Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Another rough week for the Americas teams, with only the Eagles coming away winners, and even then they were far from perfect. There were a couple tough spots to choose, but more often than not it was a matter of picking the most competent, rather than the exceptional.
1 – Hubert Buydens (CAN) Bad week for Canada in the scrum, but the big loosehead did as best
as he could. Solid effort in the loose, tackled well and never gave up.
2 – Agustín Creevy (ARG) Took one bad penalty in front of the sticks, and a debatable one for obstruction, but otherwise a good performance. Ran hard and disrupted at the tackle.
3 – Titi Lamositele (USA) Mixed results in the scrum, but a fine effort in the loose. Remarkable power and strength for a 20 year old.
4 – Hayden Smith (USA) One of his best efforts in an Eagles jersey. Carried strongly and put in an excellent shift in the tight-loose.
5 – Tomás Lavanini (ARG) Cam Dolan was good, but the giant Pumas enforcer was the best forward in a blue jersey in Mendoza. Took two and three men with him on every carry.
6 – Scott LaValla (USA) Back in the starting lineup and had a very positive contribution. Strong in all facets in the loose, and added vital leadership to the pack.
7 – Juan Fernández Lobbe (ARG) Another feisty effort from the veteran. Scraped and scrapped for everything, but couldn’t drag others with him.
8 – Danny Barrett (USA) Another week, another blockbusting effort. A tireless mass of energy, seems to be everywhere at once.
9 – Mike Petri (USA) Not much sparkle, but dependable in his 50th test cap. Surely one of the most memorable evenings in his test career.
10 – AJ MacGinty (USA) Another step in the right direction from the new Eagles flyhalf. Mixed up his play well and his goal kicking kept them in the game.
11 – DTH van der Merwe (CAN) One of very few players in the red jersey to escape with an unblemished reputation. Ran hard and kept his opposite off the scoreboard.
12 – Juan Pablo Socino (ARG) Toughest pick of the week, the Pumas debutant gets the marginal decision over a much improved Thretton Palamo. Bounced off defenders and distributed well.
13 – Matías Moroni (ARG) Some decent runs gets him in the side with no clear standout at the position. All three sides need more output from this position.
14 – Gonzalo Camacho (ARG) Returned from a two year international absence with a commendable performance. Defended strongly and didn’t struggle at all with the pace.
15 – Santiago Cordero (ARG) The most dangerous runner in the Pumas arsenal. Got plenty of metres on the counter attack and covered well.
