Update on players from the Americas for 2012/2013

Here is a roundup on the futures of the Argentines and other players from the Americas next season.

Gonzalo Tiesi has had a season
plagued with serious injuries and
has been released by Stade Français

Gonzalo Tiesi has had an enormously injury disrupted season, after getting injured during Argentina's opening match at the World Cup in New Zealand he was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament, he returned in November in the Amlin Challenge Cup to play his only match of the season for Stade Français, only to get back injured again.

He has been released by Stade for next season, and the 27 year old centre looks to be out of the equation regarding Pumas selection for this season due to injuries and lack of game time, and is now looking for a new club, which may be hard to find until he proves his fitness.

Belgian born Argentine lock Esteban Lozada was named on the list of departures from Edinburgh recently, and is going to join Agen, another Argentine on their list of departures was 36 year old prop Ulyses Gamboa who was never expected to stay long with them anyway.

Versatile back Matías Viazzo, previously a centre but now a scrum half or fly half, has left Tarbes after one season and re-joined financially troubled Bourgoin after just one season away from them. However Tarbes are bringing in another Argentine, in prop Carlos Muzzio from Fédérale 1 side Vannes.

The Chilean lock Pablo Huete who was signed last season for the Castres Espoirs squad, hasn't got a minute of action this season, and has left for Pau, who are currently third in Pro D2, and Huete should get more game time there. Another Chilean Francisco de la Fuente has left Auch after being sparsely used this season, just playing 98 minutes. The lack of game time for these two players must be considered a disappointment for Chilean rugby.

The all time most capped USA player, Mike MacDonald has left Leeds after seven years with the club, Leeds announced a mass clearout which also includes Americans scrum half Robbie Shaw after failing to achieve promotion back to the Premiership this season.

Confirmed movements for 2012-13 so far

Argentines
Carlos Muzzio, prop, Vannes (Fédérale 1) to Tarbes (Pro D2)
Ulyses Gamboa, prop, Edinburgh (Rabo Pro12) released
Guillermo Roan, prop, Wasps (Aviva Premiership) released (looking for a team in Pro D2)
Rodrigo Roncero, prop, Stade Français (Top 14), retired (unconfirmed whether he will play in the inaugural Rugby Championship)
Esteban Lozada, lock, Edinburgh (Rabo Pro12) to Agen (Top 14)
Leandro Cédaro, lock, Mont-de-Marsan (Pro D2) to La Rochelle (Pro D2)
Manuel Carizza, lock, Biarritz (Top 14) released (is rumoured to have interest from the Scarlets and also from some Super Rugby sides)
Matías Viazzo, fly half, Tarbes (Pro D2) to Bourgoin (Pro D2)
Benjamín Urdapilleta, centre, Harlequins (Aviva Premiership) to Oyonnax (Pro D2)
Gonzalo Tiesi, centre, Stade Français (Top 14) released
Horacio Agulla, wing, Leicester (Aviva Premiership) released
Agustín Gosio, wing, London Scottish (Championship) released (had an offer from the Cornish Pirates but rejected it)

Americans
Mike MacDonald, prop, Leeds (Championship) released
Hayden Smith, lock, Saracens (Aviva Premiership) to New York Jets (NFL)
Todd Clever, flanker, Suntory Sungoliath (Top League) to NTT Shining Arcs (Top League)
Robbie Shaw, scrum half, Leeds (Championship) released
Kevin Swiryn, wing, Agen (Top 14) retired

Canadians
Chauncey O'Toole, flanker, Ospreys (Rabo Pro12) released
Connor McCann, fly half, Ontario Blues (Canadian Rugby Championship) to Clermont Espoirs (Top 14)

Chileans
Pablo Huete, lock, Castres Espoirs (Top 14) to Pau (Pro D2)
Francisco de la Fuente, centre, Auch (Pro D2) released

An update on the situation of Horacio Agulla

Despite having a fantastic season
with Leicester, Horacio Agulla has
been given zero chance by coach
Richard Cockerill of a negotiation
for a new deal for next season

Meanwhile despite some immense form from Horacio Agulla, who has won over many critics, and fans (there is a Facebook campaign for him to stay at Leicester) won player of the season at Leicester, and has been admired as one the best wingers of the season in the Premiership, a position that Argentina now have the luxury of having a back three of Imhoff, Agulla and Amorosino containing three players who are amongst the best in their leagues, never before has Argentina had such depth in their wingers.

