2019 ARC Dream Team

What does the future hold for the Americas Rugby Championship? Talk of a World League could well end what has been a game-changer for the region since its rebirth four years ago. Uruguay has improved in leaps and bounds while Brazil are not far off challenging for World Cup qualification.

For now we’ll focus on what has been another fascinating tournament. While the title itself was effectively wrapped up in Round 2, there was still plenty to play for as the USA was targeted by all and new highs set by both Uruguay and Brazil.

Individually there were some breakthrough efforts for young players and also a chance for some veterans to put their name in the headlines ahead of the big show in Japan later this year. As ever some decisions were straightforward but others required some debate.

Below is our form team for the 2019 edition of the Americas Rugby Championship.

1 – Mateo Sanguinetti (Uruguay) Los Teros have been playing a more expansive brand in recent years which has been integral to their success. Their traditional game from close range remains an essential component, however, and Sanguinetti epitomized that in this tournament. He scored vital tries in the wins over the USA and Brazil, and aside from the latter game fared well in the scrum. With three selections in our weekly teams he was a clear choice ahead of Brazil’s Lucas Abud.

2 – Joe Taufete’e (USA) The Eagles star smashed Keith Wood’s long-standing world record to smithereens. With six tries in the ARC, Big Joe was the top try scorer and is the first front rower in history to score 100 test points. His set-piece play was also high quality and he was virtually unstoppable from the back of rolling mauls. Not far behind was Uruguay’s Germán Kessler, who despite earning only one weekly selection was in contention every round.

3 – Jardel Vettorato (Brazil) Social media has the ability to create fame. For Brazilian rugby their scrum has achieved this status in double-quick time. The anchor of the scrum was Vettorato, who shoved back reputable opponents with disturbing ease.  This was central to the wins over Canada and Chile, and very nearly toppled the USA as well. A unanimous selection who only missed out on the weekly teams once, when he had a rare appearance at loosehead against Uruguay.

4 – Kyle Baillie (Canada) The class act of his country’s campaign was the Summerside slammer. His ability to win the collisions on both sides of the ball gave Canada a fighting chance. Baillie also earned top marks in the lineout and was a rare figure whose reputation did not suffer on the nightmarish South American leg to start the campaign. Diego Magno was in good form for Los Teros but Baillie was an automatic selection for our tournament XV.

5 – Franco Molina (Argentina XV) Holding out the USA’s reliable Nick Civetta is one of Argentina’s most promising young forwards. Having trained with Los Jaguares in January, the 21-year-old was always going to demand attention. A powerful ball carrier, polished set piece player, and hard-hitting defender. An opportunity in Super Rugby is just a matter of time.

6 – Lautaro Bavaro (Argentina XV) It would be difficult to leave out the captain of the record-setting Grand Slam winners on principle. Thankfully his individual form agreed. Bavaro paired up with Francisco Gorrisson in a left-right combination that was outstanding throughout. Never far from the ball, the most-capped player in ARC history scored three tries himself and played a supporting role in many more.

7 – Hanco Germishuys (USA) Nothing short of phenomenal with ball in hand was the Eagles sensation. His runs created havoc, often leaving a trail of destruction behind him. Germishuys is such a dominant figure on the charge it’s strange to us that he hasn’t been signed to a European contract somewhere, particularly given his South African origins which free him from import restrictions. Surely the clubs will coming calling after the World Cup.

8 – André Arruda (Brazil) The most contentious position in the forwards with five different players in our weekly picks, one of them Germishuys. Three players made it to the final discussion. Both last year’s choice, the USA’s Cam Dolan, and new Chile captain Martín Sigren had strong tournaments but our choice was Brazil’s main man at the back of the scrum. Arruda contributed everywhere, be it carrying over the gainline, providing a lineout option at the back, or making a try-saving tackle.

9 – Felipe Ezcurra (Argentina XV) Mr. Consistent for the Grand Slam champions, Ezcurra started every week and bossed the game to perfection. His distribution was on point and it’s hard to think of any notable errors at all over five games. He hasn’t always received glowing reviews from these quarters but he has earned his place after a fine tournament. Uruguay’s Santiago Arata was our choice last year but his suspension ruled him out, while Chile’s Domingo Saavedra is certainly one for the future.

