Victorious Uruguay opt for Continuity

Los Teros will aim to close out their Americas Rugby Championship on a high with nearly the same team that earned a famous win over Canada in Maldonado last weekend. The team returns to their home base of the Estadio Charrua in Montevideo to face Chile, a team that gave them an almighty scare just a year ago with Uruguay escaping 23-20 winners in Santiago.

Santiago Arata has been ruled out after the physical encounter against the Canadians, with Guillermo Lijtenstein promoted to start at scrumhalf and Lucas Durán providing cover for both halfback positions on the bench. Reserve back Gaston Gibernau is left out with Juan de Freitas recalled to over options either on the flank or in the midfield.

In the forwards there are two alterations. Diego Magno will become Uruguay’s most experienced player of all time when he runs out to win his 68th cap. He starts in the second row ahead of benched Diego Ayala. There is no place anywhere in the match day 23 for Franco Lamanna. Recalled on the flank is Rodolfo Garese, who was last seen in the blowout loss to the Argentina XV in Bahía Blanca.

If Uruguay defeat Chile they will finish the tournament with a record of 3-2 and guarantee a third place finish regardless of how Canada fare against Brazil on Friday. The Chileans meanwhile have lost all four of their matches and will be desperate to avoid a whitewash and a second consecutive Wooden Spoon.

URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Martín Espiga, 3 Juan Echeverría, 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Diego Magno, 6 Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt.), 7 Rodolfo Garese, 8 Alejandro Nieto, 9 Guillermo Lijtenstein, 10 Germán Albanell, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Andrés Vilaseca, 13 Juan Manuel Cat, 14 Leandro Leivas, 15 Rodrigo Silva

Replacements: 16 Facundo Gattas, 17 Matías Benítez, 18 Mario Sagario, 19 Diego Ayala, 20 Gonzalo Soto, 21 Lucas Durán, 22 Gastón Mieres, 23 Juan de Freitas