Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Super Rugby Americas 2023 kick-off on Friday in Córdoba, Argentina. The season opener sees two new teams playing in el corazón (the heart) of Argentina. Both will be looking to begin with a win; the pressure is on both to perform.
With the season running from February to June teams are bound to rotate during the season. Los Dogos are not waiting around to do so. Indeed, their team for the season opener sees vice captain Julián Hernández named as a replacement.
The Dogos roster is entirely Argentine and includes no Buenos Aires players. The starting line-up has Argentina XV and u20’s players. Captain Franco Molina toured the UK with Los Pumas in November. He partners Gregorio Hernández, formerly of Cafeteros Pro, in the second-row.
Efraín Elías who impressed in the second-row for Argentina u20’s vs Chile will play flanker. Elías joins former Olímpia Lion Ignacio Gandini and Jaguar Aitor Bildosola in the back-row.
Agustín Segura is a notable name in the backline. Segura was a strong performer for Los Jaguares XV. He is joined by fellow former SLAR players Leonardo Gea Salim and Franco Giudice in the backs. The young Mateo Soler is one to watch; he could unlock defenses with his speed and stepping outwide.
Los Yacare are led by Argentine Ignacio Inchauspe. With Los Pumas’ currently missing leading scrum-halves to injuries, Inchauspe is one player to keep an eye on this season. 22-year-old Argentine fly half Estanislao Gómez will play outside the captain.
With Gómez at 10, Paraguay’s Sebastián Urbieta will play at inside center. Paraguayan Federico Gauna and Argentine Tomás Mac Call make their professional debuts on the wing and at fullback respectively.
The forwards see former Pumas starting loose head prop making his first appearance in either SLAR or Super Rugby Americas. Lucas Noguera Paz is vastly experienced; he is also a former Jaguares and Bath prop. He will be complimented by powerful players in the front-row in the form of Emilio Gorostiaga, and Facundo Pomponio.
Argentine Felipe Villagrán starts at flanker. Paraguay intend on him playing for them. He joins vice-captain Marcos Riquelme and Felipe Puertas, formerly of Cafeteros Pro, in the back-row.
Los Dogos and Yacare are officially making their debuts in a professional league. Neither can be identified as genuinely new based on prior teams that competed in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). Indeed, Los Ceibos played host to the Olímpia Lions in 2020. It was the first SLAR match ever played in Argentina.
Los Ceibos were Córdoba-based and the Olímpia Lions played out of Asunción, Paraguay. This replicates the homes of Dogos and Yacare. Both teams also happen to have many former SLAR players. Prior fixtures of note saw Los Ceibos downing the Olímpia Lions 48-8 in 2020 and Córdoba defeating Paraguay 43-30 in 2022.
Having beaten Los Pampas in a warm-up match Los Dogos go in to Super Rugby Americas 2023 opener as favorites. Coverage for the match will be available on ESPN and partner networks throughout Latin America.
DOGOS
1 Santiago Pulella, 2 Boris Wenger, 3 Octavio Filippa, 4 Gregorio Hernández, 5 Franco Molina (capt.), 6 Aitor Bildosola, 7 Efraín Elías, 8 Ignacio Gandini, 9 Juan Cruz Strada, 10 Valentino DiCapua, 11 Valentín Soler Filloy, 12 Leonardo Gea Salim, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Mateo Soler, 15 Franco Giudice
Replacements: 16 Roman Pretz, 17 Mateo Nuñez Miserez, 18 Ramiro Valdés Irribarren, 19 Federico Albrisi, 20- Manuel Todaro, 21-Agustín Moyano, 22 Julián Hernández, 23 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo
YACARE
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Emilio Gorostiaga, 3 Facundo Pomponio, 4 Ignacio Martínez, 5 Mariano Garcete, 6 Felipe Villagrán, 7 Felipe Puertas, 8 Marcos Riquelme, 9 Ignacio Inchauspe (capt.), 10 Estanislao Gómez, 11 Juan González, 12 Sebastián Urbieta, 13 Ramiro Amarilla, 14 Federico Gauna, 15 Tomás Mac Call
Replacements: 16 Julián Martín, 17 Camilo Blasco, 18 Estéfano Aranda, 19 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel, 20 Mateo Rodríguez, 21 Diego Miño, 22 Federico Cacciabue, 23 Juan Chiavert
Date: Friday, February 17
Kick-Off: 7pm (AR)
Venue: Tala Rugby Club, Córdoba (AR)
Referee: Damián Schneider (AR)
Assistant Referees: Cauã Ricardo (BR); Juan Pablo Chumbita (AR)
TMO: Martín González Deibe (AR)
HISTORIC RESULTS
N/A
