The coach of the “Teros”, Esteban Meneses, made only two changes compared to the team which held off the XV of France (27-12) for the match against Italy this Wednesday. Provence Rugby (Pro D2) hooker German Kessler replaces Guillermo Pujadas and Gaston Mieres is preferred to Bautista Basso on the right wing.
“The match against France gave us a lot of confidence,” Meneses commented during a press conference on Monday in Nice. We used it, as planned, to prepare for our two real objectives of the tournament: the matches against Italy and Namibia. The players are in excellent condition mentally and physically.”
For second-row Manuel Leindekar, who plays in the Top 14 in Bayonne, the match against the French XV “changed nothing” within the Uruguayan group, convinced of being able to compete with “very playful” Italians. “We were ready for the first match and it will still be the case for the second,” he said. We will be expected, but that’s normal. We know that what happened last week (against France) owes nothing to chance and we want to confirm it this week.”
Uruguay team composition:
XV de départ: Amaya – Mieres, Inciarte, Vilaseca (cap.), Freitas – (o) Etcheverry, (m) Arata – Civetta, Diana, Ardao – Leindekar, Aliaga – Peculo, Kessler, SanguinettiReplacements: Pujadas, Gattas, Arbelo, Dotti, Deus, Ormaechea, Berchesi, Basso