti, 17 Javier Corvalán, 18 Renzo Zanella, 19 Lorenzo Colidio, 20 Eliseo Chiavassa, 21 Rafael Iriarte, 22 Joaquín Lamas, 23 Lucio Auad
Date: Friday, March 24
Kick-Off: 6pm (PY)
Venue: Héroes de Curupayty, Asunción (PY)
Referee: Marquise Goodwin (USA)
Assistant Referees: Federico Solario (AR); José Ibañez (AR)
TMO: Víctor Silvero (BR)
HISTORIC RESULTS
2002-04-29 – Jaguares 41-21 Olímpia Lions (Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo, UY)
2022-03-19 – Jaguares XV 49-22 Olímpia Lions (Estadio Elías Figueroa Brander, Valparaíso, CL)
2021-05-08 – Olímpia Lions 17-29 Jaguares XV (Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo, UY)
2021-04-26 – Olímpia Lions 26-40 Jaguares XV (Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo, UY)
2021-03-30 – Jaguares XV 71-13 Olímpia Lions (Estadio Nacional, Santiago, CL)
2020-03-06 – Ceibos 48-08 Olímpia Lions (Tala RC, Córdoba, AR)
