November Internationals 2024 – Chile vs Canada – ARN Guide

The neutral city of Bucharest, Romania, will play host to a rematch of an historic World Cup qualifying series on Saturday. Three years ago Chile sent Canada crashing out of contention, which was followed by the equally enduring victory over the USA. It also acts as a potential preview to the next chapter of qualifiers with Chile already underway and Canada opening their account in August.

FORM GUIDE

Current World Ranking: 21 (61.60 points)
2024-10-06 – Chile 36, Brazil 10 (Santiago)
2024-09-28 – Chile 64, Paraguay 0 (Santiago)
2024-09-14 – Chile 28, Argentina XV 0 (Talca)
2024-07-20 – Chile 11, Scotland 52 (Santiago)
2024-07-13 – Chile 33, Belgium 5 (Vina del Mar)

Current World Ranking: 22 (60.81 points)
2024-09-14 – Tonga 30, Canada 17 (Tokyo)
2024-08-31 – USA 28, Canada 15 (Carson)
2024-08-25 – Canada 28, Japan 55 (Vancouver)
2024-07-12 – Canada 35, Romania 22 (Ottawa)
2024-07-06 – Canada 12, Scotland 73 (Ottawa)

STARTING LINEUP CHANGES

5 Clemente Saavedra replaces Javier Eissmann
10 Rodrigo Fernández replaces Tomás Salas
15 Iñaki Ayarza replaces Luca Strabucchi

1 Cole Keith replaces Cali Martinez
7 Matt Heaton replaces Matthew Oworu
12 Noah Flesch replaces Takoda McMullin
15 Nic Benn replaces Cooper Coats

NOTES

• Chile will field a very similar lineup to the one that defeated Canada in 2021 with 10 returning starters, while the Maple Leafs start just three of the run-on side from the match in Valparaíso
• changes made by Pablo Lemoine from the team that beat Brazil last month see Clemente Saavedra, who captained the team against Hong Kong, recalled at lock in the absence of Javier Eissmann, who is currently on a short-term deal with Pro D2 side Agen… European-based professionals Rodrigo Fernández and Iñaki Ayarza return to boost the backline
• there are four sets of brothers in the Chilean 23… Clemente and win brother Domingo Saavedra, Alfonso and Diego Escobar, Benjamín and Santiago Videla, and the Garafulic brothers… winger Nicolás has stormed back into the side after missing out on the World Cup with injury, while center Matías will come off the bench in his return from several months on the sidelines
• Los Cóndores will again lean heavily on their professional side Selknam with 10 starters having featured in Super Rugby Americas this season… three were based in Major League Rugby while Fernández and Ayarza ply their trade in Italy and France respectively
• Kingsley Jones has named a Canada squad pulled almost entirely from MLR with all but Peter Nelson and three reserves currently signed up for the 2025 season
• there is one brotherly connection in the Maple Leafs lineup… 21-year-old center Noah Flesch makes his test debut with 24-year-old Mason packing down at lock… both will play for the Chicago Hounds in 2025, with Mason joining this past year from the Toronto Arrows… Noah will be the 13th new Canadian international capped by Jones in 2024
• both teams will play just two tests in November, with Canada staying put to play the Oaks next week and Chile headed to Amsterdam… Los Cóndores do have a third game on their tour, however, with a date opposite Scotland ‘A’ in Edinburgh

QUOTES

Kingsley Jones (Head Coach)

“We arrived in Romania last week, and the team got stuck in immediately, continuing on the work that started earlier this year in Ottawa and throughout the Pacific Nations Cup. We are facing two good opponents here in Romania, starting with Chile, and this will be a valuable test and challenge for our team.”

PREDICTION

Weather doesn’t look to be a significant factor and neither side can claim home field advantage. The Chileans have won all of their games in 2024 comfortably with the exception of a heavy defeat to Scotland in July, though a weaker Scottish lineup did even more damage to the Maple Leafs in Ottawa. Canada’s only victory in 2024 was against Romania the following week, and they struggled to put together an 80-minute performance in the Pacific Nations Cup. History favors Canada but the tides have shifted. Los Cóndores appear settled, prepared, and close to full strength. Chile are favorites in Bucharest.

TEAMS

CHILE
1 Javier Carrasco, 2 Augusto Böhme, 3 Iñaki Gurruchaga, 4 Santiago Pedrero, 5 Clemente Saavedra, 6 Martín Sigren (capt.), 7 Raimundo Martínez, 8 Alfonso Escobar, 9 Benjamín Videla, 10 Rodrigo Fernández, 11 Nicolás Garafulic, 12 Santiago Videla, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 14 Cristóbal Game, 15 Iñaki Ayarza

Replacements: 16 Diego Escobar, 17 Norman Aguayo, 18 Matías Dittus, 19 Bruno Sáez, 20 Ernesto Tchimino, 21 Marcelo Torrealba, 22 Juan Cruz Reyes, 23 Matías Garafulic

CANADA
1 Cole Keith, 2 Andrew Quattrin, 3 Conor Young, 4 Kaden Duguid, 5 Mason Flesch, 6 Ethan Fryer, 7 Matt Heaton, 8 Lucas Rumball (capt.), 9 Jason Higgins, 10 Peter Nelson, 11 Josiah Morra, 12 Noah Flesch, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Andrew Coe, 15 Nic Benn

Replacements: 16 Jesse Mackail, 17 Cali Martinez, 18 Tyler Matchem, 19 Callum Botchar, 20 Sion Parry, 21 Brock Gallagher, 22 Cooper Coats, 23 Mitch Richardson

MATCH INFO

Date: Saturday, November 9
Venue: Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Kickoff: 13:00 local (03:00 Pacific, 06:00 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 50°F (10°C), wind NE 12-18mph (19-29km/h)
Broadcasts: YouTube 1, YouTube 2

OFFICIALS

Referee: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Assistants: Morné Ferreira (South Africa) & Federico Vedovelli (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)

HISTORY

HEAD-TO-HEAD (8): Canada 7, Chile 1
2021-10-09 – Chile 33, Canada 24 (Valparaíso)
2021-10-02 – Canada 22, Chile 21 (Langford)
2019-02-02 – Canada 56, Chile 0 (Langford)
2018-03-03 – Chile 17, Canada 33 (Santiago)
2017-02-11 – Canada 36, Chile 15 (Langford)
2016-03-06 – Chile 13, Canada 64 (Santiago)
2002-08-31 – Chile 11, Canada 29 (Santiago)
2002-08-17 – Canada 27, Chile 6 (Calgary)