Uruguay name Star-Studded Roster to face USA

Uruguay has named a star-studded roster to face the USA. Los Teros will take on the USA Eagles in Seattle, Washington this coming Saturday. The fully capped test match is a vital fixture for the Americas Rankings, the Americas Rugby Championship and RWC 2019.

Head Coach Esteban Meneses has named nine Major League Rugby players and has Franco Lamanna back for the first time in a year after recovering from long-term injury. Lamanna joins the team from England as the one European-based player set to represent Uruguay this weekend.

The roster is notably stronger than that which took-on the Argentina XV this past Saturday. With that match not being capped rankings points were not on the line. Against the Eagles it is entirely different and the roster has been selected with this precisely in mind.

Professional players Santiago Arata, Ignacio Dotti, Juan Echeverría, Franco Lamanna, Leandro Leivas, Diego Magno, Gastón Mieres, Alejandro Nieto, Mateo Sanguinetti, and Andrés Vilaseca give Los Teros a lineup close to that which will be playing in RWC 2019.

Arata is included after having served his suspension. He is expected to start at scrumhalf with Tomás Inciarte playing under him. His regular competition, Agustín Ormaechea, will not play. He remains in France as do flyhalf Felipe Berchesi, and second row Rodrigo Capó Ortega, and Manuel Leindekar. Capó Ortega is presently recovering from injury, as is Austin Elite utility back Rodrigo Silva.

Additional notable names on the roster include winger Nicolás Freitas, and tighthead prop Mario Sagario. Freitas trained with the Jaguares in 2017 while Sagario has previous experience playing in France, Spain, and Ireland.

Uruguay go into Saturday’s test match with 8 competition points, the same as that of the USA. The teams thereby having everything to play for.

FORWARDS
Juan Echeverría (Austin Elite, US), Facundo Gattas (Hindú, AR), Juan Rombys (Trébol), Mario Sagario (Carrasco Polo), Mateo Sanguinetti (Houston SaberCats, US), Germán Kessler (Los Cuervos), Guillermo Pujadas (Champagnat), Ignacio Dotti (NOLA Gold, US), Diego Magno (Houston SaberCats, US), Franco Lamanna (Darlington Mowden Park, UK), Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt., Old Boys), Alejandro Nieto (Houston SaberCats, US), Juan Diego Ormaechea (Carrasco Polo), Leandro Segredo (Old Christians)

BACKS
Santiago Arata (Houston SaberCats, US), Tomás Inciarte (Old Christians), Juan Manuel Cat (Old Boys), Nicolás Freitas (Carrasco Polo), Joaquín Prada (Los Cuervos), Andrés Vilaseca (Austin Elite, US), Federico Favaro (Old Christians), Leandro Leivas (Toronto Arrows, CA), Gastón Mieres (Toronto Arrows, CA), Manuel Blengio (Old Christians)