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Namibia kick-off their South American in Montevideo tour on Saturday. The Welwitschias take on the Argentina XV at the neutral venue of the Estadio Charrúa. The non-capped fixture will be a tough assignment for Africa’s second best test team.
The Argentina XV features played who play their rugby all over the world. The front-row features players from Super Rugby Americas, the Top 14 and the United Rugby Championship (URC). Moreover, tight head Lucio Sordoni starts ahead of Santiago Medrano who played at RWC 2019 and has 31 caps.
In addition to Bosch at hooker a second Top 14 player will start in the forwards. Joaquín Oviedo will play at the back of the scrum. He is joined by Rodrigo Fernández Criado and Manuel Bernstein from Super Rugby Americas to form the back-row. Both are tall men capable of playing in the second-row.
The backs feature Yacare captain Ignacio Inchauspe at scrum-half. He will play in the halves with former Rugby ATL play-maker Joaquín de la Vega Mendía. Los Pumas 7’s wizard Luciano González will play inside center with Juan Pablo Castro outside him.
The back-three features the Delguy brothers and contains players from Super Rugby Americas, the Top 14 and Super Rugby. It is Pampas, Clermont and the Highlanders with Iñaki Delguy, 12 Luciano González, Bautista Delguy, and Martín Bogado. This will give the Argentina XV immense finishing capabilities.
The players are doing far more than making up the numbers. Bautista Delguy was in the side the start against New Zealand. Facing Namibia is now his chance to prove he merits a place in the test team against South Africa in Buenos Aires next weekend. Lucio Sordoni started against New Zealand.
Namibia’s tour to South America is both vital and tragic. It is vital as it serves the team with match preparation ahead of the sport’s biggest tournament, the Rugby World Cup. It is tragic because Namibia will not get any home matches and has not had any since the last Rugby World Cup.
The team has leadership divided between a forward and a back. Torsten van Jaarsveld is the leader upfront. He is officially the vice-captain from hooker. Johan Deysel is the leader of the backs and officially the team’s captain. Deysel is into his twelve year representing his country.
Namibia’s team consists of players based at home and abroad. This is evident in the front-row with local prop Desiderus Sethie joining the French-based Torsten van Jaarsveld and Caspar Viviers. The second-row pairing of Adriaan Ludick and 5 Tjiuee Uanivi also playin France’s lower divisions.
Major League Rugby star Wian Conradie starts at flanker. The New England Free Jack will be joined by Dallas Jackal Adriaan Booysen in the back-row. Johan Retief of the Griquas will join them.
A taste of Eastern Europe will start with the Romanian-based Helarius Kisting playing scrum-half. He will partner Tiaan Swanepoel. Veterans Desyel and JC Greyling start in the backs while Namibian youth sees Danco Burger, and Gerswin Mouton starting at inside center and on the right wing respectively.
Namibia will subsequently face Chile and Uruguay. Unlike Saturday’s match they will be capped test matches. The Argentina XV will face both neighbors over the coming weeks. A good start against Namibia could make or break the Argentina XV’s series of matches.
ARGENTINA XV
1 Javier Corvalán, 2 Facundo Bosch, 3 Lucio Sordoni, 4 Lautaro Simes, 5 Federico Lavanini, 6 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 7 Manuel Bernstein, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 9 Ignacio Inchauspe, 10 Joaquín de la Vega Mendía (capt.), 11 Iñaki Delguy, 12 Luciano González, 13 Juan Pablo Castro, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Martín Bogado
Replacements: 16 Boris Wenger, 17 Santiago Pulella, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Lorenzo Colidio, 20 Eliseo Fourcade, 21 Rafael Iriarte, 22 Julián Hernández, 23 Agustín Segura
NAMIBIA
1 Desiderus Sethie, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 3 Caspar Viviers, 4 Adriaan Ludick, 5 Tjiuee Uanivi, 6 Wian Conradie, 7 Johan Retief, 8 Adriaan Booysen, 9 Helarius Kisting, 10 Tiaan Swanepoel, 11 JC Greyling, 12 Danco Burger, 13 Johan Deysel (capt.), 14 Gerswin Mouton, 15 Divan Roussouw
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Jason Benade, 18 Shifuka Haitembu, 19 Tian de Klerk, 20 Max Katjijeko, 21 Prince !Gaoseb 22 Damian Stevens, 23 Chad Plato
RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023 WARM-UP
Date: Saturday, July 29
Kick-Off: 2:08pm (AR); 7:08pm (NA)
Venue: Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo (UY)
Referee: Craig Evans (UK)
Assistant Referees: Damian Schneider (AR); Francisco Gonzalez (UY)
vs
HISTORIC RESULTS
June 04, 2019 – Argentina XV 39-25 Namibia (Montevideo, UY)
June 12, 2015 – Argentina XV 30-10 Namibia (Bucharest, RO)
