July Tests 2024: Uruguay vs Argentina

A rugby celebration will take place on Saturday. The battle of the Rio de la Plata sees Uruguay playing host to Argentina in a test match. It is the battle for South American, and Americas, supremacy as the no 2 hosts the no 1.

The match is new yet old. On he one hand, it is the 40th capped international between the neighboring countries. On the other hand, it is the first meeting between the countries in a capped test match since Uruguay returned from the wildness to compete at the World Cup in 2015.

Uruguayan Rugby is fundamentally different now compared to that of 2015. The union was amateur with a select group of players training in what would become Uruguay’s High Performance Center. Today, Uruguay has a professional team and structure as well as World Cup wins over Fiji in 2019 and Namibia in 2023.

Both teams have new coaches for the new Rugby World Cup cycle. Former Italian fly half Rodolfo Ambrosio is in charge of Uruguay. Ambrosio was born and raised in Argentina. Argentina are coached by Pumas legend Felipe Contepomi. He was a finalist for World player of the year in 2007 and is in the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

TEST DEBUTS

22 Joaquín Suárez
23 Juan Bautista Hontou

6 Joaquín Moro
18 Francisco Coria Marchetti

LINE-UP CHANGES FROM FRANCE (Teros in Montevideo; Pumas in Buenos Aires)

9 Santiago Álvarez replaces Santiago Arata
11 Nicolás Freitas replaces Bautista Basso
13 Tomás Inciarte replaces Felipe Arcos Pérez
14 Juan Manuel Alonso replaces Mateo Viñals
15 Ignacio Álvarez replaces Baltazar Amaya

1 Thomas Gallo replaces Mayco Vivas
2 Ignacio Ruiz replaces Julián Montoya
5 Pedro Rubiolo replaces Lucas Paulos
6 Joaquín Moro replaces Pablo Matera
9 Gonzalo Bertranou replaces Lautaro Bazán Vélez
10 Tomás Albornoz replaces Santiago Carreras
12 Jerónimo de la Fuente replaces Santiago Chocobares
13 Santiago Chocobares moves from 12; replaces Matías Moroni
14 Ignacio Mendy replaces Bautista Delguy

NOTES

This is a 100% homegrown fixture. All Uruguayan Argentine players are homegrown.
Punta del Este / Maldonado will host Uruguay vs Argentina in a test match for the first time.
7 players played in the 2015 match. For Uruguay: Mateo Sanguinetti, Germán Kessler and Diego Magno. For Argentina: Jerónimo de la Fuente, Santiago Cordero, Pablo Matera, Matías Orlando.
Rodolfo Ambrosio has named an unchanged forward pack. Five changes come in the backs.
The first Americas player to 100 test caps, Diego Magno, will be his 106th for Uruguay.
Uruguayan star Santiago Arata is out. He suffered a sprained ankle early-on again France.
Uruguay is missing five backs to the Paris Olympics: Felipe Arcos Pérez, Baltazar Amaya, Bautista Basso, Ignacio Facciolo and Mateo Viñals.
Teros winger Nicolás Freitas is back for his first test since the World Cup.
Joaquín Suárez and Juan Bautista Hontou will debut for Uruguay as a replacement backs.
Uruguayan youth has been preferred to veteran scrum-half Agustín Ormaechea.
Old Glory DC asked Facundo Gattas to miss the July Internationals to prepare of MLR play-off’s.
Felipe Contepomi has made nine changes.
Marcos Kremer captains Argentina for the first time in his 67th cap. Julián Montoya is injured.
Top 14 loose head prop Ignacio Calles is covering hooker. He played hooker as an amateur.
Super Rugby Americas’ Joaquín Moro will earn his first test cap and come Puma #892. Francisco Coria Marchetti waits on the bench for his first cap.
Contepomi has given Tomás Albornoz his first test start.
Albornoz, Ignacio Mendy, Gonzalo García and Ignacio Calles earn recalls; all mixed the World Cup.
Los Teros will play in their sky-blue colors. Los Pumas will wear their new dark alternative kits.

PREDICTION

Argentina enter on a high after a good win over France. Los Teros matched France with 4 tries in their defeat and came out of the match with they reputation enhanced. Uruguay’s motivation was evident against Les Bleus and will again be. Expect a lot and emotional Orientales, la Patria o la Tumba. Scrums may be regular; showers are forecast before and during the match. ARN projects Argentina to win by 25+ points.

