photo credit: Marcelo Arancibia / Chile Rugby

The Debutants – Class of 2018

Each year brings a new crop of talent to international rugby and 2018 had plenty of newcomers. Between the six countries represented in the Americas Rugby Championship there were 66 players handed their first senior caps over the past 12 months. Their ages ranged from 18 to 31 with five players earning their first cap before the age of 20 and two debuting after the age of 30. Below is a team-by-team look in order of most new caps to least.

 

CHILE (20)

Part of Chile’s struggles at senior level in recent years almost certainly revolve around inconsistency in selection. That in itself requires a separate article but the past year saw the introduction of an incredible 20 new players to senior international level. It’s worth noting that Chile awards caps for all Cóndores matches, including non-tests against the Argentina XV, Uruguay XV, and New Zealand Maori.

More comforting to Chilean fans is the knowledge that only four of the newcomers this year were over the age of 23. This should pay off in the future, with many players recent graduates of the national u20 program that has produced no shortage of talent.

Among the more promising newcomers are a pair of highly-rated front rowers in Salvador Lues and Augusto Böhme. The former was the youngest player to debut this year, making his full test debut one week after his maiden Cóndores outing. He has since joined the Toulouse academy.

The loose forwards also received a boost with u20 captain Alfonso Escobar appearing in all nine matches for the Cóndores. Nicolás Garafulic impressed in the Americas Rugby Championship, and Clemente Saavedra took his first steps at senior international level following in the footsteps of twin brother Domingo, a scrumhalf. Both are expected to be in the Chilean side for years to come.

Marcelo Torrealba has been one of his country’s best sevens players in the past couple years but has now switched his focus to XVs. He debuted against the Maori in November and has now signed for Austin Elite in Major League Rugby. Lucas Westcott is another sevens standout who made his first appearance in the full version this year.

Two others with family connections broke through in the midfield. Vicente Ayarza is big man of well beyond 100kg (220lbs) whose brother Ramón is a prop for Bayonne in France. Tomás Contreras started against the Maori with his twin brother Vicente, a flanker, also in the senior training group.

POS NAME DEBUT AGE CAPS
LH Díaz, Basilio 02/17 vs USA 23 3
LH Pérez-Acle, José Tomás 05/19 vs Paraguay 20 1
LH Thompson, Oliver 05/05 vs Brazil 27 4
HO Böhme, Augusto 11/17 vs NZ Maori 21 1
HO Lues, Salvador 05/12 vs Uruguay XV 18 2
TH Iturra, Claudio 02/10 vs Argentina XV 30 3
LO Orchard, Thomas 02/10 vs Argentina XV 21 2
FL de Urruticoechea, Iñaki 02/17 vs USA 21 1
FL Escobar, Alfonso 02/03 vs Brazil 20 9
FL Garafulic, Nicolás 02/03 vs Brazil 19 3
N8 Saavedra, Clemente 05/12 vs Uruguay XV 20 2
SH Torrealba, Marcelo 11/17 vs NZ Maori 22 1
FH Baraona, José Tomás 02/10 vs Argentina XV 25 3
FH Maturana, José Tomás 02/17 vs USA 24 3
CE Avelli, Lucca 02/03 vs Brazil 20 6
CE Ayarza, Vicente 05/12 vs Uruguay XV 22 2
CE Contreras, Tomás 11/17 vs NZ Maori 20 1
CE Ramírez, Diego 02/10 vs Argentina XV 20 3
CE Steinsapir, Nicolás 05/12 vs Uruguay XV 21 2
WI Westcott, Lucas 05/05 vs Brazil 22 1

 

USA (16)

The Eagles also had a high number of new players, perhaps to be expected with a new coach in Gary Gold. Their makeup was slightly different however, with their newcomers tending to be more polished players who are immediately in World Cup contention. Even the two youngsters – David Ainu’u and Ruben de Haas – are now seen as having better-than-average odds at making the trip to Japan in 2019.

Three players jumped straight into first choice test contention. Paul Mullen has all but sealed his spot as starting tighthead prop while Paul Lasike is the undisputed holder of the No12 shirt after blasting his way to a Premiership contract with Harlequins. Former England u20 cap Will Hooley made himself available for Eagles selection this year and hasn’t disappointed, stepping up to kick the winning points in the first-ever test victory over Samoa.

POS NAME DEBUT AGE CAPS
LH Ainu’u, David 11/10 vs Samoa 18 2
LH Wenglewski, Chance 11/24 vs Ireland 21 1
HO Fawsitt, Dylan 02/17 vs Chile 27 7
TH Mullen, Paul 06/09 vs Russia 26 6
LO Daly, Brendan 02/17 vs Chile 27 2
FL Toluta’u, Vili 06/23 vs Canada 24 1
FL Wooching, Psalm 02/17 vs Chile 24 4
N8 Al-Jiboori, Malon 02/17 vs Chile 20 1
SH Boyer, Nick 11/17 vs Romania 25 1
SH de Haas, Ruben 02/17 vs Chile 19 7
SH Ferris, Devereaux 11/10 vs Samoa 24 1
FH Hooley, Will 02/10 vs Canada 24 6
CE Audsley, Dylan 02/10 vs Canada 24 6
CE Lasike, Paul 02/17 vs Chile 27 9
WI Moore, Gannon 11/10 vs Samoa 28 2
WI Whippy, Josh 02/10 vs Canada 27 4

 

ARGENTINA (11)

Los Pumas also had a change of coach in 2018 with Mario Ledesma replacing Daniel Hourcade. Half of the new players were capped under Hourcade and it could be argued that those who came later would have eventually made it anyway though Ledesma may have expedited their promotion.

