As usual it’s the French Pro D2 that sees the greatest number of Americas players in action. At least 16 will be on show over the weekend, as many as 19 including three possibles on Sunday.
Uruguayan scrumhalf Agustín Ormaechea got the ball rolling last night with a try-scoring performance as Mont-de-Marsan fell to Aurillac. Argentine prop Carlos Muzzio came on as a replacement.
Friday evening offers a half-dozen games, with Takudzwa Ngwenya wearing his accustomed no14 shirt again for Biarritz against Colomiers. Two Argentine forwards will be opposite, as Ariel Castellina makes his third start of the season at tighthead prop, with Demian Panizzo behind in the second row.
Los Teros star Felipe Berchesi is left on the bench this week by Carcassonne as they face Albi. Argentine prop Emiliano Racca joins him as a reserve, while two of his countrymen start for Dax. Martín Chiappesoni continues on the flank, and Ignacio Mieres returns to his favored flyhalf position against Béziers.
An entire Americas sevens side takes part at Stade Maurice Trélut, albeit a very slow one. Nicolás Vergallo and Sebastián Poet are halfback partners again for Tarbes, with Agustín Costa Repetto and Jerónimo Negrotto providing front row cover from the bench. Wearing a blue shirt for Bayonne will be fullback Martín Bustos Moyano, flanker Benjamín Macome, and Chilean lock Pablo Huete.
Bourgoin closes out Friday’s festivities by handing Canadian recruit Andrew Tiedemann his first start at tighthead prop against Montauban. Sunday’s lineups for the Provence-Perpignan encounter have not been named but the Argentine trio of Tomás Vallejos, Lucas Martín Caneda, and newly acquired Leandro Mario Assi are all in the running for Aix.