Up and Under

Our first Up and Under of 2018. After a few weeks off it’s time to bring get back up to speed! 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

Chile Sevens
Los Cóndores had a record-setting year in 2017 and have started 2018 in fine form. Another historic win on Friday saw them defeat South Africa at Punta del Este. The Blitzbokke got their revenge in the Gold Final but Chile have cleared another psychological hurdle and are now virtually certain of qualifying for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco. It’s just rewards for veteran forwards Felipe Brangier and Ignacio Silva, with rising talents Marcelo Torrealba and Julio Blanc adding attacking flair.

Houston SaberCats
Can we include Major League Rugby in this? At the very least the Houston franchise has got off to a roaring start. The 50-7 win over the Seattle Saracens to start their official preseason schedule is nice, but far more impressive was the crowd with more than 5,000 in attendance at Constellation Field. It’s a marvelous achievement and from all accounts the match day experience exceeded expectations. Well done to the SaberCats for setting the standard from Day One.

Major League Rugby
We’d better give the startup league it’s own space. It was, after all, a big week for MLR. The historic evening in Houston was the coup de grace which was preceded by the confirmation of some top players for the new season. San Diego confirmed Eagles fullback Mike Te’o and promising midfielder Dylan Audsley, while the Utah Warriors picked up Tongan World Cup winger Fetu’u Vainikolo. The Seawolves imported a trio of rugged Canadian forwards in Cam Polson, Connor Weyell, and Nakai Penny, while the SaberCats welcomed 2.08m (6’10”) lock Justin Allen just in time to get a run-out against the Saracens. With lots more names still to be unveiled it’s fair to say that MLR’s stock is very much on the rise.

Grant Cole
…and one more MLR-related shout-out. This one goes out to Grant Cole. Those of us in American rugby media circles know him as the curator of This Is Texas Rugby and one of the biggest supporters of the sport in the Lone Star State. Grant has been on the front lines of Major League Rugby since its conception and after cutting his commentating teeth with Austin Huns match broadcasts last year has been a prominent figure with the SaberCats in their media push heading into their big game on the weekend. He was making the rounds during the pre-game tailgate party on Saturday and then called the game on the radio for those of us who couldn’t be there person. Keep up the great work Grant.

ARN Awards Winners
There’s still a few big ones to come this week, but a number of our annual awards have already been handed out including: Try of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Club Player of the Year, Breakthrough Player of the Year, Men’s Super 7, Women’s Super 7, Men’s Sevens Player of the Year, Women’s Sevens Player of the Year, and just yesterday the first ever Emerging Nations Player of the Year. Among those on the way: Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and the 2017 Dream Team.

Football converts headed to rugby
Adam Zaruba might be moving in the other direction, but a few gridiron players made notable appearances in the North American teams at Punta del Este. Canada selected CFL players Tevaughn Campbell and Mitchell Baines, as well as Toronto Argonauts draft pick Ryan Nieuwesteeg. Meanwhile the USA brought along former Oklahoma State linebacker Alex Elkins, a rugby player in high school, and Adams State defensive lineman Devin Short. Elkins has also been named in the Eagles squad for the ARC where he is joined by former NFL running back Paul Lasike and Washington Huskies standout Psalm Wooching. All are exciting athletes who might be the start of a trend, particularly if Major League Rugby finds success in the next couple years.

 

UNDER

Professional Discipline
The Eagles lock Nick Civetta was handed a three-week suspension by an RFU disciplinary panel after a bit of reckless play against Yorkshire Carnegie. On the same weekend Lyon prop Francisco Gómez Kodela was sent off for a shoulder charge and will appear in front of a committee on January 10. This follows a five-week sanction given to World Cup star Juan Imhoff for a ridiculous head-butt on Rory Kockott a week earlier. These kinds of incidents are unacceptable at any level. Rugby is a sport built on physical confrontation but professional players act more responsibly. They are not only representing their club and country but in some ways an entire continent.

Adam Zaruba
It’s a positive for Zaruba, but not so good for fans hoping to see the big man suiting up for Canada Sevens this season or possibly a Major League Rugby side. Both were very real possibilities until the phone call came from Philadelphia asking if he was interested in having another shot at the NFL. Zaruba will now concentrate on helmets and pointy projectiles for the next several months, with a return to rugby now delayed until late 2018 at the earliest, and even that might be wishful thinking.

Americas Injuries
The injury list isn’t a pretty read for Americas fans right now, and it got worse over the weekend. USA star AJ MacGinty suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Sale Sharks on the weekend and is expected to be sidelined for several months, with a final diagnosis coming later this week. Facundo Isa was knocked cold in a tackle during the Toulon match against Brive, and Rodrigo Capó Ortega was taken off early with a head knock in the Castres game at Agen. Canada are in particularly rough shape heading into the World Cup Qualifiers with several key players ruled out or in a race against time.

Jaguares 2018 Squad
Bringing in Mario Ledesma to lean the team was definitely a step in the right direction but you can’t help but wonder about the strength of the squad for the upcoming season. Santiago Cordero, Manuel Montero, and Rodrigo Báez are set to try their luck overseas while there are just six front rowers signed to full-time contracts. The recent spell of props departing for Europe has left the team desperately short of top class experience, a situation that could finally force the hand of the UAR to reconsider their Exiles policy for the Pumas. That decision will be made in March, which could help Argentina but won’t be any use to a Jaguares team with a bumpy road ahead.