10 – Juan Manuel Cat (Uruguay) Honorable mention goes to Brazil’s Josh Reeves, the tournament’s leading scorer with a record 54 points. Our selection is Cat, whose attacking game showed that Los Teros have a credible alternative to Felipe Berchesi at the crucial position. Cat’s masterful performance against the USA sealed his selection and he was a key figure in the short-handed victory over Canada.

11 – Julián Domínguez (Argentina XV) The rapier out wide for the Argentines. He ran in four tries and assisted in numerous others. Domínguez is lethal when given half a chance. With good size for a winger and the strength to break tackles, his stepping and ability to shift gears rapidly saw him bamboozle the opposition on numerous occasions. The devastating performance against the USA ensured the Argentines would emerge as champions.

12 – Lucas Mensa (Argentina XV) Only Taufete’e scored more tries in the ARC. Highly rated in Argentine circles, Mensa spent time in the Clermont academy as a 19-year-old and has progressed consistently since. He is a classic inside center with the ability to find gaps in the line, either taking them himself or putting his teammates through. With Los Jaguares struggling to find a replacement for the injured Jerónimo de la Fuente, it would come as no surprise to see Mensa wearing the orange and black uniforms.

13 – Bryce Campbell (USA) Another position where there was a different choice every week. Campbell was never far from the discussion and over the course of the tournament was a point of strength for the Eagles. His defensive work isn’t reflected in tackle counts and he rarely, if ever, loses the ball in contact though always looking for the offload. Argentina’s Agustin Segura was strong throughout while Lorenzo Massari’s game for Brazil against Uruguay was an eye-opener. Campbell’s selection earns him a unique distinction – the first player to earn three all-ARC selections from Americas Rugby News.

14 – Matías Osadczuk (Argentina XV) Drew the ire of Eagles fans when he provoked Paul Lasike in the pivotal round two match. His talent cannot be denied, however, and Osadczuk ran wild along with Domínguez to give Argentina the best outside backs in the competition. The Pumas Sevens star has bulked up and was a formidable carrier, often brought in off his wing to punch holes through the midfield. He is being eyed by the Jaguares selectors, with a future at outside center also a possibility.

15 – Gastón Mieres (Uruguay) Argentina prodigy Santiago Carreras was a standout however his suspension, like Arata, knocks him out of contention. The experienced Mieres stepped in to the starting fullback role when Rodrigo Silva departed for Austin, and the Toronto Arrows man was up to the task. His positional play was excellent, cutting down kicking options for his opponents and as the USA can attest, showing the vision to capitalise on any mistakes.

 

WEEKLY SELECTIONS

Round 1
1 Mateo Sanguinetti (Uruguay), 2 Joe Taufete’e (USA), 3 Jardel Vettorato (Brazil), 4 Diego Magno (Uruguay), 5 Franco Molina (Argentina XV), 6 Cléber Dias (Brazil), 7 Juan Manuel Gaminara (Uruguay), 8 Cam Dolan (USA), 9 Felipe Ezcurra (Argentina XV), 10 AJ MacGinty (USA), 11 Julián Domínguez (Argentina XV), 12 Lucas Mensa (Argentina XV), 13 Bryce Campbell (USA), 14 Matías Osadczuk (Argentina XV), 15 Santiago Carreras (Argentina XV)

Round 2
1 Lucas Abud (Brazil), 2 Wilton Rebolo (Brazil), 3 Jardel Vettorato (Brazil), 4 Diego Magno (Uruguay), 5 Franco Molina (Argentina XV), 6 Kyle Baillie (Canada), 7 Lautaro Bavaro (Argentina XV), 8 Ignacio Silva (Chile), 9 Felipe Ezcurra (Argentina XV), 10 Josh Reeves (Brazil), 11 Julián Domínguez (Argentina XV), 12 Andrés Vilaseca (Uruguay), 13 Agustín Segura (Argentina XV), 14 Marcel Brache (USA), 15 Santiago Carreras (Argentina XV)

