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Super Rugby Americas returns to Córdoba on Saturday. In the second match in the city this year, Los Dogos are at home against 2022 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) champions Peñarol. The battle between the Argentine and Uruguayan sides put together two teams who were winners despite being below their best last weekend.
Following on from their win in São Paulo, Los Dogos had a good week training at Jockey Club Córdoba. The team features five changes from that which faced Os Cobras. They see a double change to the front-row. Mateo Núñez replacing Santiago Pulella at loose head while Román Pretz takes over from Ramiro Valdes at hooker.
In the backs the one change sees local Agustín Moyano of Córdoba Athletic replacing Juan Cruz Strada at scrum-half. There has been a positional switch with Valentín Soler starting on the left wing and Franco Giudice’s fullback spot going to Mateo Soler.
Mateo Soler is one of Los Dogos‘ exciting players. He will have other gifted backs joining him. They include Mendoza fly half Julián Hernández, and center Leonardo Gea Salim.
Peñarol have named a settled lineup. Fourteen of the men who started against the American Raptors will also start against Los Dogos. The one change comes at inside center. It sees one Peñarol debutant making way for another. Juan Andrés Zuccarino started last week while Guillermo Juan Storace starts this week. Sotrace made his debut as a replacement last weekend.
Manuel Ardao again captains the team from the side of the scrum. He is joined by fellow World Cup probables Lucas Bianchi and Manuel Diana in the back-row. Power in the pack also sees Ignacio Dotti, and Felipe Aliaga combining to lock the scrum.
Santiago Álvarez continues at scrum-half, a selection which comes with Tomás Inciarte playing at outside center. This raises questions over mixing the needs of Peñarol with those of Uruguay in World Cup year. As noted Guillermo Juan Storace is the one change to the team. He will play inside Inciarte.
The Uruguayans have gone for bulk on their replacements bench. Emiliano Faccennini, Mateo Perillo, and Diego Arbelo cover the front-row while the uncapped Agustín Morales will cover the second-row. Morales is a rare tall Uruguayan lock. At 1.99m he is taller than test starting player Dotti who is 1.96m in height. Eric Dosantos, who is 1,90m in height, is also on the bench. he covers flanker but was a starting lock in 2022.
Early season form indicates that Dogos and Peñarol are two of the best three teams in Super Rugby Americas 2023. Alongside Selknam they represent 75% of the early picks to be involved in the Semi Finals. For this reason their match-up in Córdoba is the feature class of the round.
TEAMS
DOGOS
1 Mateo Nuñez, 2 Román Pretz, 3 Ramiro Valdes, 4 Gregorio Hernández, 5 Franco Molina (capt.), 6 Aitor Bildosola, 7 Efraín Elías, 8 Ignacio Gandini, 9 Agustín Moyano, 10 Julián Hernández, 11 Valentín Soler, 12 Leonardo Gea Salim, 13 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 14 Ernesto Giudice , 15 Mateo Soler
Replacements: 16 Tomás Bartolini, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Octavio Filippa, 19 Federico Albrisi, 20 Juan Bautista Mernes, 21 Juan Cruz Strada, 22 Juan Bautista Baronio, 23 Mariano García Ascárate
PENAROL
1 Matías Benítez, 2 Guillermo Pujadas, 3 Ignacio Peculo, 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Felipe Aliaga, 6 Manuel Ardao (capt.), 7 Lucas Bianchi, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Juan Manuel Alonso, 12 Guillermo Juan Storace, 13 Tomás Inciarte, 14 Alfonso Silva, 15 Rodrigo Silva
Replacements: 16 Emiliano Faccennini, 17 Mateo Perillo, 18 Diego Arbelo, 19 Agustín Morales, 20 Carlos Deus, 21 Eric Dosantos, 22 Juan Francisco Torres, 23 Juan Andrés Zuccarino
Date: Saturday, March 04
Kick-Off: 7pm (AR); 7pm (UY)
Venue: Tala Rugby Club, Córdoba (AR)
Referee: Tomás Bertazza (AR)
Assistant Referees: Luca Solda (AR); Juan Manuel López (AR)
TMO: Marcelo Pilara (AR)
HISTORICAL RESULTS
N/A
