The Rugby Championship Players to Watch - Santiago Fernández

November 22, 2008 was a date that no Pumas fan had wished for. It was Argentina facing Ireland at Croke Park without both its flyhalves and its third choice player too. Having been named to start, Juan Martín Hernández had to withdraw from playing one hour before kickoff. Felipe Contepomi had been ruled out of the match with an infection in his arm, while Marcelo Bosch had undergone shoulder reconstruction surgery and was unavaliable. In place of these three European professionals Argentina gave a first ever test start to 22 year old Santiago Fernández. He was a promising player, based in Buenos Aires playing for the Hindú club. He had made his international debut one week earlier vs Italy in Los Pumas´ 22-14 win in Torino. Headcoach Santiago Phelan had brought in on in the late stages to get some game time and he played on the wing. 

Fernández was a part of the PladAR system at the time of his debut for Los Pumas. He had been identified as a player of the future and in May 2009 he played in Los Jaguares´ home series matches vs Namibia. It was not his first time playing for the Argentina A side, however, as he had made his first appearance in 2007 playing in the IRB Nations Cup in Romania where he took on Italy A, Namibia and South Africa A. Around the same time that Los Jaguares were playing Namibia, Felipe Contepomi was playing for Leinster vs Munster in the Heineken Cup Semi Final. Contepomi started the match strongly but injured his knee badly and was forced to undergo surgery. As such, Argentina would not be able to field the 10-12 combination of Hernández and Contepomi at all in 2009. Phelan selected Miguel Avramovic at 12 to face England in Manchester with Fernández on the bench. The following week, Phelan made changes after Argentina had been badly beaten, and he went for the 10-12 combination of Hernández and Fernández. Los Pumas´s win in Salta that day was a defining moment in the transition from Rugby World Cup 2007 to 2011. From the 2007 team only Hernández and Horacio Agulla remained in the backline. Gonzalo Camacho and Lucas González Amorosino were new comers to the team with Agulla playing at fullback. It was also the final test for Rimas Alvarez Kairellis.

Fernández vs Wales, 2009

The changes for the June series proved to be beneficial for November 2009 when Argentina faced an nothing less than an injury crisis in the backs. Contepomi had not recovered from injury yet while Bosch had returned to play fullback for Biarritz only to badly injury his knee and require reconstruction surgery. Hernández was also forced out, with a back injury he picked up playing in South Africa that required surgery. This saw Santiago Fernández moving from 12 to 10 where he started in a new combination with the uncapped Martín Rodríguez Gurruchaga for Argentina´s tour of England, Wales and Scotland. The pair played the full 80 minutes of the three tests despite both being amateur players. The lack of international experience didn´t stop Argentina collecting a narrow in at Murrayfield. The match underlined both players as ones for the future. 

The following year saw the creation of Los Pampas XV and the teams involvement in South Africa´s Vodacom Cup. Before the season had started Fernández had been rumoured to being offered a deal to play Super Rugby for either the Stormers in South Africa or the Western Force in Australia. Neither rumour proved to be true but following his involvement in the Vodacom Cup he was signed on a two year deal for Montpellier to play in the French Top 14 in May 2010. The following month he was starting at inside centre for Los Pumas with Felipe Contepomi back from injury playing flyhalf and Martín Rodríguez Gurruchaga playing fullback. Signs were positive as Argentina scored its biggest ever win over France. The same combination would go on to be used for Argentina´s November tour of Europe with Fernández starting vs Italy and France at inside centre. He was rested, however, for the test vs Ireland.

Fernández scores for Montpellier

In the meantime Fernández was a starter for a team making plenty of headlines in France, Montpellier. Fernández´s arrival for the 2010-2011 season had been to give the club depth as François Trinh-Duc needed a solid deputy. Within no time, however, Fernández was the clubs starting inside centre and his constant game time has seen him improve as a player. He has been used at flyhalf on occassion, when Trinh-Duc has not been avaliable and has proven to be a solid option for the club. Fernández at 12 was a tryscorer in Montpellier´s history making Semi Final triumph over Racing Métro last season. The teams success involved Fernández and two other Pumas - Martín Bustos Moyano and Juan Figallo. The 2011-2012 season has been just as good for Fernández with him again playing plenty of rugby, usually in the 12 shirt but also playing 10 and doing a good job in place of Trinh-Duc.

