Preview: Argentina XV vs Chile XV

International rugby returns on Saturday. The Argentina XV vs Chile XV is the first international in South America all year. In what will be a battle of the next of XV’s, there is a lot to look forward to. On the one hand, Argentine players are looking for opportunities with Los Ceibos, Los Jaguares and Los Pumas. On the other hand, Chile’s RWC 2023 pathway will begin.

The Argentine line-up is hybrid. There are (a) established players who are out of favor with Mario Ledesma, and (b) youth threatening the places of other regular Pumas. However, only two players are capped: Javier Díaz and Javier Ortega Desio. They have 60 caps between them, 57 of them belong to the latter player.

Díaz will pack down up front alongside Ceibos players Leonel Oviedo, and Lucas Favre. Two more Ceibos will lock the scrum in Santiago Portillo, and Franco Molina. Former Argentina XV captain Lautaro Bavaro, joins Jaguares’ players Javier Ortega Desio, and Bautista Pedemonte in the back-row. In short, the pack is formidable.

The backline is also stacked with talent. Lautaro Bázan Vélez is back from Los Pumas 7’s to start at scrum-half. The remaining players are also names who were fringe options for Super Rugby. All either played for Los Ceibos or failed to do so because they were in camp with Los Jaguares.

Martín Elías and Juan Pablo Castro will start at fly half and inside center respectively. They are both up-and-coming players with bright futures. Tomás Cubilla will skipper the side and partner Castro in the mid-field. Martín Cancelliere, Mateo Carreras, and Juan Bautista Daireaux start in the back-three. Carreras could well be the top try scorer in the competition.

Chile’s line-up has a familiar look to it. There are two exceptions. Austin Gilgronis’ Marcelo Torrealba will debut for his country. He does so after a lengthily period with Los Cóndores 7’s and an appearance for Chile against the Maori All Blacks in 2018.

Another COBS product, Matías Garafulic is also on debut. He will play wing, joining his brother Nicolás in the starting line-up. Matías Garafulic will form a back-three with Julio Blanc and Rodrigo Fernández. The latter is back for Chile after a long period for Los Cóndores 7’s.

Javier Carrasco, Tomás Dussaillant and Matías Dittus start in the front-row. Further continuity sees Clemente Saavedra, and Javier Eissmann in the second-row, and Ignacio Silva, Martín Sigren and Nicolás Garafulic starting in the back-row.

Santiago Videla moves from fly half to inside center. This enables Francisco Urroz to start at fly half. Videla will combine with Domingo Saaavedra in the centers.

The Argentine line-up is very impressive. It has both the means to have a solid set-piece and rampant finishers; Chile know this. As shown by Selknam in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby, the Chileans will not be playing negative, damage-control rugby. Aggressive defense is thereby expected. ARN projects an Argentina XV victory by 40 points.

 

TEAMS

ARGENTINA XV
1 Javier Díaz, 2 Leonel Oviedo, 3 Lucas Favre, 4 Santiago Portillo, 5 Franco Molina, 6 Lautaro Bavaro, 7 Javier Ortega Desio, 8 Bautista Pedemonte, 9 Lautaro Bázan Vélez, 10 Martín Elías, 11 Martín Cancelliere, 12 Juan Pablo Castro, 13 Tomás Cubilla, 14 Mateo Carreras, 15 Juan Bautista Daireaux

Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Rodrigo Martínez, 18 Francisco Minervino, 19 Estanislao Carullo, 20 Federico Guttiérrez, 21 Joaquín Pellandini, 22 Santiago Mare, 23 Matías Osadczuk, 24 Teo Castiglioni, 25 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel, 26 Santiago Ruiz

CHILE XV
1 Javier Carrasco, 2 Tomas Dussaillant, 3 Matías Dittus, 4 Clemente Saavedra, 5 Javier Eissmann, 6 Ignacio Silva, 7 Martín Sigren, 8 Nicolás Garafulic, 9 Marcelo Torrealba, 10 Francisco Urroz, 11 Matías Garafulic, 12 Santiago Videla, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 14 Julio Blanc, 15 Rodrigo Fernández

Replacements: 16 Augusto Böhme, 17 Iñaki Gurruchaga, 18 Esteban Inostroza, 19 Salvador Lues, 20 Santiago Pedrero, 21 Thomas Orchard, 22 Jan Hassenlechner, 23 Luca Strabucchi, 24 José Ignacio Larenas, 25 Alfonso Escobar, 26 Joaquín Huici

Date: Saturday, October 17
Kick-Off: 4pm
Venue: Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
Referee: Cauá Ricardo (Brazil)
Assistant Referees: Francisco González (Uruguay), Nehuén Jauri Rivero (Argentina)