SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

26.04.2014
Paraguay v Uruguay in Asuncion (South American Championship)
Brazil v Chile in Barueri (South American Championship)

Preview
In this new format for CONSUR rugby last years victors qualify to play for the new CONSUR Cup. They include Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. This year the name South American Championship has been revived and will determine which two nations will play Argentina for the CONSUR Cup 2015.

Also new is the home-away basis of the Championship. This ensures that each nation receives at least one home game, something the ‘Tournament at one venue’ of the past didn’t offer.

Paraguay v Uruguay in Asuncion (South American Championship)

Venue: Asuncion

Referee: Unusually http://www.rugby365.com has not listed any referees for this tournament.

Uruguay travels to Asuncion to play neighbours Paraguay first game up. Paraguay has traditionally struggled against the stronger Uruguayan team and I see no change to that for 2014.

Uruguay has had recent test matches against the USA for the second World Cup finals place for Americas. They lost and now face the difficult repechage rounds to try and qualify. The benefit is that they have played together so far in 2014 whereas Paraguay hasn’t.

The last time these two teams met Uruguay notched up 100 points in Iguazi in 2011. Could the same happen again?

Paraguay starting XV. Image thanks to https://www.facebook.com/UnionDeRugbyDelParaguay?fref=ts

Prediction: Paraguay playing at home in front of a home crowd could put up some resistance in the first half but experience and better conditioning will see Uruguay ran away with the game second half. Uruguay by 60 points

Teams

Uruguay Squad

Rodolfo De Mula
Juan Echeverría
Francisco Jiménez
Carlos Arboleya
Nicolás Klappenbach
Matías Beer
Cristofer Soares de Lima
Agustín Alonso
Mathías Braun
Juan De Freitas
Mateo Sanguinetti
Franco Lamanna
Gabriel Puig
Alejo Durán
Francisco Vecino
Matías Arocena
Rodrigo Silva
Joaquín Prada
Nicolás Freitas
Gastón Gibernau
Francisco López
Federico Favaro
Santiago Martínez

http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4262&start=270

Paraguay squad list not available

Brazil v Chile in Barueri (South American Championship)

Venue: Barueri is near Sao Paulo

Preview
Brazil has been forwarded as one of the fastest rugby growing nations in the world. They still need to defeat either Uruguay or Chile to really announce their arrival on the world stage. This I still think they will find hard to do today. Chile just has that little more experience. But if Brazil is to crack the Chilean nut then doing it today at home will be their chance.

Last year Brazil pushed Chile to a 22-38 loss in Temuco in Chile. In 2012 Brazil lost 6-19 in Santiago. So this could be Brazil’s day but Chile will remain favourite to win.

Prediction: Chile by 7 points.