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2021 saw so many positives for Uruguay. None were more siginficant than Los Teros winning the Americas qualifiers. The result means a South American country is Americas 1 for the first time. Uruguay’s prize is the better part of one more year of planning than Americas 2 which will be the winner of the USA vs Chile in July 2022.
The extra time is highly significant. Uruguay can put attention into preparing for the RWC rather than more qualifiers. Indeed, Uruguay know that they will face France, Italy, New Zealand, and Africa 1 in Pool A and also where the matches will be.
Uruguay faced Italy in an away match in November. It was a highly valuable experience for both teams. Italy were winners, though Uruguay earned more than respect in the match. Lessons will be studied endlessly by the Uruguayan staff to put together a pathway from which to fight for victory. This was the roadmap used to defeat Fiji at RWC 2019.
Most of Uruguay’s roster remain young. As such, there will not be a lot of turnover from one RWC to the next. This was clear during the 2021 matches. There will be changes in 2022 with more players likely to have opportunities to push for places on the roster and, indeed, in Los Teros’ line-up for the RWC.
Uruguay has a mixture of foreign-based and homebased players. All are professionals. Those based in Uruguay train at the High Performance Center and play Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR).
PROJECTED FIRST XV
| ## | PLAYER | CLUB | POS | CAPS |
| 1 | Mateo Sanguinetti | Massy Essonne (FR) | LH | 72 |
| 2 | Germán Kessler | Provence (FR) | HK | 55 |
| 3 | Diego Arbelo | Peñarol | TH | 17 |
| 4 | Ignacio Dotti | NOLA Gold (US) | LO | 54 |
| 5 | Manuel Leindekar | Oyonnax (FR) | LO | 23 |
| 6 | Manuel Ardao | Peñarol | FL | 14 |
| 7 | Santiago Civetta | Peñarol | FL | 16 |
| 8 | Manuel Diana | Toronto Arrows (CA) | N8 | 33 |
| 9 | Santiago Arata | Castres (FR) | SH | 45 |
| 10 | Felipe Berchesi | Dax (FR) | FH | 39 |
| 11 | Mateo Viñals | Peñarol | WI | 1 |
| 12 | Andrés Vilaseca (capt.) | Peñarol | CE | 66 |
| 13 | Nicolás Freitas | Peñarol | CE | 44 |
| 14 | Gastón Mieres | Toronto Arrows (CA) | WI | 78 |
| 15 | Baltazar Amaya | Peñarol | FB | 1 |
As displayed above, the projected starting XV for Los Teros is highly experienced. There has not been a high turnover of players from RWC 2019 though ARN notes two names who are likely to be starting at the World Cup in France who were not involved in Japan 2019.
Baltazar Amaya and Mateo Viñals each have one cap. Both made their test debuts for Uruguay in the 2021 November Internationals. Uruguay’s early qualification for RWC 2023 is projected to see both men featuring heavily for Los Teros in 2022. They are down to join veteran Gastón Mieres in the back-three.
Part of the projected back-three is related to Nicolás Freitas. The RWC 2019 winger is likely to be playing in the centers at RWC 2023. He played in both center positions and wing in 2021 but Uruguay’s needs and Freitas’ abilities mean he is more than likely to be wearing 13 in France. Freitas joins captain Andrés Vilaseca in the centers.
The halves are a repeat of RWC 2019; Santiago Arata and Felipe Berchesi are expected to be retained in their positions. Neither player featured in the November 2021 matches against Romania and Italy.
The forwards ought to be considered settled. There is not so much competition for places. Uruguay’s small player pool is notable in the forwards, particularly in the second-row. Manuel Leindekar and Ignacio Dotti are certainties to lock the scrum. They are covered by flankers playing second-row rather than specialists.
There was movement in the front-row in 2021. Be that as it may, the outlook is that Mateo Sanguinetti and Diego Arbelo are very well placed to be the starting props. Arbelo gets the nod over Juan Echeverría who is one cap short of 60. Germán Kessler is the top hooker with two others pushing hard to be his understudy.
Manuel Diana overtook Alejandro Nieto at RWC 2019. He remains the first-choice N8 and will all but surely want the 8 shirt in France. Manuel Ardao has been the most improved Teros forward in 2021. His place is also certain. Santiago Civetta had a strong RWC and looks likely to again be wearing 7 in 2023.
