Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Colorado’s Infinity Park will be the setting for the historic first Super Rugby Americas match in North America. In what is to be a baptism of fire, the American Raptors play host to Los Dogos. The team from Córdoba, Argentina are top of the table after five rounds.
After a week off following the long tour of South America, the American Raptors are ready to debut at home. The team was winless in South America with final match being a disappointing 25-3 loss to Yacare. Now refreshed a much-improved performance is expected.
The Raptors are captained by Mikey Grandy. The product of Palo Alto High School joins the most capped Americas player in history, Diego Magno, in the second-row. The combination have already established a solid understanding; they work well together.
Magno and Juan Etcheverry both start to give the Raptors two Uruguayans. Three Pumas also start with Diego Fortuny at hooker and Martín Landajo and Lucas González Amorosino in the halves. Fro north of the border, Siaki Vikilani gives the Raptors a Canadian too.
Wingers Seimou Smith and Ryan James have both performed well thus far in Super Rugby Americas. They are two players who could become crowd favorites at Infinity Park. Line Latu adds spice from fullback.
Los Dogos have traveled to Colorado with an eye to victory. On the back of their strong away win over Los Pampas, they are now out to maintain their spot at the top of the Super Rugby Americas table.
The line-up features Super Rugby Americas debuts for winger Valentín Cabral and flanker Lautaro Cipriani. Additional changes to the side see Mendoza’s Aitor Bildosola starting at flanker and Efraín Elías at the back of the scrum. Santiago Pulella starts again despite getting a double yellow card in Buenos Aires.
Head Coach Nicolás Galatro has again gone for dual play-makers. It comes in the form of teenager Juan Bautista Baronio at fly half and vice-captain Julián Hernández again starting out of position at fullback. Another noteworthy teenager, Agustín Moyano, starts at scrum-half.
The match will have one further breakthrough. It is to be officiated by Juan Manuel León. From Colombia, León is the first referee in Super Rugby Americas to not be from a participating union. He was a part of the referee team for Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) 2022.
TEAMS
AMERICAN RAPTORS
1 Payton Telea-Ilalio, 2 Diego Fortuny, 3 Juan Etcheverry, 4 Mikey Grandy (capt.), 5 Diego Magno, 6 Ronan Murphy, 7 Tommy Clark, 8 Siaki Vikilani, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Lucas González Amorosino, 11 Seimou Smith, 12 Aki Pulu, 13 Watson Filikitonga, 14 Ryan James, 15 Line Latu
Replacements: 16 Chris Schade, 17 Ma’ake Muti, 18 Adagio Lopeti, 19 Will Crawford, 20 Shawn Clark, 21 Ethan McVeigh, 22 Cassh Maluia, 23 Patrick Madden
DOGOS
1 Santiago Pulella, 2 Boris Wenger, 3 Octavio Filippa, 4 Lautaro Simes, 5 Franco Molina (capt.), 6 Aitor Bildosola, 7 Valentín Cabral, 8 Efraín Elías, 9 Agustín Moyano, 10 Juan Bautista Baronio, 11 Lautaro Cipriani, 12 Leandro Gea Salim, 13 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 14 Mateo Soler, 15 Julián Hernández
Replacements: 16 Román Pretz, 17 Mateo Nuñez Miserez, 18 Ramiro Valdés, 19 Federio Albrisi, 20 Gregorio Hernández, 21 Juan Cruz Strada, 22 Valentino Dicaupa, 23 Felipe Mallía
Date: Friday, March 24
Kick-Off: 7pm (MT); 10pm (AR)
Venue: Infinity Park (Glendale, Colorado, US)
Referee: Juan Manuel León (CO)
Assistant Referees: Felipe Nogués (AR); Joe Burpoe (US)
TMO: Marc Nelson (US)
HISTORIC RESULTS
N/A
