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Two-time reigning Super Rugby Americas champions Peñarol open their season on Saturday. The Uruguayans take-on Os Cobras in Jacareí in São Paulo state. 2024 is a new beginning for both teams as well as for both Brazil and Uruguay; indeed, The season gets underway with an eye on World Cup 2027 Qualifying.
Os Cobras Head Coach Josh Reeves has named Cléber Dias as captain. Dias leads the side from his natural position of flanker. This is an important selection as it enables two big men to start in the engine room.
Matheus Claudio and Adria de Melo join Dias in the back-row while Gabriel Oliveira will be joined by Argentine Francisco Moreno in the second-row. They play between Brazilian prop Brendon Alves, hooker Endy William Pinheiro, and Argentine Francisco Moreno.
A new pairing will take the field in the halves as Douglas Rauth will be joined by João Amaral. The 19-year-old Amaral made his test debut for Brazil against the USA in La Vila, Spain in November. Argentine Agustín Llano makes his Cobras debut at fullback.
Peñarol are now coached by two-time Pumas World Cup Leonardo Senatore. The former N8 played in the 2011 and 2015 Quarter Finals and also played in the Top 14, English Premiership and Super Rugby. He has Santiago Civetta as his captain. Civetta competed at Rugby World Cups 2019 and 2023 for Los Teros.
Civetta will start opposite Dias. He will be joined by the highly promising Lucas Bianchi and the proven Manuel Diana in the back-row. A player for the future will be waiting on in the wings as Terito Manuel Rosmarino will debut as a replacement.
Uruguay’s improvement on the international stage has brought with it increased exposure. An outcome is that players from Peñarol’s front-five are now abroad. Extra responsibility will be on Felipe Aliaga in the second-row this season. He and Juan Manuel Rodríguez start with Agustín Morales named as the replacement.
Up front it is a similar story. Veteran Mateo Sanguinetti starts at loose head. He has a staggering 84 test caps. The uncapped Joaquín Myzska starts at hooker and Mathias Franco, who has four caps, starts at tight head. Myzska will be on debut for Peñarol and at senior level. He is a former Terito.
The backline looks dangerous on paper. Mateo Viñals, Gastón Mieres, and Baltazar Amaya start in the back-three. They are all deadly alone, let alone when playing together. World Cup winger Bautista Basso plays at outside center in a new combination alongside Juan Manuel Alonso.
Santiago Álvarez is back for another season. He went to the World Cup but did not play due to the World Class Santiago Arata starting and Agustín Ormaechea being his understudy. Álvarez and Juan Andrés Zuccarino will be the halves combination. Another talented scrum-half will be looking for game time with Juan Manuel Tafernaberry named on the bench.
Peñarol are unbeaten against Brazil’s entrant in Super Rugby Americas. The most recent match was a 38-15 win by the Uruguayans in Brazil last May. Earlier on in 2023, Peñarol were 33-07 winners over Os Cobras in Montevideo. Have Os Cobras put together a more competitive roster for 2024? Saturday’s match may provide an early answer.
COBRAS
1 Brendon Alves, 2 Endy William Pinheiro, 3 Francisco Moreno, 4 Franco Carrera, 5 Gabriel Oliveira, 6 Cleber Dias (capt.), 7 Matheus Cláudio, 8 Adrio de Melo, 9 Douglas Rauth, 10 João Amaral, 11 Alain Altahona, 12 Robert Tenório, 13 Lorenzo Massari Temer, 14 Ariel Rodrigues, 15 Agustín Llano
Replacements: 16 Henrique Ferreira, 17 Luciano Gabellieri, 18 Levy Marinho, 19 Ben Donald, 20 Rafael Teixeira, 21 Pedro Aparecido, 22 Lucas Spago, 23 Daniel Lima
PENAROL
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Joaquín Myzska, 3 Mathias Franco, 4 Juan Manuel Rodríguez, 5 Felipe Aliaga, 6 Santiago Civetta (capt.), 7 Lucas Bianchi, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Juan Andrés Zuccarino, 11 Mateo Viñals, 12 Juan Manuel Alonso, 13 Bautista Basso, 14 Gastón Mieres, 15 Baltazar Amaya
Replacements: 16 Francisco García, 17 Mateo Perillo, 18 Duban Silvera, 19 Agustín Morales, 20 Manuel Rosmarino, 21 Juan Manuel Tafernaberry, 22 Ícaro Amarillo, 23 Juan Bautista Hontou
Date: Saturday, February 17
Kick-Off: 3pm (BR); 3pm (UY)
Venue: Estádio Du Cambuzano (Jacareí, BR)
Referee: Tomás Bertazza
Assistant Referees: Pablo Deluca; Guilherme Zaparoli.
TMO: Victor Hugo Barboza
HISTORIC RESULTS
May 13, 2023 – Cobras 15-38 Peñarol (Mogi das Cruzes, BR)
Mar 10, 2023 – Peñarol 33-07 Cobras (Montevideo, UY)
Apr 23, 2022 – Peñarol 40-3 Cobras (Montevideo, UY)
Mar 13, 2022 – Cobras 10-19 Peñarol (Valparaíso, CL)
Apr 16, 2021 – Peñarol 40-12 Cobras (Montevideo, CL)
Mar 16, 2021 – Cobras 24-33 Peñarol (Santiago, CL)
Feb 26, 2020 – Peñarol 45-14 Corinthians (Montevideo, UY)
