Super Rugby Americas 2024- Selknam vs Dogos – ARN Guide

It will be do or die for Selknam on Saturday. The Chileans are up against Los Dogos in a must-win match in  the penultimate round of Super Rugby Americas 2024. Winning will retain a pathway for Selknam to the play-off’s.

CURRENT STANDINGS

4-1-5 (L2) 2nd

7-1-2 (L2) 1st

LINEUP CHANGES

5 Javier Eissmann replaces Federico Albrisi
9 Rafael Iriarte moves from 10;  replaces Marcelo Torrealba
10 Nicolás Roger replaces Rafael Iriarte 
13 Domingo Saavedra replaces Rodrigo Araya
15 Marcelo Torealba moves from 9; replaces Felipe Méndez

11 Ernesto Giudice replaces Mateo Soler
13 Agustín de Vertiz moves from 15; replaces Agustín Segura
14 Lautaro Cipriani replaces Nicolás Javier Olguin
15 Mateo Soler moves from 14; replaces Agustín de Vertiz

CAPPED INTERNATIONALS

(13) – Salvador Lues, Diego Escobar, Iñaki Gurruchaga,  Santiago Pedrero, Javier Eissmann, Alfonso Escobar, Clemente Saavedra, Raimundo Martínez, José Ignacio Larenas, Domingo Saavedra, Marcelo Torrealba, Tomás Dussaillant, Inti Ubeda
(0)

NOTABLE ABSENTEES

– Benjamín Videla, Tomás Salas, Matías Garafulic, Nicolás Garafulic, Franco Velarde, Luca Strabucchi
  – Efraín Elías, Facundo García Hamilton, Felipe Mallía, Agustín Segura

NOTES

• Peñarol’s humiliation against Los Pampas on Friday helps Selknam’s pathway to the play-off’s.
• The teams competed to a 23-23 draw in Córdoba earlier on this season.
• Marcelo Torrealba started for Chile at scrum-half in the World Cup. He now moves to fullback.
• Missing Selknam players include Nicolás Garafulic, Cristóbal Game, Tomás Salas, Ernesto Tchimino and Federico Kennedy who are playing for Chile at the Sevens Challenger in Munich.
• Nicolás Roger returns from injury to start at fly half.
• Los Dogos are still without Pumitas players from the Rugby Championship u20.
• No Felipe Mallía or Agustín Segura means a move from fullback to center for Agustín de Vertíz.

PREDICTION

In theory the favorites are the visitors. Los Dogos have been a hard team for all opponents and are assured of a place in the play-off’s. The team also is coming off a bye last weekend. Notwithstanding, this is a final for Selknam. Clemente Saavedra does not enjoy losing matches. He will be fired-up and his players will follow the example of their inspirational captain. ARN projects an upset; Selknam to win by +3 points.

LINEUPS

SELKNAM
1 Salvador Lues, 2 Diego Escobar, 3 Iñaki Gurruchaga, 4 Santiago Pedrero, 5 Javier Eissmann, 6 Alfonso Escobar, 7 Clemente Saavedra (capt.), 8 Raimundo Martínez, 9 Rafael Iriarte, 10 Nicolás Roger, 11 José Ignacio Larenas, 12 Nicolás Saab, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 14 Iñaki Delguy, 15 Marcelo Torrealba

Replacements: 16 Tomás Dussaillant, 17 Simón Donoso, 18 Marco López, 19 Agustín Fernández, 20 Federico Albrisi, 21 Sebastián Bianchi, 22 Rodrigo Araya, 23 Inti Ubeda

DOGOS
1 Boris Wenger, 2 Tomás Bartolini, 3 Octavio Filippa, 4 Lautaro Simes, 5 Franco Molina (capt.), 6 Aitor Bildosola, 7 Lorenzo Colidio, 8 Valentín Cabral, 9 Agustín Moyano, 10 Julián Hernández, 11 Ernesto Guidice, 12 Leonardo Gea Salim, 13 Agustín De Vertiz, 14 Lautaro Cipriani, 15 Mateo Soler

Replacements: 16 Santos Juárez Estrada, 17 Octavio Barbatti, 18 Pedro Delgado Ibáñez 19 Federico Rolotti, 20 Facundo Cardozo, 21 Nicolás Viola , 22 Juan Baronio, 23 Nahuel Romero

MATCH INFO

Date: Saturday, May 18
Venue: Old Gragorian Club, Santiago (CL)
Kickoff: 3pm (CL); 4pm (AR)
Weather Forecast: Sunny, 16°C, wind S (6km/h)
Broadcasts: Star +; ESPN

OFFICIALS

Referee: Tomás Bertazza (AR)
Assistants: Federico Solari (AR); Frank Méndez (CL)
TMO: Ignacio Calle (AR)

HISTORY

HEAD-TO-HEAD (2) – Dogos (2); Selknam (0); Draw 1; STREAK – (0)
Mar 23, 2024 – Dogos 23-23 Selknam (Córdoba, AR)
Apr 29, 2003 – Selknam 11-19 Dogos (Santiago, CL)
Mar 10, 2003 – Dogos 24-10 Selknam (Córdoba, AR)