Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

UP

Trinidad & Tobago Women
Trinidad & Tobago won the Women’s 10’s Champions in Miami on Friday. The Caribbean nation ran out winners in a competition also involving Jamaica, Mexico and the USA South. Trinidad & Tobago’s Women’s 10’s title was hard fought. Having dropped their opening game 17-7 to the USA South, Trinidad & Tobago regrouped to defeat Mexico 20-7 and Jamaica 10-5. This set up a final against the USA South. Jamaica finished in third position. Played under heavy rain the Jamaicans achieved revenge against Las Serpientes. Mexico’s win on Thursday over Jamaica was lay to rest as Jamaica claimed Bronze with a 12-5 victory. This left Trinidad & Tobago to battle it out in the final. Controlling play, the Caribbean side had the better of the home side. Their 15-0 victory gave them the title and was celebrated well into the night.

USA South Men’s u19
The USA South retained their Rugby Americas North (RAN) u19 title. The team won the 2017 tournament which finished on Saturday, downing Mexico 19-6. In the 2016 final the USA South also defeated Mexico. In 2015 Mexico won the final against the USA South. This year’s Rugby Americas North (RAN) men’s u19 tournament was played at Vizcaya Park in Miami, Florida. Taking place from July 15-22, it was part of the RAN Super Week. Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, USA South ‘A’ and USA South ‘B’ were the eight competitors. The USA South ‘A’ Men’s u19s not only were crowned champions but went through the tournament undefeated. En route to reaching the Final the USA South defeated Jamaica, 47-0, Bermuda 54-0 and Mexico 19-6.

Ontario Blues
The Ontario Blues held off a defiant Atlantic Rock side to come away 24-17 winners in their opening round Canadian Rugby Championship fixture at Farnham Mill Rugby Park in Truro, Nova Scotia, on Saturday. After building an ominous 24-0 lead in the first half the Blues saw their chances disappear in the second, conceding numerous penalties and 17 unanswered points to give the home side hope. The two sides now prepare for the three-match tournament in Calgary beginning on August 13. Neither will be entirely satisfied with the performance but the Blues have at least escaped with a win and their hopes of a sixth MacTier Cup title still intact.

Houston Strikers
The Houston Strikers roster is going from strength ot strength. Ahead of the debut season of Major League Rugby the teqam is putting together a very competitive squad. This past week saw the addition of Zach Pangelinan and Pago Haini. Of them the former has played for the USA at senior level. Haini is also captured by the USA, he has played Rugby Sevens for the Eagles. A detailed Houston Strikers player roster can be seen by clicking here.

Santiago Montagner
Note down the name of Santiago Montagner. He is a Puma in waiting. The 22-year-old Alumni No 8 scored a hat-trick on Saturday. Alumni went to Don Torcuato and won. The impressive 33-5 victory lifts Alumni to 4th spot on the URBA Top 12. Above Alumni are CUBA, SIC and Pucará. Alumni’s downing of Hindú on Saturday was against a side featuring Jaguares backs Joaquín Díaz Bonilla and Bautista Ezcurra, the latter of whom is in Argentina’s roster for the Rugby Championship. Santiago Montagner delivered a stand-out performance, underlining his credentials as a future Puma. He may well get the call-up to the senior side before the end of 2017.

MVCC
The oldest rugby club in the Americas turned 156 this past week. Established on July 18 1861 Montevideo Cricket Club (MVCC) was the first rugby club in Uruguay. It is recognized at the Twickenham Museum of Rugby has being the 8th oldest club in the World. The seven clubs older than MVCC are Guy’s Hospital (1843, England), Dublin University F.C (Ireland, 1854), Liverpool (England, 1857), Edinburgh Academicals (Scotland, 1858), Merchiston Castle (Scotland, 1858), St. Andrew’s University (Scotland, 1858) and Blackheath Preparatory School Old Boys (England, 1858). The club took to the field this weekend, recording a 15-13 win over Pucaru Stade Gaulois (PSG) in the Campeonato Uruguayo.

Juan Carlos Bado
Uruguayan Juan Carlos Bado is the new Head Coach of Getxo. The Spanish Basque club has unveiled the former Rugby World Cup Tero now being head of the club. Getxo plays in the División de Honor, the elite division of Spanish rugby. The former Teros second-rower was involved in Rugby World Cup 2015 as a coach. He was a part of the Uruguayan staff in England and Wales. Prior to that he took to the field as a player, appearing in both Rugby World Cup 1999 and 2003. As as one Uruguay’s leading players during his playing days, he earned 60 caps. This was over a lengthily period of eleven years and at a time with restricted opportunities. Indeed, the Americas Rugby Championship would not start until 2016. In his post playing days Bado has had success as a coach. In 2016 he took the u19 side of Montevideo club Old Boys to the Uruguayan national title. Last season he coached French Fédérale 1 club Saint Nazare.