Following Rugby World Cup 2011 the team´s Argentine players has doubled from three to six with Agustín Creevy, Maximilano Bustos and Lucas González Amorosino all joining and playing regularly. The six players are all likely to feature in The Rugby Championship with Santiago Fernández looking a certainty for the match day 22 to, in the least, be wearing the teams number 21 shirt. The most logical scenario is for Fernández to play 12 outside Juan Martín Fernández but the form of Martín Rodríguez Gurruchaga at 12 for Stade Français gives Santiago Phelan the luxury of having more quality options than ever before.

Week One: Juan Manuel Leguizamón

Week Two: Lucas González Amorosino

Week Three: Marcelo Bosch

Week Four: Agustín Creevy

Week Five: Juan Martín Hernández 
Week Six: Martín Bustos Moyano
Week Seven: Leonardo Senatore

Week Eight: Rodrigo Roncero
Week Nine: Gonzalo Camacho
Week Ten: Patricio Albacete
Week Eleven: Horacio Agulla
Week Twelve: Juan Figallo
Week Thirteen: Santiago Fernández
Week Fourteen: Tomás Cubelli

French Top 14 - Round 22 Wrap

Perpignan 25-10 Toulouse

Patricio Albacete

With USAP being threatened with relegation the club had to get a win to guarantee its survival in the French Top 14. Despite the urgency the club was given little chance of a win over Toulouse even though it was playing at its home fortress of the Stade Aime Giral. Toulouse´s embarrassing performance in the Heineken Cup last weekend which saw the giants fall to Scotland´s Edinburgh resulted in Lionel Beauxis being benched. It enabled Toulouse to actually play some rugby as the young French scrumhalf, Jean-Marc Doussain played in the 10 shirt. At halftime the visitors were leading 7-6 thanks to a try to Argentine secondrower Patricio Albacete, his first of the season. After the break, Perpignan went on to win with Wales´ James Hook kicking 20 points. Argentina´s World Cup scrumhalf, Nicolás Vergallo came on for Toulouse to play the final 11 minutes. 

Agen 22-13 Toulon

JM Fernández Lobbe

The match, for Pumas fans, was the most important of the weekend as it featured the return of the worldclass Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe from injury. The Argentine backrower last played vs Scotland in the World Cup and had to leave the field in the first half of the do-or-die encounter. he came on for Toulon from the bench as a secondhalf replacement in the 53rd minute. Toulon´s surprizingly poor performance featured former Wallaby, Matt iteau playing in place of Jonny Wilkinson at flyhalf. The team fielded a star-studded lineup with notable players from Australia, England, France, Fiji, Georgia and South Africa all joining Giteau in the starting lineup.Agen fielded a team lacking big name players but got the result. Former Pumas centre, Miguel Avramovic played two minutes from the bench. 

Clermont Auvergne 25-9 Stade Français

Martín Rodríguez Gurrruchaga

The hot-and-cold form of Stade Français continued as did the home record of Clermont. In winning, Clermont has confirmed its place in the Top 14 Orange Semi Finals alongside Toulouse. The teams a re tied at the top of the table and neither team can finish below second. They will not, therefore, play in the barrage round of the Top 14 play-off´s in May. The loss means Stade Français´ chances of making the barrage play-offs are complicated as the team is now six points behind fellow Parisians, Racing Métro. The club remains on target for a place in the Heineken Cup, however as it appears to be well placed for a Heineken Cup victory, assuming Toulon give preference to the Top 14. Canada´s Jamie Cudmore missed the match for Clermont due to injury while Stade Français fielded its Argentine 10-12 combination of Felipe Contepomi and Martín Rodríguez Gurruchaga. Pumas veteran loosehead prop, Rodrigo Roncero came on for the Parisians in the 47th minute. 

