By JOE SANTAMARIA
After 14 gruelling rounds, the playoffs await for the top four sides in this year’s Super Rugby Americas season. Table-topping Pampas welcome defending champions Peñarol to Buenos Aires before their compatriots Dogos host Yacare in Cordoba. Meanwhile, Selknam, Cobras, and American Raptors will look on with envy as they rue their missed opportunities.
We’ve selected our team of the season for 2024, which features a mix of emerging stars and experienced campaigners.
1 – Boris Wenger (Dogos): A former Argentina U20 international, Wenger has been a mainstay in a Dogos pack that has looked imperious at times this season. His powerful scrummaging has been complimented by a work rate few other props can match.
2 – Tomas Bartolini (Dogos): Scoring ten tries in a season is no mean feat for any player, but for a 21-year-old hooker it is simply ridiculous. Bartolini simply couldn’t be left out and deservedly joins his fellow Dogos star, Wenger, in our team.
3 – Francisco Moreno (Cobras): Moreno has been a rare positive in a difficult season for Cobras. His dominant scrummaging kept them in matches that threatened to run away from them and he was instrumental in their double over Peñarol.
4 – Mariano Garcete (Yacare): The inspirational Paraguayan captain will hope that his season has more to offer ahead of their semifinal but has already reached new individual heights this season. Yacare are a different team without him.
5 – Franco Molina (Dogos): Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi called Molina into his recent training squad and it isn’t hard to see why. The combative second row adds power and physicality to an already fearsome Dogos pack.
6 – Nicolas D’Amorim (Pampas): While the Pampas backline has rightly earned many plaudits this season, D’Amorim has performed tenaciously up front. His four try haul against Peñarol is arguably the best individual performance of the season.
7 – Clemente Saavedra (Selknam): One of the most fearsome carriers in the league, Saavedra has played like a man possessed at times this season and will be bitterly disappointed his team couldn’t secure a place in the knockout stages.
8 – Carlos Deus (Peñarol): The tireless No.8 has been instrumental to his side’s late surge for the playoffs. He has been among the most consistent performers of the season and will do his utmost to secure a third championship in succession for the Uruguayan outfit.
9 – Rafael Iriarte (Selknam): In a season of inconsistent performances by Selknam, Iriarte has shown great composure despite personnel changes around him. His eye for a gap and ability to change the tempo of the game have been instrumental.
10 – Joaquin Lamas (Yacare): The fly half has been a totemic figure at times for Yacare this season and his goal-kicking may well have made the difference between achieving a playoff spot and missing out. Paraguayan fans will be hoping he proves to be as cool under pressure in the knockout rounds as he has been during the regular season.
11 – Jeronimo Ulloa (Pampas): The powerful winger has grown into the season and added a directness that perfectly compliments his team’s flowing style. Few would bet against him making a significant impact in the knockout rounds.
12 – Justo Piccardo (Pampas): Another member of Pampas’ enviable backline, Piccardo showed he possesses everything required of a modern centre this season. His ability to find himself on the end of attacking plays is worth its weight in gold.
13 – Ramiro Amarilla (Yacare): Possibly the most underrated player in the tournament, Amarilla’s mistakes can be counted on one hand. He has played a pivotal role in what could be a historic year for Yacare.
14 – Santiago Pernas (Pampas): Arguably the easiest selection of all, Pernas has been far and away the best winger in the league this season. Even as his rate of try-scoring has slowed, he remains a hugely influential presence for his side.
15 – Mateo Soler (Dogos): The Argentine fullback just gets in ahead of American Raptors’ Scotland international Rufus McLean. Soler’s dynamism from fullback and his ability to break the line have given defence coaches sleepless nights all year.
Head Coach – Juan Manuel Leguizamón (Pampas): As first seasons go, Leguizamón can hardly have hoped for a better one, with his side suffering just one defeat across the twelve rounds. The 87-cap Argentina international will look to use his experience to guide his young side to their first-ever Super Rugby Americas title this month.
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