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History will be made on Wednesday as Uruguay host France for the first time in a capped test match. It is Uruguay’s first match of 2024 and France’s second of their three match tour of South America. France opened with a convincing win over Argentina in Mendoza.
The fixture is a rematch from Rugby World Cup 2023; Uruguay gave France a freight before Les Blues went clear late on in the contest. France went undefeated in the pool which also contained Italy, Namibia and New Zealand. Uruguay won their match against Namibia.
The match will be the first of three home games for Uruguay in July. This marks a revolution in thinking and in execution from the URU. Uruguay played at Rugby World Cups 1999, 2003, 2015, 2019 and 2023. France will be the first Tier 1 team to play a test match in Uruguay since the return for 2015.
Securing matches against Tier 1 sides is very challenging though a willingness to face elite sides is a critical part. URU staff told ARN in January 2020 that they were concerned about a possible test match against Los Pumas bringing with it a loss by a heavy margin.
Argentina will face Uruguay in Maldonado this month. Before then France will play their second match against Los Pumas this coming Saturday and also face Uruguay on Wednesday. The demanding schedule means player management is a big factor in how Les Blues’ roster is used.
| Line-Up Changes |
– First Match of 2024
1 Giorgi Beria replaces Jean-Baptiste Gros
2 Teddy Baubigney replaces Gaetan Barlot
3 Thomas Laclayat replaces Georges-Henri Colombe
4 Pierre-Henri Azagoh replaces Hugo Auradou
5 Florent Vanverberghe replaces Baptiste Pesenti
6 Ibrahim Diallo replaces Judicael Cancoriet
7 Romain Briatte replaces Oscar Jegou
8 Killian Tixeront replaces Jordan Joseph
9 Baptiste Couilloud replaces Baptiste Serin
10 Léo Berdeu replaces Antoine Hastoy
11 Joris Jurand replaces Lester Etien
12 Simele Darricarère replaces Antoine Frisch
13 Arthur Vincent replaces Émilien Gailleton
14 Jules Favre replaces Théo Attissogbé
15 Lucas Dubois replaces Léo Barré
| NOTES |
- Andrés Vilaseca leads a side similar to that from the World Cup. Only Mateo Viñals did not play.
- Baptiste Couilloud captains an all changed line-up.
- Of the XV starters only Couilloud and Teddy Baubigny were in the 23 that faced Argentina.
- Sébastien Taofifenua, Demba Bamba and Posolo Tuilagi are retained as replacements.
- Georgian-born prop Giorgi Beria will debut for France. Eight other starters are on debut.
- Santiago Arata will earn his 50th cap for Uruguay.
- Uruguay start with eleven men who started the 2024 fixture vs France. The changes are Germán Kessler for Guillermo Pujadas, Reinaldo Piussi for Ignacio Péculo, Mateo Viñals for Nicolás Fetias and Felipe Arcos Pérez for Tomás Inciarte.
- Uruguay have a 6-2 split of forwards to backs on the replacements.
- Santiago Arata, Manuel Leindekar, Germán Kessler and André Vilaseca play their rugby in France.
- Starting backs Bautista Basso, Felipe Arcos Pérez, Mateo Viñals and Baltazar Amaya are on Uruguay’s roster for the Paris 2024 Olympics. They will travel to France on Thursday.
- Melvyn Jaminet has been sent home for using racism on social media. He was a replacement vs Argentina and started in the World Cup clash against Uruguay.
- Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou started vs Argentina. They were arrested on Monday on claims of rape in Mendoza on Sunday. They face up to 20 years jail.
| PREDICTION |
Uruguay’s line-up is full-strength. France’s line-up is weaker than that from the World Cup match in Lille. This time, though, France are looking to speed-up the next generation of Bleus and the players are on tour to perform. For some the opportunity may never come again; indeed, France rose to the occasion in Mendoza. The short turn-around and off-field controversies will not help though weather conditions certainly will encourage open rugby. ARN projects France to win by +17 points.
| LINEUPS |
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Germán Kessler, 3 Reinaldo Piussi, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 5 Manuel Leindekar, 6 Manuel Ardao, 7 Santiago Civetta, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Santiago Arata, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Bautista Basso, 12 Andrés Vilaseca (capt.), 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 14 Mateo Viñals, 15 Baltazar Amaya
Replacements: 16 Guillermo Pujadas, 17 Ignacio Péculo, 18 Diego Arbelo, 19 Ignacio Dotti, 20 Lucas Bianchi, 21 Carlos Deus, 22 Tomás Inciarte, 23 Ignacio Álvarez
FRANCE
1 Giorgi Beria, 2 Teddy Baubigney, 3 Thomas Laclayat, 4 Pierre-Henri Azagoh, 5 Florent Vanverberghe, 6 Ibrahim Diallo, 7 Romain Briatte, 8 Killian Tixeront, 9 Baptiste Coulloud (capt.), 10 Léo Berdeu, 11 Joris Jurand, 12 Simele Darricarère, 13 Arthur Vincent, 14 Jules Favre, 15 Lucas Dubois
Replacements: 16 Jannick Tarrit, 17 Sebatién Taofifenua, 18 Demba Bamba, 19 Posolo Tuilagi, 20 Yann Peysson, 21 Baptiste Jauneau, 22 Joris Segonds, 23 Nathanael Hulleu
| MATCH DETAILS |
Date: Wednesday, July 10
Venue: Estadio Charrúa, (Montevideo, UY)
Kickoff: 2pm (UY); 7pm (FR)
Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy; 8 (Celsius); S Wind 3 km/h
Broadcasts: ESPN; Disney +
| MATCH OFFICIALS |
Referee: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Assistants: Gonzalo de Achaval (Argentina); Tomás Bertazza (Argentina)
| HISTORY |
HEAD-TO-HEAD (3): France 3, Uruguay 0, STREAK France +3
2023-09-14 – France 27-12 Uruguay (Lille, FR)
1985-06-30 – Uruguay 6-34 France (Montevideo, UY)*
1960-08-20 – Uruguay 0-59 France (Montevideo, UY)*
* Caps not awarded