Round 3
1 Lucas Abud (Brazil), 2 Wilton Rebolo (Brazil), 3 Jardel Vettorato (Brazil), 4 Kyle Baillie (Canada), 5 Nick Civetta (USA), 6 Justin Blanchet (Canada), 7 Lautaro Bavaro (Argentina XV), 8 Hanco Germishuys (USA), 9 Felipe Ezcurra (Argentina XV), 10 Domingo Miotti (Argentina XV), 11 Kainoa Lloyd (Canada), 12 Paul Lasike (USA), 13 Ciaran Hearn (Canada), 14 Andrew Coe (Canada), 15 Mike Te’o

Round 4
1 Mateo Sanguinetti (Uruguay), 2 Joe Taufete’e (USA), 3 Jardel Vettorato (Brazil), 4 Jerónimo Ureta (Argentina XV), 5 Kyle Baillie (Canada), 6 Martín Sigren (Chile), 7 Hanco Germishuys (USA), 8 André Arruda (Brazil), 9 Santiago Arata (Uruguay), 10 Juan Manuel Cat (Uruguay), 11 Federico Favaro (Uruguay), 12 Andrés Vilaseca (Uruguay), 13 Tomás Cubilla (Argentina XV), 14 Matías Osadczuk (Argentina XV), 15 Gastón Mieres (Uruguay)

Round 5
1 Mateo Sanguinetti (Uruguay), 2 Germán Kessler (Uruguay), 3 Wilton Rebolo (Brazil), 4 Kyle Baillie (Canada), 5 Lucas Santa Cruz (Argentina XV), 6 Lucas Rumball (Canada), 7 Hanco Germishuys (USA), 8 Luke Campbell (Canada), 9 Lucas Duque (Brazil), 10 Felipe Berchesi (Uruguay), 11 Julián Domínguez (Argentina XV), 12 Lucas Mensa (Argentina XV), 13 Lorenzo Massari (Brazil), 14 Blaine Scully (USA), 15 Gastón Mieres (Uruguay)

 

PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT XVs

2016 ARC DREAM TEAM
1 Ramón Ayarza (Chile), 2 Santiago Iglesias Valdez (Argentina XV), 3 Juan Echeverría (Uruguay), 4 Pedro Ortega (Argentina XV), 5 Diego Magno (Uruguay), 6 José Deheza (Argentina XV), 7 Todd Clever (USA), 8 David Tameilau (USA), 9 Gordon McRorie (Canada), 10 Juan Cruz González (Argentina XV), 11 Luke Hume (USA), 12 Joaquín Paz (Argentina XV), 13 Matías Nordenflycht (Chile), 14 Juan Pablo Estelles (Argentina XV), 15 Daniel Sancery (Brazil)

2017 ARC DREAM TEAM
1 Mateo Sanguinetti (Uruguay), 2 Martín Espiga (Uruguay), 3 Chris Baumann (USA), 4 Nate Brakeley (USA), 5 Ignacio Larrague (Argentina XV), 6 Anton Petrowitsch (Chile), 7 Tony Lamborn (USA), 8 Tomás de la Vega (Argentina XV), 9 Sebastián Cancelliere (Argentina XV), 10 Domingo Miotti (Argentina XV), 11 Taylor Paris (Canada), 12 Moisés Duque (Brazil), 13 Bryce Campbell (USA), 14 Nicolás Freitas (Uruguay), 15 Bautista Delguy (Argentina XV)

2018 ARC DREAM TEAM
1 Titi Lamositele (USA), 2 Germán Kessler (Uruguay), 3 Jardel Vettorato (Brazil), 4 Ignacio Dotti (Uruguay), 5 Ignacio Larrague (Argentina XV), 6 Hanco Germishuys (USA), 7 Lucas Rumball (Canada), 8 Cam Dolan (USA), 9 Santiago Arata (Uruguay), 10 Juan Cruz González (Argentina XV), 11 Ryan Matyas (USA), 12 Bryce Campbell (USA), 13 Santiago Resino (Argentina XV), 14 Mike Te’o (USA), 15 Tomás Ianiszewski (Chile)