2015-16 European Club Dream Team

After seemingly endless months the European club season is over, and we’ve had a couple weeks to to digest the season and take a look at who we thought was the best of those Americas players exiled across the professional divisions in France and Britain. Note that players were selected based on their individual contributions during the season, not whether or not their team found success, though that invariably helped those in contention. Some positions were thinner than others in terms of options but we chose to avoid moving players out of position where at all possible. Below is our selection of the best Americas players in Europe for the 2015-16 season.

1 – Marcos Ayerza (Leicester Tigers) The first name on the team sheet is an automatic selection, but with competition for his spot at Leicester increasing there may be an opening for another next year. Ayerza still commands respect as one of the world’s premier loosehead props, and it’s a shame Argentina’s new selection policy will keep him out of the Rugby Championship. On the plus side, it will afford the 33-year-old a nice rest and a full pre-season, something he has not experienced in quite some time.

2 – Agustín Costa Repetto (Tarbes) You won’t find subtlety in this rampaging bowling ball of a human. The former Pumas hooker only knows one way forward, but his effectiveness should not be understated. One of – if not the – most prolific try-scoring forwards in Europe, Costa Repetto notched another five under his belt this season in which he was in contention as the top hooker in the Pro D2. His club have been dropped to Fédérale 1 next year but he will not go with them, signing with Colomiers for a new challenge in 2016-17.

3 – Gastón Cortes (Bristol) It wasn’t the toughest selection after being named in the official Greene King IPA Championship Dream Team, but there was solid competition from elsewhere. Countryman Francisco Gomez Kodela at Bordeaux certainly merited consideration. Cortes only started half his games with Bristol this season but when he wasn’t in the run-on side he was on shortly after the half, and to a man his opponents will tell you that spelled trouble. His ability in the scrum will at last be tested in the Aviva Premiership next season after four seasons of dominance in the Championship.

4 – Manuel Carizza (Racing 92) The big Argentine started to find form with the Stormers last season but really hit his stride this year, becoming a staple in the Parisian club that lifted the Bouclier de Brennus at season’s end. A constant presence at the lineout, Carizza’s work rate in defense was top notch with his tackling around the fringes often stopping attackers dead in their tracks. Another seemingly destined not to add to his 46 caps because of policy rather than performance.

5 – Rodrigo Capó Ortega (Castres) Where Carizza’s non-selection to the Pumas is beyond his control, Capo Ortega’s absence from the Uruguayan World Cup roster was a decision entirely his own. It’s a shame their best forward opted out but then at 35 years old and having given 14 years of service to the team it can’t be argued that he was always non-committal. Despite missing out on the showpiece event that should have been his international swansong, Capo Ortega enjoyed a fine season as captain of Castres Olympique. A commanding presence in the tight loose who remains surprisingly mobile for a man of his age and stature.

6 – Martín Chiappesoni (Dax) Admittedly there was not a plethora of options on the flank, and Dax had a poor season, only avoiding relegation thanks to the administrative penalties handed to Tarbes. That said, Chiappesoni had an excellent season for the Pro D2 club, switching between flank and no8. A multi-skilled player whose talent has done somewhat unappreciated after starring on the HSBC Sevens Series, were it not for Chiappesoni and another Argentine teammate to be named later, Les Dacquois would certainly be staring at the Fédérale 1 next season.

7 – Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Toulon) With his Pumas days now behind him, the old war-horse can focus entirely on playing for one of the world’s premier club sides in the sunny south of France. He’s not kicking his feet up just yet, however, and at the age of 34 enjoyed one of his best seasons ever in the Top 14. Whether it’s a big play you need or just a steady hand when the boat is rocking, ‘Corcho’ is always the man for the job.

8 – Aaron Carpenter (Cornish Pirates) Another veteran who turned back the years this past season, though his days in a Canadian shirt aren’t finished yet. Carpenter said adieu to the front row and returned to his favored no8 shirt, a move that saw him equal his career-best total of seven tries, but he did that in only 14 games, a remarkable return rate for any player never mind a 33-year-old loose forward. The Pirate captain moves away from the Cornish coast to Richmond in Greater London where he will run out with London Welsh next season.

9 – Agustín Ormaechea (Stade Montois) The second Uruguayan player in the team was one of the standout players in virtually every game he played in the Pro D2. In fact it’s hard to remember a game at any level, domestic or international, when Ormaechea wasn’t a dominant force. How he hasn’t found himself in the Top 14 is anyone’s guess, but Mont-de-Marsan are pleased to have him. With club rival Manu Saubusse moving shop next season expect Ormaechea to get the lion’s share of action and perhaps finally the recognition he deserves as one of the best halfbacks in the French second division.

10 – AJ MacGinty (Connacht) In another year the likes of Benjamin Urdapilleta and Felipe Berchesi might have had a chance, but this was the year of MacGinty, at least as far as the fine folks of Galway Bay are concerned. The Eagles flyhalf started the season as a third string squad player and ended it as Guinness Pro 12 champion flyhalf. Thankfully for Sale they snapped him up earlier in the year, otherwise they might have had a bidding war on their hands. A rising star whose best is yet to come.

11 – Chris Wyles (Saracens) After years of being one of the Premiership’s most consistent performers, the former Eagles captain drank from two mighty cups at the end of the season – the Champions Cup and the Aviva Premiership. Once again he was a staple for Sarries, this year playing entirely on the left wing and finding the line on 11 occasions in his 28 matches. Wyles will have one last shot at glory when he travels to Rio next month in a bid for Olympic gold with the Eagles. Will the rugby gods grant him one more wish?

12 – Ignacio Mieres (Dax) Like his club and country-mate Chiappesoni, former Pumas flyhalf Mieres cannot be blamed for the misfortunes of Dax. The 29-year-old performed admirably, scoring 181 points in his best season since the 2011-12 Premiership season with Exeter. This year he added another string to his bow, spending half his time playing at inside centre, where he was surprisingly effective showing not only his educated kicking game but the ability to take on the line and distribute. The Dax duo could use a few reinforcements around them, though sadly it appears they will again be left to tow the line in an under-ambitious club.

13 – Ciaran Hearn (London Irish) Another whose club did not perform well. In fact it would not be a stretch to call them the disappointments of the season, but again not at all the fault of the Canadian centre. While his first foray into full-time professional XVs was memorable for the wrong reasons, Hearn was a mainstay in the Irish midfield and certainly did not let his team down with his own performances. Heads have justifiably rolled already at the club but Hearn and fellow Canuck Jebb Sinclair should have big roles in winning immediate promotion back to the top flight for the 2017-18 season.

14 – Juan Imhoff (Racing 92) An early contender for Domestic player of the Year, it was a marvelous season for the Argentine star. Of all those overlooked by the Pumas on account of their club’s location, Imhoff is perhaps most egregious given his age and form. There is no question is is a world class winger playing at the height of his powers. Denying him the opportunity to share his talents on the highest stage is an affront to Argentine fans, and indeed rugby fans across the globe who want to see the brightest lights in the international arena.

15 – Martín Bustos Moyano (Bayonne) One of the oustanding performers in the Pro D2 and arguably the most valuable to his team. Scored 199 points to lead Aviron back to the Top 14, with his efforts in the finals nothing short of extraordinary – 44 of his team’s 49 points were directly from his boot, with the other five coming from a try of his creation. He now has a chance to add to his 1010 career points in the top division of French rugby.