Both the USA and Uruguay have called up players ahead of their fifth and final match of the Americas Rugby Championship. The two sides will meet in Montevideo on Saturday in a contest with considerable implications on the final tournament standings. Another USA loss could open the door for either Uruguay or Canada to sneak into second place, while a first place finish for the Eagles remains mathematically possible though it would require another massive upset win by Brazil over the Argentina XV.
John Mitchell will have two more names to choose from for Saturday’s match, as Nate Brakeley and Lorenzo Thomas have re-joined the team after missing the match in São Paulo. Brakeley impressed as a blindside flanker against Canada and Chile, with his workrate and lineout ability most notable. Thomas, 18, scored in his his test debut in the blowout win over Los Cóndores, and looks set to win an immediate recall to the midfield.
Uruguay have gone one further, bringing in three overseas professionals from their World Cup team back into the fold. Tighthead prop Mario Sagario has been summoned from Ireland and will now be joined by scrumhalf Agustín Ormaechea and outside back Gastón Mieres, who arrive from France and England respectively. This will be the first ARC appearances for Sagario and Ormaechea, while Mieres started on the wing against Canada in round one before returning to Coventry for the past three weeks.