SLAR Team of the Week – Round 1

Week 1 of the Súper Rugby Americana de Rugby (SLAR) is in the history books. ARN is committed to covering the competition, and as such presents the first edition of the SLAR Team of the Week. It contains the players deemed as the best per position from round 1.

1 – Federico Wegrzyn (Ceibos, ARG) Argentina has had issues at loose head since RWC 2015. Positive news came in Los Ceibos’ debut with Federico Wegrzyn performing well. In what is surprisingly rare, the 23-year-old was not rushed from the u20’s into the frame for international duty. As shown by props the world over, the craft of a loose head comes with time.

2 – José Luis González (Ceibos, ARG) Due to injury and suspension Los Jaguares have some concerns at hooker. Yet, rest assured there is no reason to believe that the position is well covered. José Luis González faced Argentina XV hooker, Axel Zapata and did well. González was busy on defense and accurate in the set-piece.

3 – Matías Dittus (Selknam, CHI) ARN named Matías Dittus as the best Chilean player of 2019. The tight head prop showed just why against Peñarol. He had a strong performance, ticking boxes in all areas. In the scrum he was solid against RWC 2019 loose head, Mateo Sanguinetti. He sees off Juan Pablo Zeiss who was very busy on Friday.

4 – Franco Molina (Ceibos, ARG) Both Franco Molina and Rodrigo Fernández Criado played well on Friday. They are both solid carriers and defenders. Both also work well in the air and contribute to a solid scrum. Molina was arguably the best forward of the match.

5 – Javier Eissmann (Selknam, CHI) Peñarol’s second-row were ineffective against Selknam. Clemente Saavedra and Javier Eissmann started with Mario Mayol entering from the bench. The three were all impressive with their size and power evidently favoring their side. Eissmann makes the Team of the Week for his shift.

6 – Max Katjijeko (Olímpia Lions, PAR) Santiago Ruiz was excellent for Los Ceibos, but Namibian flanker Max Katjijeko also had a solid SLAR debut. He tackled and carried well. Moreover, he was reliable in the lineout.  He will be one to follow closely during the competition.

7 – Ignacio Silva (Selknam, CHI) Selknam were lead superbly by Ignacio Silva. The flanker put in a busy performance and made smart decisions as required throughout the 80 minutes in Montevideo. His showing was indicative of what Chile have been lacking in recent years. With professional rugby, expect to see a far stronger Chile for the ARC this year.

8 – Santiago Montagner (Ceibos, ARG) Arguably the position with the most players putting up their hands was N8. Rodrigo Bruno and Santiago Civetta had a solid battle on Wednesday, while Nicolás Proto was up to the task against Los Ceibos on Friday. The best, though was Santiago Montagner who did all the little things right. His all-round game makes a Puma in the waiting.

9 – Santiago Arata (Peñarol, URU) The one Peñarol player in the Team of the Week is the man who scored the first try in the competition. Santiago Arata edges out Gonzalo García who impressed for Los Ceibos. The Uruguayan was below his best, yet he did put in a good shift. He was let down by teammates with his fly half and centers being overwhelmed on attack.

10 – Santiago Videla (Selknam, CHI) As the man responsible for all of Selknam’s points, Videla secures the fly half spot in the Team of the Week. He did more than kick goals as he shut-down Bradley Thain. It is positive news for Chile and the outlook for Selknam is very positive looking forward.

11 – Manuel Montero (Olímpia Lions, PAR) Only one wingers scored a try in the opening weekend of SLAR. The scorer was Manuel Montero, the first player to play professional rugby for two teams from different South American countries. Montero had his moments in the match, and was certainly the best attacking winger of all players in both matches.

12 – Lucas Mensa (Ceibos, ARG) The RWC 2019 player made multiple line breaks, two of which resulted in tries. Mensa oozed class against his opposite, yet he was not against any player. He faced former Puma Gabriel Ascárate. One of the most striking pieces of trivia is that Mensa played in a RWC and away to South Africa without playing a minute of Super Rugby.

13 – Tomás Cubilla (Ceibos, ARG) The first player to sign for Los Ceibos was also the first player to score for the team. Tomás Cubilla crossed in the 12th minute for a support-runners try. He had a good match in what was a fascinating contest against fellow Argentina XV center, Santiago Resino.

14 – Lucca Avelli (Selknam, CHI) Chilean Lucca Avelli was up against the highly-regarded Raffaele Storti. The Chilean stopped the Portuguese flier, canceling out his attacking game. Avery did not have many opportunities with all in hand. However, based on how Selknam played, this was by design as Pablo Lemoine outcoached Pablo Bouza.

15 – Juan Daireaux (Ceibos, ARG) Juan Daireaux was the scorer of Los Ceibos’ second try. He had a solid match in general play. This included his decision making from the back, entering the line and being a support runner. It was a solid debut for the former Argentine u20s fly half. Given the needs of Argentina looking ahead, his performance at fullback will have satisfied many.