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As Rugby World Cup debutants there will be a bulls-eye on Los Cóndores in France. While ARN readers will be familiar with the team every player will certainly be new to the mass audience.
Who are the players to watch at Rugby World Cup 2023? This article identifies five. They are players who have impressed for Chile during and since the Rugby World Cup qualifiers. They cover different positions with Pablo Lemoine actually having moved the three identified backs during his time in charge.
Sit back, relax and get ready: Chile will debut at the World Cup in Toulouse against Japan on Sunday, September 10. It will get underway at 7am in Santiago de Chile.
CHILE – LOS CÓNDORES
Matías Dittus – Tight Head Prop
Matías Dittus is one to Chilean player to watch at Rugby World Cup 2023. The 30-year-old is a product of Universidad Católica, one of Chile’s leading clubs. Dittus was a stand-out for both Chile and Selknam and a vital part of the team that qualified for Rugby World Cup 2023.
Americas Rugby News named Dittus as the best tight head in SLAR 2022. His performances did not go unnoticed. He moved to France where he now plays for Périgueux. Dittus scored a try on debut for Chile against the USA in 2019.
Dittus is a heavy unit at 127kg (280 lbs) and uses his size as a ball-carrier. Every time he gets the ball he runs with determination to gain inches and, indeed, meters. It is not unknown to see the big prop break the defensive line.
He is also very strong in the scrum. He is the kind of player that any team would want on their roster to take-on Samoa at the scrum in the World Cup. Dittus may well be a fan-favorite at the World Cup.
Martín Sigren – Flanker
The importance of Chilean captain Martín Sigren has cannot be understated. Sigren led the team to their historic place in the World Cup and did a whole lot more. He took over a team with their heads down; Chile were far short from being good enough in the 2016-2019 Americas Rugby Championship.
Sigren leads by example. He is a solid defender, a lineout jumping option, and a genuine ball-carrying flanker. He can spot opportunities and go over for pick-and-go tries. He has a unique calmness about him; a feature that has seen him fit in so well as the national captain.
Sigren debuted in a good home win over South Korea. He did so as a replacement for the then captain Benjamín Soto. In 2020 Sigren led Chile in the South American Championship. Sigren scored in the 22-21 win over Uruguay. This was the turning point for Los Cóndores.
Like seven others on the roster, Sigren comes from the Old Boys club in Santiago. He will lead Los Cóndores at the World Cup at the age of 27. He will do so with a season to his name in England; Sigren played for the Doncaster Knights this past season. He made the move to England following an excellent SLAR 2022 where he was Selknam’s best forward and made the ARN All-Star selection.
Rodrigo Fernández – Fly half
For anybody living on the moon for the past four years, Rodrigo Fernández can spot a gap. Fernández scored the World Rugby try of the Year in 2022. He did so at home against the USA in a Rugby World Cup Qualifier. It was not a one-off occurrence; indeed, ARN awarded Fernández with the best try of the year in 2021. It was when he broke Canadian hearts.
Pablo Lemoine delivered a masterstroke with Fernández. He had played him at fullback in 2020 but transitioned him to fly half against Canada and win the elimination series. Having a play-maker with flair playing behind a bully forward-pack was a combination that Canada was unable to match.
Fernández plays fly half on attack and switches between fly half and fullback on defense. He is often back in his own half reading the opposition play who are looking to kick long. As was often the case during 2020-2023 years, for Fernández it was like taking candy from a baby. Long kicks to him are a gift; he wants to counter-attack and his teammates know it too.
Now aged 27, Fernández is in the prime of his career. He has 23 test caps to his name, with his first including a try against Paraguay in 2016. He comes from COBS in Santiago. The club will be well represented with seven Cóndores in France 2023.
Matías Garafulic – Center
Wingers like to score tries and centers like to tackle. Matías Garafulic likes to do both. With ball in hand he can run around or bump off defenders. On defense he likes to go low and force the ball-carrier backwards to the floor.
ARN named Garafulic as the best back from the 2022 SLAR season. He was named in the SLAR 2022 All-Stars as was fellow Chilean center Domingo Saavedra. The COBS – Old Boys combination have played together a lot.
Matías Garafulic is a product of Chile’s High Performance era. He made his test debut in 2021. It was no ordinary match; rather, Garafulic debuted at inside center against Brazil in a Rugby World Cup Qualifier. He did so with his older brother, Nicolás Garafulic playing wing.
Los Hermanos are one of four sets of brothers on Chile’s roster. This is a World Cup record. Chile’s roster includes twin brothers Clemente and Domingo Saavedra plus Alfonso and Diego Escobar and Benjamín and Santiago Videla.
Iñaki Ayarza – Fullback
Iñaki Ayarza is Chile’s only player to have never played for Selknam. He was recruited by Bayonne espoirs at the age of 18. He arrived in 2018 and subsequently played for Anglet and moved to Charente in 2021.
Ayarza is naturally a center. As documented by All Rugby 52% of his starts in the Pro d2 have come at inside center and 19% at outside center. 10% have been on the wing and 7% at fullback. His test debut was at outside center against Paraguay in 2019.
Ayarza is a good passer, good runner and defender. Standing at 1.86m tall and weighing 100kg he has the frame required for the highest level. His brothers Ramón and Vicente are former Cóndores. Their father played for Sporting in Viña del Mar while Iñaki comes from the PWCC club in Santiago.
Often happy to move his players to benefit the team, Pablo Lemoine did so with Iñaki Ayarza. Chile’s source of centers saw Ayarza making the move to fullback for the Rugby World Cup 2023 warm-up matches. The transition saw Chile having added attacking options. With the added preparation time there is every reason to believe that Los Cóndores will have a new edge to their attack.
