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The regular season of Super Rugby Americas 2023 concludes this weekend. The final match in Argentina will see Los Pampas at home against Yacare. Both teams are Semi-Finals bound. The result of their encounter will confirm who travels to Montevideo to face Peñarol and who travels to Córdoba to face Los Dogos.
In an indication that Los Pampas have no preference of Semi Final opponent, Ignacio Fernández Lobbe has gone for a rotated line-up. Of note is a first start for Joaquín Lamas at fly half and Pumas scrum-half Eliseo Morales named at fullback. Lamas put on an excellent performance against Black Lion at fly half. Morales has been used at scrum-half but is not the clear starting Pampas 9.
Up front there is also a start for Miguel Prince. He will in the front-row alongside Ramiro Gurovich and Javier Coronel. Lorenzo Colidio and Eliseo Fourcade form the second-row while a third second-rower, Manuel Bernstein will join Nicolás D’Amorin and captain Santiago Ruiz in the back-row.
As noted there are changes in the backs. There are also opportunities for emerging players. Tomás Passaro, Felipe de la Vega and Benjamín Elizalde all start. All have impressed as Super Rugby Americas rookies. Juan Pablo Castro starts at outside center. Castro was very impressive defensively in the upset win over Peñarol last weekend.
Yacare are going in for the kill. Ricardo Le Fort is in search of a win in Buenos Aires. His first choice team is again stacked with Argentines. Rugby World Cup 2015 Puma Lucas Noguera Paz joins Mariano Muntaner and Facundo Pomponio in an all-Argentine front-row. New arrival from Buenos Aires, Lucas Sommer joins Paraguayan Mariano Garcete in the engine room.
Garcete is the only Paraguayan starting in the forwards. The back-row will consist of Argentines Felipe Vilagrán, Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel and Felipe Puertas. Pérez Rachel is a former Pumita while Paraguay intend on capping Villagrán. Having played for the Paraguay XV in 2022, Villagrán will likely debut for Paraguay in 2023.
Argentina XV’s Ignacio Inchauspe captains the side from scrum-half. His season has been so impressive that he must now in the conversation for Los Pumas. His name may well be on Michael Cheika’s roster to prepare for the Rugby Championship.
Inchauspe will be joined by fellow Argentine Federico Cacciabue in the halves. Winger Juan Gonzalez is the only Paraguayan back starting. He is joined by Argentines Nicolás Picasso and Tomás Acosta Pimentel in the back-three. Argentine Ramiro Amarilla and Colombian Juan David Agudelo start in the mid-field. Amarilla another set to play for Paraguay this year.
The match will be the second ever between Los Pampas and Yacare. It will be the first in Argentina; though, prior Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) matches between Argentine and Paraguayan professional rugby teams.
The Paraguayan side previously played as the Olímpia Lions. The Lions faced Los Ceibos in the first professional match between teams from the country. Los Jaguares XV replaced Los Ceibos in 2021 while Los Pampas replaced Los Jaguares XV in 2022. The Paraguayan side is seeking a first-win over what is now the Buenos Aires team.
PAMPAS
1 Miguel Prince, 2 Ramiro Gurovich, 3 Javier Coronel, 4 Lorenzo Colidio, 5 Eliseo Fourcade, 6 Nicolás D’Amorin, 7 Manuel Bernstein, 8 Santiago Ruiz (capt.), 9 Rafael Iriate, 10 Joaquín Lamas, 11 Tomás Passaro, 12 Felipe de la Vega, 13 Juan Pablo Castro, 14 Benjamín Elizalde, 15 Eliseo Morales
Replacements: 16 Valentino Minoyetti, 17 Matías Medrano, 18 Renzo Zanella, 19 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 20 Eliseo Chiavassa, 21 Juan Landó, 22 Benjamín Grondona, 23 Lucio Auad
YACARE
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Mariano Muntaner, 3 Facundo Pomponio, 4 Lucas Sommer, 5 Mariano Garcete, 6 Felipe Vilagrán, 7 Felipe Puertas, 8 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel, 9 Ignacio Inchauspe (capt.), 10 Federico Cacciabue, 11 Juan González, 12 Juan David Agudelo, 13 Ramiro Amarilla, 14 Tomás Acosta Pimentel, 15 Nicolás Picasso
Replacements: 16 Emilio Gorostiaga, 17 Julián Martín, 18 Rolando Portillo, 19 Ignacio Martínez, 20 Marcos Riquelme, 21 Estanislao Pregot, 22 Gianfranco Parodi, 23 Estanislao Gómez
Date: Friday, May 26
Kick-Off: 3pm (AR); 2pm (PY)
Venue: Club Atlético de San Isidro, Buenos Aires (AR)
Referee: Pablo Deluca (AR)
Assistant Referees: Juan Maio (AR); Nehuén Jauri Rivero (AR)
TMO: Marcelo Pilara (AR)
Broadcast: ESPN; Star +
HISTORIC RESULTS
March 24, 2023 – Yacare 5-22 Pampas (Asunción, PY)
April 29, 2002 – Jaguares 41-21 Olímpia Lions (Montevideo, UY)
March 19, 2022 – Jaguares XV 49-22 Olímpia Lions (Valparaíso, CL)
May 08, 2021 – Olímpia Lions 17-29 Jaguares XV (Montevideo, UY)
April 26, 2021 – Olímpia Lions 26-40 Jaguares XV (Montevideo, UY)
March 30, 2021 – Jaguares XV 71-13 Olímpia Lions (Santiago, CL)
March 06, 2020 – Ceibos 48-08 Olímpia Lions (Córdoba, AR)