UNDER

USA Rugby
Ted Hardy’s Talking Rugby underlined that all is far from being well at USA Rugby. The union is massively in debt, about to face litigation over the PRO mess, and facing unprecedented unrest from their constituents. The fallout over PRO Rugby is embarrassing as the contract that was pushed through our leaders is questionable to even the untrained eye. Former Eagle Tony Ridnell has been extremely vocal in his concerns about many aspects of how USA Rugby is being run. While Michael Fealey has recently filed a formal grievance against USA Rugby. The grievance is reportedly being revised, but its claims against USA Rugby are staggering and cover a span of multiple years. The grievance includes claims of gross negligence, self dealing, misconduct, and a myriad of other issues. All questions that others have brought up over the years only to be called conspiracy theories by apologists. If proven, the grievance could destroy USA Rugby as we know it.

USA Eagles’ November Internationals
The USA Eagles have sealed November Internationals in Tbilisi and Frankfurt. These matches are to take place on November 18 and November 25. They are both matches that the Eagles can target to win. On the flip side why is there not a third match? Why does the USA not have a match set in stone for November 11? In 2016 the USA opened against the Maori All Blacks in Chicago. The same fixture has taken place in prior years. With no caps being awarded for such a match it raises questions as to why a Rugby World Cup competitor cannot be secured?

Samu Manoa
Samu Manoa is to miss Toulon’s Argentina tour. The USA enforcer has been confirmed as not being considered fit to take part in the upcoming two-match series between Toulon and the Argentina XV. The loss continues what has been an extended layoff period for the Eagles forward. The 32-year-old’s season was plagued with injuries. The latest being an arm injury earlier in 2017. It ruled him out of playing in the USA’s Rugby World Cup qualifiers against Canada. Toulon’s tour to Argentina will see the club in the country for fifteen days. The first match will take place on Saturday July 29 at CASI in Buenos Aires. Game two is to be played on Friday August 04 at Tucumán Lawn Tennis Club in Northern Argentina.

Roberto Tejerizo
Having been the third choice hooker for Los Jaguares a place in either the Rugby Championship or the Argentina XV ought to have been a give. Think again. Roberto Tejerizo’s name was missing from both team lists named this past week. Agustín Creevy and Julián Montoya are the hooker for the Rugby Championship while Gaspar Baldunciel and Agustín Gómez di Nardo were named by Felipe Contepomi to face Toulon. Having been overlooked there are question as to what the future holds for Tejerizo. Having been a lifetime Loose Head prop he converted to hooker in January but has now been left out. Of further note is the inclusion of Jaguares players Felipe Arregui, Gonzalo Bertranou, Felipe Ezcurra, Juan Cruz Guillemaín, Marcos Kremer, Manuel Montero and Tomás Lavanini to face Toulon.

Zebre
Dark clouds are looming for Zebre Rugby. In the midst of the Guinness Pro 12 expanding, the Parma-based side may not be involved. It has been confirmed from sources within Italy that Zebre’s players are owed two months pay and that training for the 2017-2018 season is yet to begin. Should Zebre indeed fold the league would not, in actuality shrink. Indeed the Guinness Pro 12 is to become the Pro 14. The new teams are to be the Cheetahs and Southern Kings, the two South African sides no longer involved in Super Rugby. The 2017-2018 Pro 14 awaits Zebre’s confirmation. Last season Zebre had three players from the Americas. Of them Guillermo Roan has departed. Roan left Parma to return to La Plata and is now playing again for the team in the URBA Top 12. This leaves Bruno Postiglioni and Serafin Bordoli on the team’s books. Will they play Pro 12 in the upcoming season or will Zebre fold?

Lost Prop to Top 14
According to the French media Argentine prop Ramiro Herrera is leaving Super Rugby to play in the Top 14. The news is shattering for Daniel Hourcade and Los Pumas. The French rugby publication notes that the tighthead prop has agreed to terms to move to Stade Français on a four-year deal. Stade Français’ targeting of Herrera was reported last month. It is to replace Rabah Slimani who has joined Clermont. No official announcement has yet been made from either Herrera or from Stade Français. The 28-year-old Herrera has been a permanent fixture under Daniel Hourcade in Los Pumas. His departure would mean he is no longer eligible to play test matches. Hourcade had Herrera as his starting tighthead prop at Rugby World Cup 2015 and he held down the position throughout 2016.