The installation of Santiago Medrano as tighthead prop is notable though it is highly unlikely he will hold the starting shirt at the World Cup. Facundo Bosch has been in top form for his club in France and his selection suggests Japan is in his future, so too Rodrigo Bruni, the San Luis star who has shown consistent progress over the past three seasons.

With an impressive stable of outside backs already in place there were two significant additions in 2018. Bautista Delguy performed as well as expected after starring with the Pumitas and then the Jaguares.

POS NAME DEBUT AGE CAPS
LH Díaz, Javier 06/09 vs Wales 22 3
LH Zeiss, Juan Pablo 09/15 vs New Zealand 29 6
HO Bosch, Facundo 08/25 vs South Africa 27 1
HO Fortuny, Diego 08/18 vs South Africa 26 1
TH Medrano, Santiago 06/09 vs Wales 22 11
TH Sordoni, Lucio 11/10 vs Ireland 20 2
N8 Bruni, Rodrigo 11/10 vs Ireland 25 3
FH Díaz Bonilla, Joaquín 11/10 vs Ireland 28 1
CE Ezcurra, Bautista 06/23 vs Scotland 23 5
WI Delguy, Bautista 06/09 vs Wales 21 11
FB Mallía, Juan Cruz 06/23 vs Scotland 21 4

 

CANADA (10)

World Cup qualification was the priority for Canada, which they ultimately achieved, but they needed the help of some new players to do so. Two newcomers played key roles in the Repechage competition. Arrows captain Mike Sheppard finally made his test debut while the electric Theo Sauder lived up the hype surrounding him since his age-grade days.

Luke Campbell was the preferred No8 for half of the year in the absence of Tyler Ardron, and Doug Fraser leveraged his new test status into an MLR contract to join another new cap Cam Polson and reportedly Noah Barker. France-born Martial Lagain marked both the beginning and the end of his test career in 2018. The oldest new cap of the ARC sides confirmed his retirement from representative rugby following the conclusion of the Canadian Rugby Championship.

POS NAME DEBUT AGE CAPS
LH Barker, Noah 03/03 vs Chile 25 4
HO Lagain, Martial 02/17 vs Brazil 31 2
LO Polson, Cam 02/17 vs Brazil 28 2
LO Sheppard, Mike 11/11 vs Kenya 29 3
FL Dobravsky, Dustin 02/10 vs USA 26 6
N8 Campbell, Luke 02/10 vs USA 26 6
SH Sandover-Best, Jorden 06/16 vs Russia 23 1
CE Fraser, Doug 02/17 vs Brazil 25 3
FB Sauder, Theo 06/09 vs Scotland 22 5
FB Thiel, Josh 03/03 vs Chile 20 1

 

URUGUAY (5)

Esteban Meneses has shown both restraint and consistency when it comes to selection since taking over Los Teros in 2016. Once again he has limited the number of new players in his squad with an eye towards maximising test experience and cohesion in his side ahead of RWC 2019.

Halfbacks Tomás Inciarte and Andrés De León showed when given opportunities and both are in World Cup contention. The same cannot quite be said with a degree of certainty regarding the two latecomers Manuel Ardao and Guillermo Pujadas. Ardao is a flanker who only switched to hooker in the second part of the year while Pujadas is ordinarily a prop and likely to continue in that position in the future.

POS NAME DEBUT AGE CAPS
HO Ardao, Manuel 11/17 vs Fiji 20 1
HO Pujadas, Guillermo 11/17 vs Fiji 21 1
LO Etcheverry, Juan Manuel 02/24 vs Chile 23 1
SH Inciarte, Tomás 02/09 vs Brazil 21 5
FH De León, Andrés 02/09 vs Brazil 25 3

 

BRAZIL (4)

Similarly conservative when it comes to bringing in new players is Tupis coach Rodolfo Ambrosio. Only four players made their test debuts for his team this year, though a handful of others were given opportunities in non-cap internationals. Most notably Matteo Dell’Acqua and Devon Müller bolstered the forward pack against the Maori in November. Both should make their test bows early in 2019.

Angelo Marcucci is an Argentine flanker who is looking to provide depth at hooker, while Valentin Garcia returned from France to add a powerful running option in the midfield. The two youngsters – Matheus Claudio and Daniel Lima – are among the more promising players to emerge from Brazil’s regional academy and age grade system.

POS NAME DEBUT AGE CAPS
HO Marcucci, Angelo 02/24 vs USA 28 1
N8 Claudio, Matheus 05/05 vs Chile 19 1
SH Lima, Daniel 02/24 vs USA 20 2
CE Garcia, Valentin 05/19 vs Colombia 26 1

 

About Americas Rugby News

Formally created in June 2015, this website's goal is to increase media exposure of the Tier 2 rugby nations, and create a hub with a focus on the stories of rugby in the Americas - North, Central and South.

Check Also

Up and Under

Up and Under is an Americas Rugby News exclusive. It identifies the best and the …