The continued form of Agulla made people think it was possible he could negotiate a new deal with Leicester who have said they no longer want him, due to unavailability whilst with Argentina.

however that was just speculation and the Leicester coach Richard Cockerill (the idiot who totally ignored Amorosino for two years) ended it confirming there would be no new deal and hit out at the Argentine governing body (the UAR), saying  "The Argentine Rugby Union have not helped their players and have just thought that the (northern hemisphere) clubs would subsidise their players from June to December, they are going to have difficulties because, I imagine, only the top French clubs could afford to do that."

However I can't imagine Agulla on current form will have many difficulties finding a new club.

USA vs Tonga - Rugby World Cup 2007

Four days after facing England and giving the 2003 World Champions a good match, the United States of America was playing its second match of the tournament. The opponent was the Pacific Island nation of Tonga and it was the first match for the men in red. The USA had given England a good match in preventing a strong team from scoring four tries which meant the Tier One side missed out on earning a bonus point. England had no such issues vs its two other Tier Two opponents - Samoa and Tonga.

The clash in Montpellier between the USA and Tonga was to be a tournament defining match for both sides. Leading into the tournament the only team considered capable of giving either England or South Africa a good match was Samoa. What transpired proved that the predictions of many to be off the mark. Tonga were the biggest surprize in giving both Tier One nations hard matches. Tonga came very close to defeating South Africa and in the first half vs England were indeed looking strong. Samoa was thrashed by the Springboks in its first match, conceeding over 50 points and, despite improvement vs England, the men in blue were well beaten. Tonga, before facing England and South Africa, had already defeated Samoa and the USA.

The win over the USA was well documented by USA rugby officials as being a hard pill to swallow. The North Americans, to this day, believe it should have been a USA victory. The major reason why it was not is the start of the match with the USA letting in a try, something that proved fatal. Had the 2011 team been together and had the same experience the liklihood is that the Eagles would have been victorious over Tonga. The match was a strong learning curve and proved very useful for the USA in its preperation for Rugby World Cup 2011. The teams leaking of tries would not repeat itself in 2011 and the USA was a much better team as Ireland failed to score four tries and Italy´s bonus point came from a penalty try. The win over Russia was a defining moment in showing the maturity of the North Americans. It underlined the progress that had been made as a team and, especially in terms of preperation.

Four years earlier, the end of the match between England and the USA was ruined by a dangerous tackle by USA center, Paul Emerick. The tackle on Olly Barclay ended his World Cup as he was suspended. At the time Emerick was the USA´s most decorated player. He was a professional based in Europe and had been for several years. He was surrounded by USA based players, many have since gone to to pick up long term professional contracts for leading teams. The young fullback Chris Wyles, for instance, won the Aviva Premiership with Saracens in 2011 and Todd Clever is a Japanese Champion with Suntory Sungoliath. Other names to emerge include Lou Stanfill and Taku Ngwenya.

Despite the result not bing in the favor of the North Americans, the 2007 clash vs Tonga in Montpellier was nonetheless a great game of rugby. It came at a time when Tier One sides were pushing for a reduction in World Cup participants from 20 teams to 16. France 2007 showed that this argument was a weak one as Tier Two games not only gave Tier One teams good games but also had great games amongst themselves and did so with strong crowds. Curiously the only two matches which were not either sold outor close to it were Tonga´s matches vs the USA and Samoa in Montpellier.