USA Rugby Selects Play Uruguay in Final Americas Pacific Challenge Match
Doug Coil
The USA Rugby Selects face Uruguay A in their final Americas Pacific Challenge match at Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo, Uruguay at 1:15pm ET on Sunday, October 16. The USA Selects seek to finish with a 2-1 record after beating Canada A 47-37 and losing to the Fiji Warriors 56-29.
The final tournament standings will be decided after round three play on Sunday. Argentina XV will meet Fiji Warriors to determine first and second place, as they both are undefeated with ten points. The USA Selects are tied with Samoa A with 5 points and Uruguay A and Canada Selects each have two points.
The Selects kick off in the second match of the day at 1:15 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast live in the United States to subscribers of The Rugby Channel.
In the forwards, Hooker Joe Taufete’e, will captain the side as he did during the first match against Fiji. Joining him in the front row are two new starters. Alex Maughan will be at tight head, while Angus MacLellan , who joined the Selects after the injury to Mason Pedersen, is at loose head.Matt Jensen and Harry Higgins will be at lock, while the back row will have Aladdin Schirmer making his tournament debut and partnering with Malon Al-Jiboori in the loose. Cecil Garber rounds out the forwards switching from flanker to No. 8.
In the backs, the half-back combination of Nicklas Boyer and Ben Cima from the match against Canada returns. Ben Cima accounted for 22 of the Selects’ 47 points and Boyer played well and added a try. Bryce Campbell and Martin Iosefo have been an offensive force and will be the centers for the third consecutive match. Mikey Te’o will once again be at full back, with Matai Leuta and Brett Thompson as wings.
The Selects will start six Men’s Eagles, other capped Eagles available as reserves in Demecus Beach, Pat Blair, JP Eloff, Hanco Germishuys, and Stephen Tomasin.
Uruguay lost to Samoa, earning two bonus points in round one and then lost to Argentina XV 71-7 in the second round. Uruguay is at the bottom of Pool B and would like to improve their standings after the final round.
USA Rugby Selects v. Uruguay ‘A’
1. Angus MacLellan 2. Joseph Taufete’e (C) 3. Alex Maughan 4. Harry Higgins 5. Matt Jensen 6. Malon Al-Jiboori 7. Aladdin Schirmer 8. Cecil Garber 9. Nicklas Boyer 10. Benjamin Cima 11. Mataiyasi Leuta 12. Bryce Campbell 13. Martin Iosefo 14. Brett Thompson 15. Mike Te’o 16. Hanco Germishuys 17. Jake Turnbull 18. Demecus Beach 19. Christian Ostberg 20. Pat Blair 21. Stephen Tomasin 22. Jean-Pierre Eloff 23. Ahmad Harajly
Uruguay ‘A’ v. USA
1. Mateo Sanguinetti 2. Martín Espiga 3. Mario Sagario (C) 4. Diego Magno 5. Manuel Leindekar 6. Joaquín Dell’Acqua 7. Santiago Hernández 8. Manuel Diana 9. Santiago Arata 10. Jerónimo Etcheverry 11. Nicolás Freitas 12. Juan Manuel Cat 13. Santiago Gibernau 14. Rodrigo Silva 15. Manuel Blengio 16. Marcos Chamyan 17. Ignacio Secco 18. Juan Echeverría
19. Lorenzo Surraco 20. Fernando Bascou 21. Guillermo Lijtenstein 22. Andrés Rocco 23. Joaguín Prada
Americas Pacific Challenge | Tournament Schedule
| Round | Date | Team | Team | Time (ET) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct. 8 | Argentina XV | 56-29 | Canada A | 11 a.m. |
USA Rugby Selects |
12-62 | Fiji Warriors | 1:15 p.m. | ||
| Samoa A | 44-42 | Uruguay A | 3:30 p.m. | ||
| 2 | Oct. 12 | Samoa A | 26-39 | Fiji Warriors | 11 a.m. |
USA Rugby Selects |
47-37 | Canada A | 1:15 p.m. | ||
| Argentina XV | 71-7 | Uruguay A | 3:30 p.m. | ||
| 3 | Oct. 16 | Samoa A | v | Canada A | 11 a.m. |
USA Rugby Selects |
v | Uruguay A | 1:15 p.m. | ||
| Argentina XV | v | Fiji Warriors | 3:30 p.m. |
