Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News. It covers the best and worst from games involving the Americas players and teams over the previous week.

UP

Uruguay 2021
2021 looms as a potential breakthrough year for Uruguay. In a year like no other Los Teros are set to play RWC 2023 qualifiers in addition to test matches against Italy, Romania, Tonga, and Wales. Uruguay are scheduled to end 2021 by touring Europe. The three match tour will see Los Teros facing Italy and Romania in away matches as well as facing Tonga at neutral Bucharest. The match against Wales, meanwhile, is set to be positioned ahead of Wales’ two match tour of Argentina, pending pandemic approval of course.

Cobras Brasil XV
Cobras Brasil XV have replaced Corinthians as Brazil’s professional rugby team. Cobras Brasil XV will compete in the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). The team’s player roster is forthcoming. For the time being the confirmed names are players drafted from Argentina. They are Manuel Bernstein, Santiago Grippo, Franco Giudice, and Marcos de Sanctis. The remaining players are to be Brazilians or players eligible to play for Brazil.

Rugby ATL
The most notable Major League Rugby signings of the past week were made by Rugby ATL. Ex-Raptors star Robbie Petzer signed a three-year deal, finally finding a home after the withdrawals of both Colorado and Dallas. All-American scrumhalf Ryan Rees was also signed by the club, who now boast three No9s of real quality. Both players were acquired in trades following the supplementary draft.

Canadians in Premier 15s
Canadian internationals continue to stand tall in the Premier 15s. This past weekend saw Abby Duguid earning Player of the Match honors for Loughborough, with DaLeaka Menin scoring a try in the same match against Bristol. McKinley Hunt scored a vital try for Exeter in the upset win over Harlequins, a game that also featured Olivia DeMerchant, Emily Tuttosi, and Taylor Black. Meanwhile Emma Taylor and Alysha Corrigan were making their league debuts for Saracens, with Sophie de Goede on the bench. Paige Farries started for Worcester against Wasps.

Ruben de Haas
The Eagles World Cup scrumhalf is head to England, and with any luck will be playing in the Premiership next season. de Haas has signed a two-year contract with Saracens, departing the Cheetahs in July to join fellow USA internationals Kapeli Pifeleti and Will Hooley. It’s a big move for the 22-year-old who should prove an influential player for the Eagles for years to come.

Argentine Hookers in English Premiership
Argentine hookers are in fine form in the English Premiership. Agustín Creevy was a try scorer in London Irish’s win and Julián Montoya scored two tries in the Leicester Tigers’ win. Creevy also scored a try one week earlier. Montoya was making his first start for Leicester. He joined Tomás Lavanini and Matías Moroni in the starting XV. The trio all impressed. A third Pumas hooker, Santiago Socino signed for Gloucester this past week. Over in France, former Pumas hooker Santiago Iglesias Valdez joined Béziers.

AJ MacGinty and Benjamín Urdapilleta
Two Americas fly halves impressed in elite European leagues this weekend. AJ MacGinty in England and Benjamin Urdapilleta in France. The US Eagles fly half led Sale Sharks to a 20-13 road win over the table-topping Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate. The Puma scored 11 points in Castres’ 31-21 win over Bayonne. Castres’ win involved Canadians Tyler Ardron and Matt Tierney as well as Uruguayan Santiago Arata.

Bautista Güemes
Bautista Güemes scored 15 points for Spain vs Portugal on Sunday. The Argentine was pivotal to Spain’s 25-11 victory in Madrid. Güemes was appearing in his second test match for Spain. The 30-year-old from Buenos Aires made his test debut against Uruguay in November 2020. He scored eight points on debut, doing so at inside center. A minor injury saw him miss the second test against Los Teros. The fly half from Buenos Aires’ CUBA club toughest down for a second half try against Portugal. He converted his own try and he also landed two penalties.

Juan Ignacio Brex
Juan Ignacio Brex made his test debut on Saturday. The Argentine center did so for Italy in a home Six Nations match against France. Brex played the match at inside center. He made 14 carries in the game for an impressive return of 139 meters. The 28-year-old from Buenos Aires immediately settled into the Italian mid-field. His performances are of note to both Italians and Argentines. Italy are scheduled to host Argentina in November.

UNDER

MLR Games in Canada
The Toronto Arrows will follow the lead of the Blue Jays and Raptors by playing their home games south of the border, at least for the start of the 2021 Major League Rugby season. With the Canadian border closed to non-essential travel, the team announced on Wednesday that they have arranged a temporary home base at Life University in Marietta, Georgia. In doing so they will share facilities with Atlanta’s MLR side – Rugby ATL. The Arrows will move en masse ahead of their revised season opener that will ironically come against their hosts on March 20. Toronto will be hoping their second encounter with ATL, on May 9, takes place in more familiar territory.

Houston SaberCats
The SaberCats have been hit with news that two key forwards have opted out of the 2021 Major League Rugby season. It’s not clear when the team was informed, but both Kyle Breytenbach and Jérémy Lenaerts confirmed their decisions on social media. Both players were set to play major roles in the SaberCats pack this coming season as domestic-qualified second rows. Houston could add Dallas signing Kody O’Neil as one replacement but will likely need another body to fill the void.

Juan Imhoff
Juan Imhoff was injured playing for Racing 92 vs La Rochelle on Sunday. The Argentine winger went down hurt in a two man tackle. He was tackled meters out from the tryline near the left corner. The 39th minute incident saw Imhoff’s game ended prematurely. Racing 92 won the match 26-22. Imhoff’s Pumas teammate Facundo Bosch started at hooker for La Rochelle.

Pablo Matera, Nicolás Sánchez
Stade Français suffered a double blow this past week. Pumas Pablo Matera and Nicolás Sánchez were both suspended. Matera was ruled out of facing Montpellier due to his number of yellow cards in the Top 14. Sánchez missed out after being suspended for a foul play incident wherein he was red carded. Stade Français needs both players now. With the Six Nations taking place, February and March are when such players are essential.

Carlos Barbieri
Former president of Sudamérica Rugby and current treasurer Carlos Barbieri passed away this past week in Buenos Aires. A hooker in his playing days, Barbieri played for Taragüy, in Corrientes. In 2010 he began working for the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR). In 2012 he replaced Ricardo Paganini to become president of Sudamérica Rugby. He was replaced by Marcelo Rodríguez in July 2016. Rodríguez subsequently became president of the UAR and is now in charge of SANZAAR. Barbieri, meanwhile, returned to Sudamérica Rugby in 2019 to become treasurer.

John Tait
Rugby Canada announced the sudden removal of John Tait as Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens program. Tait has been replaced by Sandro Fiorino in an interim capacity, with Mick Byrne to take over the team as soon as possible. Tait was at the helm of the Women’s Sevens side for the last decade and had recently been promoted to High Performance Director of the entire Women’s program. It’s a shock dismissal just six months out from the Tokyo Olympics with the reasoning yet to be revealed by Rugby Canada.