PROJECTED REPLACEMENTS
| 16 | Facundo Gattas | Peñarol | HK | 37 |
| 17 | Matías Benítez | Peñarol | LH | 38 |
| 18 | Juan Echeverría | Peñarol | TH | 59 |
| 19 | Diego Magno | Unattached | LO | 97 |
| 20 | Franco Lamanna | Mogliano (IT) | FL | 50 |
| 21 | Tomás Inciarte | Peñarol | SH | 23 |
| 22 | Felipe Etcheverry | Peñarol | FH | 11 |
| 23 | Rodrigo Silva | Peñarol | FB | 69 |
Facundo Gattas did very well in place of Germán Kessler in the RWC 2023 qualifiers. He is named as a replacement ahead of Guillermo Pujadas. Matías Benítez has emerged to be Uruguay’s back-up loose head in 2021. He and Juan Echeverría give Uruguay solid coverage at prop.
Uruguay’s options and needs in the second-row see Diego Magno and Franco Lamanna both on the projected bench. Both men have played flanker and second-row for Uruguay. In terms of height, they are more suited to flanker. Of the two Magno is likely to be covering second-row and Lamanna flanker, though both could play in both positions.
Tomás Inciarte was a standout performer for Peñarol and Uruguay in 2021. He is projected ahead of Agustín Ormaechea as Arata’s understudy. Felipe Etcheverry is the understudy to Felipe Berchesi at fly half while Rodrigo Silva will cover wing and fullback.
Silva was a regular in RWCs 2015 and 2019. Such is Uruguay’s strength in the back-three that Silva may indeed be a replacement. It should also be noted that Iniciate covers center and has test starts, including against Australia in the position.
PROJECTED TRAVELING REPLACEMENTS
| 24 | Guillermo Pujadas | Peñarol | HK | 18 |
| 25 | Mateo Perillo | Peñarol | LH | 1 |
| 26 | Ignacio Péculo | Peñarol | TH | 4 |
| 27 | Felipe Aliaga | Peñarol | LO | 3 |
| 28 | Eric DoSantos | Peñarol | FL | 8 |
| 29 | Carlos Deus | Peñarol | N8 | – |
| 30 | Agustín Ormaechea | Nice (FR) | SH | 52 |
| 31 | Juan Manuel Alonso | Brive (FR) | CE | 1 |
| 32 | Felipe Arcos Pérez | Peñarol | CE | 5 |
| 33 | Federico Favaro | Peñarol | WI | 38 |
The projected traveling replacements see a wealth of experience in Agustin Ormaechea and Federico Favaro. They will give Uruguay vital options for starting at scrum-half and wing if required. In the event that Felipe Berchesi needs to be rested, Favaro can be called-upon to be the goal-kicker with Felipe Etcheverry playing fly half.
Ormaechea is one of two non-Peñarol players. The other is Juan Manuel Alonso who had an outstanding 2021 SLAR season for the Uruguayan side. He is presently listed as a projected traveling replacement, though this is very much subject to change. Alonso could very well be starting either on the wing or at outside center.
Felipe Aliaga is slightly ahead of Juanjuan Garese as a second-row option. Aliaga and Eric Dosantos both cover the position. Despite his uncapped status, Carlos Deus has been involved with the team throughout 2021.
PLAYERS ON STAND-BY
| 34 | Emiliano Faccennini | Carrasco Polo | HK | – |
| 35 | Santiago Bonasso | Los Cuervos | LH | – |
| 36 | Reinaldo Piussi | Carrasco Polo | TH | – |
| 37 | Juanjuan Garese | Peñarol | LO | 4 |
| 38 | Maxime Sonneveld | Agronomia (PT) | FL | – |
| 39 | Juan Manuel Rodríguez | Valpolicella (IT) | FL/LO | 2 |
| 40 | Juan Manuel Tafernaberry | Stade Français (FR) | SH | – |
| 41 | Matías D’Avanzo | Old Boys | FH | – |
| 42 | Koba Brazionis | Los Ceibos | CE | – |
| 43 | José Iruleguy | Peñarol | WI/FB | 1 |
Uruguay’s player pool comes to light when considering injury cover. Three of the ten players on stand-by are capped. There is an argument to be made that many should get opportunities in 2022. Maxime Sonneveld is a very promising option at flanker and José Iruleguy is a gifted back-three player.
