Chile name provisional squad for November

Chile have named a 31-man provisional squad for their historic November international fixtures. Los Cóndores will play three matches in Hong Kong in the Regal Hotels Cup of Nations before heading to Europe for a one-off test against Germany.

The squad is a mix of old and new with 10 uncapped players included. Flanker Alfonso Escobar, scrumhalf Domingo Saavedra, and centre Santiago Videla were all part of the Junior Cóndores side that competed at the World Rugby u20 Trophy tournament in Montevideo last month.

Saavedra is one of four scrumhalves included while there is only one specialist flyhalf in Benjamín Pizarro. The 33-year-old is the oldest man in the squad and last played test rugby in November 2012.

Other newcomers include props Sebastián Otero and Marco Díaz, hooker Ignacio Guajardo, second row Bastián Burguener, flanker Axel Scheel, midfielder Javier Lavanderos, and outside back Matías Balbontín.

Four players who play their club rugby in Europe are included. Valsugana prop Vittorio Lastra, AA Coimbra flanker Anton Petrowitsch, and Barcelona three quarters Francisco de la Fuente and Franco Velarde boast professional experience while former San Diego Breakers lock Nikola Bursic is also present.

A significant number of senior players are absent. Among the most notable are Bayonne forwards Ramón Ayarza and Pablo Huete, incumbent flyhalf Francisco González Moller, powerful midfield duo Simón Pardakhty and Matías Nordenflycht, and the Fernández brothers Martín and Rodrigo.

A detailed squad list can be seen here.

FORWARDS
Vittorio Lastra (Valsugana, IT), Sebastián Otero (Los Troncos), Claudio Zamorano (Stade Francais), Tomás Dussaillant (Old Boys), Ignacio Guajardo (Old Macks), Marco Díaz (Old Macks), José Tomás Munita (Uni Católica), Ernesto Ugarte (Old Johns), Bastián Burguener (Sporting), Nikola Bursic (COBS), Mario Mayol (Old Boys), Raimundo Piwonka (PWCC), Manuel Dagnino (Old Macks), Alfonso Escobar (COBS), Anton Petrowitsch (AA Coimbra, PT), Javier Richard (COBS), Axel Scheel (Old Johns), Benjamín Soto (Stade Francais)

BACKS
Sergio Bascuñan (Old Macks), Juan Pablo Perrotta (Uni Católica), Domingo Saavedra (Old Boys), Beltrán Vergara (Old Boys), Benjamín Pizarro (Uni Católica), Francisco de la Fuente (Barcelona, ES), José Ignacio Larenas (Uni Católica), Javier Lavanderos (Sporting), Santiago Videla (Old Boys), Mauricio Urrutia (Sporting), Franco Velarde (Barcelona, ES), Matías Balbontín (Old Macks), Tomás Ianiszewski (Old Locks)

FIXTURES
Nov 10 – vs Kenya – King’s Park, Hong Kong
Nov 14 – vs Hong Kong – King’s Park, Hong Kong
Nov 18 – vs Russia – HKFC Stadium, Hong Kong
Nov 25 – vs Germany – Sparda Bank Stadion, Offenbach