LINEUPS

URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Germán Kessler, 3 Reinaldo Piussi, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 5 Manuel Leindekar, 6 Manuel Ardao, 7 Santiago Civetta, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Andrés Vilaseca (capt.), 13 Tomás Inciarte, 14 Juan Manuel Alonso, 15 Ignacio Álvarez

Replacements: 16 Guillermo Pujadas, 17 Ignacio Peculo, 18 Diego Arbelo, 19 Diego Magno, 20 Lucas Bianchi, 21 Carlos Deus, 22 Joaquín Suárez, 23 Juan Bautista Hontou

ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Ignacio Ruiz, 3 Eduardo Bello, 4 Franco Molina, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 6 Joaquín Moro, 7 Marcos Kremer (capt.), 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 13 Santiago Chocobares, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 15 Santiago Cordero

Replacements: 16 Ignacio Calles, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Pablo Matera, 21 Gonzalo García, 22 Santiago Carreras, 23 Matías Orlando

MATCH DETAILS

Date: Saturday, July 20
Venue: Estadio Domingo Burgueño, (Maldonado, UY)
Kickoff: 4pm (UY); 4pm (AR)
Weather Forecast: Rain; 13 (Celsius); Wind 20 km/h
Broadcasts: ESPN; Disney +

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Luke Ramos (France)
Assistants: Chris Busby (Ireland); Frank Méndez (Chile)

HISTORY

HEAD-TO-HEAD (39): Argentina 39, Uruguay 0, STREAK Argentina +39

2015-05-16 – Uruguay 14-36 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
2014-05-17 – Uruguay 9-54 Argentina (Paysandú, UY)
2013-04-27 – Uruguay 18-29 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
2012-05-20 – Argentina 40-5 Uruguay (Santiago, CL)
2011-05-25 – Argentina 75-14 Uruguay (Posadas, AR)
2010-05-21 – Argentina 38-0 Uruguay (Santiago, CL)
2008-05-31 – Uruguay 8-43 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
2006-07-08 – Argentina 26-0 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)
2005-05-15 – Argentina 27-21 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)
2004-04-28 – Argentina 69-10 Uruguay (Santiago, CL)
2003-08-27 – Argentina 57-0 Uruguay (Buenos Aires AR)
2003-05-03 – Uruguay 0-32 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
2002-04-28 – Argentina 35-21 Uruguay (Mendoza, AR)
2001-05-19 – Argentina 32-27 Uruguay (Kingston, CA)
1998-10-17 – Argentina 34-14 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)
1998-08-18 – Argentina 55-0 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)
1997-09-27 – Uruguay 17-56 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
1996-09-18 – Argentina 54-20 Uruguay (Hamilton, CA)
1996-06-08 – Uruguay 18-37 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
1995-10-08 – Argentina 52-37 Uruguay (Posadas, AR)
1995-03-04 – Argentina 44-3 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)
1993-10-23 – Uruguay 10-19 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
1991-09-21 – Argentina 23-9 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)
1989-10-14 – Uruguay 14-34 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
1987-09-27 – Argentina 41-21 Uruguay (Santiago, CL)
1987-05-03 – Uruguay 3-38 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
1985-09-17 – Argentina 63-16 Uruguay (Asunción, PY)
1983-07-23 – Argentina 29-6 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)
1979-10-04 – Argentina 19-16 Uruguay (Santiago, CL)
1977-10-28 – Argentina 70-0 Uruguay (Tucumán, AR)
1975-09-21 – Argentina 30-15 Uruguay (Asunción, PY)
1973-10-16 – Argentina 55-0 Uruguay (São Paulo, BR)
1971-10-17 – Uruguay 6-55 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
1969-10-04 – Argentina 41-06 Uruguay (Santiago, CL)
1967-09-27 – Argentina 38-6 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)
1964-08-15 – Argentina 25-06 Uruguay (São Paulo, BR)
1961-10-14 – Uruguay 3-36 Argentina (Montevideo, UY)
1958-10-15 – Argentina 50-3 Uruguay (Viña del Mar, CL)
1951-09-09 – Argentina 62-0 Uruguay (Buenos Aires, AR)