Match Preview – Chile vs Argentina XV

The Argentina XV take their traveling road show from the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific when they take on Chile in scenic Talcahuano, part of Greater Concepción. Having skipped past Canada and Uruguay with ease the Argentines have stretched their unbeaten record to seven matches in the Americas Rugby Championship, their only blemish a draw with the US Eagles in their first match of 2016.

It’s no surprise that Felipe Contepomi has opted to roll out what is essentially his B-team. The Argentines put more than 50 points up against Chile last year and this year’s team has thus far struggled to find cohesion. Even though the size is almost entirely different than the one that beat Uruguay, most of these players have been training together for months if not years.

With the weather expected to be a balmy 20 degrees Celsius, conditions should be perfect for running rugby. That certainly favors the visitors. In the backs only Bruno Devoto has not played for Los Pumas 7s, and there are three Olympians in German Schulz, Santiago Alvarez, and Fernando Luna in the back three. Starting halfbacks Lautaro Bazan and Juan Cruz Gonzalez are physically small of stature but very quick both of mind and of foot.

Unfortunately for Los Cóndores there is just as much firepower up front. Hulking hooker Axel Zapata is pushing 120kg (265lbs) and moves like a loose forward. Franco Molina is one of the most promising young locks in Argentine rugby, an all-rounder with mobility and intelligence. Francisco Gorrissen is a converted fullback who can still move like one, and both Santiago Montagner and Rodrigo Bruni are classic marauding loose forwards who appear genetically engineered to bust through defensive lines.

The Cóndores will be without head coach Bernard Charreyre, who will instead be in Córdoba with the women’s 7s side. Perhaps he knew what was coming. Most of the team that faced Canada has been swapped out, and not necessarily for the better. Professional players Nikola Bursic and Simón Pardakhty are absent, so too flying winger Tomás Ianiszewski. Martín Verschae is in but brother Pedro is out.

There are two sets of brothers in the side. Midfielder José Ignacio Larenas has been nominated as captain for the first time, with younger brother Juan Pablo at scrumhalf. The Fernández brothers – Martín and Rodrigo – start together for the first time with a third brother, Francisco, also winning caps as a replacement in 2014.

Jorge Castillo makes his first start at flyhalf. The 23-year-old hails from the ARUA club in Antofagasta, a northern city on the edge of the Atacama Desert. At the other end of the scale is second row Nelson ‘Umaga’ Calderón, last seen in a Chilean jersey in 2012. At 37 years old he is the oldest man in the competition. Tall and athletic, Calderón is an artisanal fisherman by trade. His opposite will be 2.01m (6’7″) Jaguares lock Ignacio Larrague, just 21 and a full time professional.

It’s clear that there is a vast disparity in player depth between the two countries and, short of their best players, all Los Cóndores can hope for is to play with pride and try to stem the inevitable. Evan that, one feels, is a tall order. With such expectations perhaps there is a chance for some individuals to throw caution to the wind. In a perfect rugby evening on the Pacific coast, we cannot ask for any more.

 

CHILE
1 Claudio Zamorano, 2 Manuel Gurruchaga, 3 Gonzalo Martínez, 4 Mario Mayol, 5 Nelson Calderón, 6 Cristóbal Niedmann, 7 Anton Petrowitsch, 8 Benjamín Soto, 9 Juan Pablo Larenas, 10 Jorge Castillo, 11 Martín Verschae, 12 Ricardo Sifri, 13 José Ignacio Larenas (capt.), 14 Martín Fernández, 15 Rodrigo Fernández

Replacements: 16 Martín Mendoza, 17 Sebastián Valech, 18 José Tomás Munita, 19 Manuel Dagnino, 20 Eduardo Orpis, 21 Sergio Bascuñan, 22 Francisco González Moller, 23 Mauricio Urrutia

ARGENTINA XV
1 Nicolás Solveyra, 2 Axel Zapata, 3 Eduardo Bello, 4 Franco Molina, 5 Ignacio Larrague, 6 Francisco Gorrissen, 7 Santiago Montagner, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Lautaro Bazán, 10 Juan Cruz González, 11 Germán Schulz, 12 Bruno Devoto, 13 Juan Cappiello (capt.), 14 Santiago Álvarez, 15 Fernando Luna

Replacements: 16 Marcelo Brandi, 17 Francisco Ferronato, 18 Alejo Brem, 19 Pedro Ortega, 20 Lautaro Bavaro, 21 Sebastián Cancelliere, 22 Tomás Granella, 23 Bautista Delguy

 

Date: Saturday, February 18
Venue: Estadio CAP, Talcahuano
Kickoff: 18:00 local (13:00 Pacific, 16:00 Eastern)
Referee: Ricardo Sant’Anna (CBRu)
Assistants: Francisco Saavedra (FERUCHI) & Luis Díaz (FERUCHI)
Broadcasts: ESPN 3, The Rugby Channel, TSN GO