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Selknam were the first team to hand Los Jaguares XV a SLAR defeat. That result was a round three fixture earlier this season. The rematch will give the Argentine side an opportunity for revenge while the Chileans will be out to win again to move into the top two.
On present standings Los Jaguares XV are second and Selknam are third. In actuality, the teams aretied with 5-2 records this season. The difference between them is that the Argentine side has secured two more bonus points.
Only Peñarol has more wins this season with six. Both teams will be out to avoid a potential semi final against the Uruguayans. In short, Wednesday’s match between Los Jaguares XV and Selknam has a lot on offer.
Los Jaguares XV will again be captained by Tomás Cubilla. He moves from outside center to the left wing. This sees Agustín Segura starting. Segura is a name that has been close to selection for Los Pumas in the past. The same is not the case of Cubilla. Puma Ignacio Mendy starts on the other wing. He scored a hat-trick in the previous match against the Olímpia Lions.
Mayco Vivas is the other capped player in the team. He starts at loose head. While the team is made up of players connected far more to the Argentina XV than to Los Pumas, this may change for some. Fly half Gerónimo Prisciantelli is one case of a player who may be on the radar.
Selknam’s side is not far off the team that eliminated Canada from RWC 2023 contention nor is it very different from the side that toured and defeated Russia. It will be captained by Ignacio Silva from flanker. Test captain Martín Sigren joins him in the back-row alongside fellow regular Alfonso Escobar.
The front-row of Javier Carrasco, Tomás Dussaillant, and Matías Dittus will use the battle against Los Jaguares XV to prepare for Chile’s upcoming RWC qualifiers against the USA. Augusto Samiento and Franco Molina will lock the scrum. Molina is the one non-Chilean in the starting line-up.
The backs are also similar to that which the USA can expect to face in July. The Americas leading fly half from 2021 Rodrigo Fernández will be joined by regular starters for Chile in the backline including Matías Garafulic, Domingo Saavedra, and Nicolás Garafulic.
The side also contains names that are coming through to offer Chile with further options. They incude Benjamín Videla who gets a first SLAR 2022 start, winger Luca Strabucchi and fullback Francisco Urroz. The fullback will be the goal-kicker, thus enabling Fernández to focus on Selknam’s attacking game opposite Pumas hopeful, Gerónimo Prisciantelli.
The big picture outweighs the small one; this match is about Chile preparing for the ultimate task in July. For Los Jaguares XV it is about individuals finding a way to receive attention from Michael Cheika.
TEAMS
JAGUARES XV
1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Ignacio Ruiz, 3 Lautaro Caro Saisi, 4 Pedro Rubiolo, 5 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 6 Eliso Chiavassa, 7 Manuel Bernstein, 8 Santiago Ruiz, 9 Joaquín Pellandini, 10 Gerónimo Prisciantelli, 11 Tomás Cubilla (capt.), 12 Juan Pablo Castro, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 15 Ramiro D’Agostino
Replacements: 16 Andrea Panzarini, 17 Nicolás Revol Pitt, 18 Javier Coronel, 19 Federico Albrisi, 20 Aitor Bildosola, 21 Mateo Albanese, 22 Santiago Mare, 23 Nicanor López Fernández
SELKNAM
1 Javier Carrasco, 2 Tomás Dussaillant, 3 Matías Dittus, 4 Franco Molina, 5 Augusto Sarmiento, 6 Martín Sigren, 7 Ignacio Silva (capt,), 8 Alfonso Escobar, 9 Benjamín Videla, 10 Rodrigo Fernández, 11 Luca Strabucchi, 12 Matías Garafulic, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 14 Nicolás Garafulic, 15 Francisco Urroz
Replacements: 16 Diego Escobar, 17 Salvador Lues, 18 Vittorio Lastra, 19 Santiago Pedrero, 20 Thomas Orchard, 21 Lukas Carvallo, 22 Juan Zuccarino, 23 Ernesto Tchimino
Date: Wednesday, May 04
Kickoff: 8:30pm (Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Brasília), 7:30pm (Santiago)
Venue: Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
Referee: Damian Schneider (Argentina)
Assistant Referees: Frank Méndez (Chile); Gonzalo de Achaval (Argentina)
TMO: Alejandro Longes (Uruguay)
Broadcast: ESPN America Latina, ESPN Brasil, STAR +
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2022-04-21 – Selknam 20, Jaguares XV 10 (Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo, Santiago, Chile)
2021-04-21 – Jaguares XV 68, Selknam 8 (Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo, Uruguay)
2021-03-25 – Selknam 65 , Jaguares XV 8 (Estadio Elías Figueroa, Valparaiso, Chile)
2020-03-14 – Selknam 16, Ceibos 32 (Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago, Chile)
