Up and Under

The 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

Uruguay
Uruguay rebounded from a forty point loss against Japan to end the World Cup preparation in style. Sunday’s 41-19 win over the Basque Country in Spain is precisely what the team needed before arriving in Wales for the extremely difficulty challenge of playing against the Welsh at the Millennium Stadium and also taking on the English in England. Facing Australia and Fiji on neutral ground are not exactly walks in the park either. Winning in Getxo was well deserved and important for what lies ahead.

Canada over Georgia
Canada backed-up defeating Guinness Pro 12 side the Glasgow Warriors by knocking-over the higher ranked Georgia in Esther on Wednesday. The dramatic one-point victory featured noteworthy contributions from the likes of Andrew Tiedemann, Jebb Sinclair and Nathan Hirayama. Comparable opposition awaits Canada in the form of Romania at the World Cup.

Marcos Ayerza
El Toro completed the impossible on Saturday when he played for both Argentina and the Leicester Tigers in the same match. The veteran of three Rugby World Cups has been playing for Leicester for a decade and this season is to be his testimony. On Saturday his club and Pumas colleagues joined together in a rugby celebration for a great player and gentleman.

AJ MacGinty
A general rule for being a top performing fly half is that it is essential to have solid distribution from scrumhalf. USA Eagle AJ MacGinty does not have this luxury but nonetheless continues to create opportunities for the Eagles backline. His performance facing-off against Australia’s top fly half, Bernard Foley, underlined just how good MacGinty is.

40 minute Eagles
Social media was in shock at half time on Saturday evening as the USA held the world’s number two ranked Australia to a four point gap. Australia’s 14-10 lead would grow to a convincing win but this takes nothing away from the fact that the much lower ranked North Americans were giving Australia a scare. Veteran winger Taku Ngwenya produced a moment of magic to show he still has the goods as he set up scrumhalf Mike Petri for a try as Soldier Field erupted.

Sergio Parisse
Clearly the best Italian player of his generation and arguably of all time Sergio Parisse continues to underline his credentials by putting in tremendous performances for his adopted country. Born in La Plata, Argentina to Italian parents Parisse moved to Italy in his early teenage years and went through the Italian system after having played as a child in Buenos Aires province. Parisse was superb against Wales on Saturday.

Tommy Seymour
Scottish right winger, Tommy Seymour plays for the northern Europeans due to his mother being from Glasgow. He is, nonetheless, not from there and is instead an American, from Tennessee. Curiously his position is one in which the Eagles have genuine depth with Taku Ngwenya, Blaine Scully and Chris Wyles all having had detailed professional careers. In Paris on Sunday Seymour scored Scotland’s only try as he embarrassed Scott Spedding to take the lead against France. The home side was in danger with a late try sealing victory.

UNDER

Canada vs Fiji
Suggesting Canada’s confidence has been damaged would be an understatement. Sunday’s effort against Fiji in London made the win over Georgia appear to have been based on fortune more than ability. Indeed, Georgia had a chance to win and really ought to have done so. Instead it lost late as it also did against Japan on Saturday. Canada were badly outplayed by Fiji and have a lot to do and little time left before the tough assignment first up of facing Ireland in the World Cup.

Kieran Crowley’s continued tampering
Exactly who the players will be that face Ireland in Cardiff remain well and truly a mystery. Such has been the chopping and changing from Head Coach Kieran Crowley that little more can be concluded other than he is yet to decide who it is he wants starting for Canada. The time for tampering is not two weeks before a World Cup. It ought to have been completed long ago – last November to be exact. The differing approach of Mike Tolkin for the Eagles is self explanatory with only Samu Manoa being added to the mix.

Pumas taking the foot off the pedal
An impressive lead was decreased to just four points as the Tigers mounted a noteworthy comeback which gave Argentina a scare in Leicester on Saturday. To blame was the excessive use of the interchange bench and sloppy mistakes gifting Leicester space and, indeed, tries. The players on the park at the time were the reserves with the first half team being the same players expected to start against New Zealand. Those involved in the second half are expected to feature against Namibia.

Scott LaValla
During the week one of the USA’s most well-known players was confirmed as missing the World Cup. Former Stade Français forward Scott LaValla will play no part in the tournament after having suffered a fractured elbow in training. Matt Trouville has replaced LaValla on Tolkin’s roster for the World Cup.

Japan 2019 under threat
News of South African authorities having held talks with World Rugby of their readiness to replace Japan as the hosts of Rugby World Cup 2019 are of grave concern. Japan won the right to host with South Africa missing out as was also the case in bidding for the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. World Rugby is concerned about Japanese stadia due to the new national stadium no longer being constructed. It is nonetheless highly controversial due to Yokohama International Stadium included for the World Cup and it having hosted the 2002 Soccer World Cup Final, clearly an appropriate choice. Yokohama is in Greater Tokyo and the venue itself is superior and larger to that of Auckland’s Eden Park, the center-piece for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.