World Cup Qualifier – USA vs Chile – ARN Guide

Following, Namibia’s qualification the next ticket to Rugby World Cup 2023 will go to the winner of Saturday afternoon’s test in Colorado. Can the USA secure their seventh consecutive spot at the big dance, or will Chile qualify for the first time? Everything depends on the result after the 22-21 win by the Eagles last weekend.

While horrific conditions made for a largely tactical approach from both sides in Santiago, both the USA and Chile scored tries from attacking moves. Christian Dyer crossed on the end of simple hands down the line, while Rodrigo Fernández delivered one of the great individual efforts on a counter-attack.

Denver will offer a dramatically different scenario. Temperatures of near 90°F (32°C) are expected at game time while only a sprinkling of rain and light wind are on the forecast. There is also a significant change in altitude from 570m to 1600m that could cause fatigue to set in earlier.

Perhaps in anticipation of weather more suited to running rugby, Pablo Lemoine has selected a starting pack geared towards mobility rather than the set piece. There are nine changes in all to the run-on side with no shortage of surprises.

Lemoine has rotated the entire Cóndores front row with Salvador Lues and Diego Escobar earning their first test starts at loosehead prop and hooker respectively. Vittorio Lastra is the new tighthead with scrum specialist Matías Dittus left on the bench. Thomas Orchard, typically a flanker, starts at lock with Ignacio Silva and Alfonso Escobar joining the back row. The latter provides an boost to the side after missing the first leg with injury.

Also fit for duty after are Francisco Urroz and Pablo Casas. Urroz starts at fullback with Casas wearing the No12 shirt for the first time. Santiago Videla moves to the unusual spot of left wing, having normally lined up at flyhalf or fullback. Marcelo Torrealba is a conventional switch at scrumhalf, the former Austin man taking over from youngster Lukas Carvallo.

Gary Gold has taken the complete opposite approach, with an unchanged run-on side. The only alterations to the lineup are on the bench. Mikey Sosene-Feagai steps in for Kapeli Pifeleti as reserve hooker, and Moni Tonga’uiha joins Jason Damm as loose forward cover with Tevita Tameilau dropping out of the match day squad.

If last week’s result didn’t make things interesting enough, Lemoine’s departure from the status quo has certainly given pause for thought. Does the former Teros great have some secret tactics up his sleeve? The selection of both Videla and Urroz gives Chile plenty of kicking options from the back, though Silva’s selection at the expense of Clemente Saavedra sacrifices lineout height.

It was up front where the USA won the game in Santiago. Their scrum was dominant and the driving maul created two of their three tries. Los Cóndores will need to be disciplined if they are to have a chance for an upset. Notably World Rugby have appointed one of their top referees in England’s Luke Pearce.

Make no mistake, the Eagles are clear favorites at home with a capacity crowd awaiting at Infinity Park. If AJ MacGinty is given time to pull the strings, the USA should have the staying power to take the result.

Kickoff is set for 1pm local time, 3pm Eastern and Santiago time, and noon Pacific. FloRugby will broadcast in the USA with ESPN holding the South American rights.

USA
1 David Ainu’u, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 3 Paul Mullen, 4 Greg Peterson, 5 Nick Civetta, 6 Benjamín Bonasso, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 AJ MacGinty (capt.), 11 Martin Iosefo, 12 Bryce Campbell, 13 Tavite Lopeti, 14 Christian Dyer, 15 Marcel Brache

Replacements: 16 Mikey Sosene-Feagai, 17 Chance Wenglewski, 18 Angus MacLellan, 19 Siaosi Mahoni, 20 Jason Damm, 21 Moni Tongu’uiha, 22 Nate Augspurger, 23 Luke Carty

CHILE
1 Salvador Lues, 2 Diego Escobar, 3 Vittorio Lastra, 4 Thomas Orchard, 5 Javier Eissmann, 6 Martín Sigren (capt.), 7 Ignacio Silva, 8 Alfonso Escobar, 9 Marcelo Torrealba, 10 Rodrigo Fernández, 11 Santiago Videla, 12 Pablo Casas, 13 Matías Garafulic, 14 Nicolás Garafulic, 15 Francisco Urroz

Replacements: 16 Augusto Böhme, 17 Javier Carrasco, 18 Matías Dittus, 19 Augusto Sarmiento, 20 Clemente Saavedra, 21 Raimundo Martínez, 22 José Ignacio Larenas, 23 Lukas Carvallo

Date: Saturday, July 16
Venue: Infinity Park, Glendale
Kickoff: 13:00 local (12:00 Pacific, 15:00 Eastern/Santiago)
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistants: Andrea Piardi (Italy) & Chris Micheletti (Canada)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)
Broadcasts: ESPN (South America), FloRugby (USA)

HISTORICAL RESULTS
2022-07-09 – Chile 21, USA 22 (Santiago)
2019-02-02 – Chile 8, USA 71 (Santiago)
2018-02-17 – USA 45, Chile 13 (Los Angeles)
2017-02-25 – Chile 9, USA 57 (Santiago)
2016-02-20 – USA 64, Chile 0 (Fort Lauderdale)