Agustín Creevy

Montpellier 43-12 Lyon OU

A massive home win sees Montpellier continue to look like a team that could win this seasons title. With five Argentine players in the starting lineup, Montpellier ran riot against the bottom of the table Lyon OU. Two of the six tries were scored by Argentine players with hooker Agustín Creevy scoring a tryin the 40th minute and centre Santi Fernández going over in the 55th minute. The star of the show, however, was Georgian backrower Mamuka Gorgodze who scored three tries. Creevy played 53 minutes while Fernández played the full match for Montpellier. Creevy was joined in the frontrow by Argentine props Juan Figallo and Maximilano Bustos. Figallo played 50 minutes and Bustos 60 with both being replaced. Lucas González Amorosino continued his mortage on the 15 shirt while Martín Bustos Moyano was a late withdrawl having been named to start as such François Trinh-Duc was the teams goalkicker for the first time this season. Juan Manuel Leguizamón missed the match for Lyon due to a minor injury. While Lyon are going down to the Pro d2, neighbouring city, Grenoble are on the way back as after seven years in the second division the Alps city has won promotion back to France´s top flight. 

Racing Métro 40-19 Brive

Juan Martín Hernández

Racign Métro look close to being confirmed in the play-off´s after hjaving come right followign an extremely up and down season. Brive, in contrast, will not be breathing easily as the club may not be safwe afterall as Perpignan and Biarritz have both gone clear while Bayonne are only four points behind Brive on 38 points. Brive cannot take anything for granted and need to win some of its remaining matches. A tough task given the opposition of Toulouse, Bordeaux-Begles and Clermont Auvergne. Racing Métro´s win featured three Pumas in the starting lineup with Juan Orlandi playing 49 minutes at tighthead prop, Juan Imhoff playing 75 minutes on the left wing and el Mago, Juan Martín Hernández playing 65 minutes at flyhalf. Juan Martín Hernández is looking increasingly like being Argentina´s flyhalf again as he continues to put together some regular game time for Racing Métro and put hisn players in spaces.  His playmaking had the Parisians leading 33-12 when he was substituted. One of the Parisians four tries was scored by Imhoff who continues to cement the Pumas 11 shirt in a likerly partnership with Leicester´s Horacio Agulla at 14. Another player likely to feature extensively for Argentina is Agustín Figuerola who started at scrumhalf for Brive, playing 74 minutes.

Bayonne 24-19 Biarritz

Manuel Carizza

Another upset took place on the Spanish border as Bayonne scored a vital win as it tries to stay in the Top 14. Biarritz were missing a number of players to injury including Taku Ngwenya and Marcelo Bosch. This worked out to the advantage of Bayonne who are doing nothing other than fighting for survival in the Top 14. The teams victory was a tryless performance and came with a bit of luck as Biarritz were very close to scoring a try from a lineup with time up on the clock. The lineout was won by Manuel Carizza who had come on for Biarritz in the 64th minute. He may be heading for a return to Heineken Cup rugby as he is being lined up by Racing Métro who have lost Sebastien Chabal and will soon lose Lionel Nallet who is aged 35. Francisco Gomez Kodela also recieved game time for Biarritz, coming on in the 54th minute to play tighthead prop.

Castres 44-20 Bordeaux-Begles

Rafael Carballo

A massive win, and a rare bonus point one, for Castres sees the club continue to be impressive at home while failing to match this on the road. The home team had a one man advantage for twenty minutes as Bordeaux received two yellow cards for indiscipline. An outcome which ultimately ruined the teams chances in htis contest. The four tries to two victory features Uruguay´s Rodrigo Capó Ortega in the secondrow. The 2003 World Cup player started and was replaced in the 73rd minute. Bordeaux-Begles had one of its two Argentine players in the match with Rafael Carballo playing 90 minutes on the wing. 

Top 14 Orange Standings
1 Toulouse 78
2 Clermont 78
3 Toulon 63
4 Montpellier 62
5 Castres 59
6 Racing Métro 59
7 Stade Français 53
8 Agen 48
9 Perpignan 44
10 Biarritz 44
11 Brive 42
12 Bordeaux-Begles 41
13 Bayonne 38
14 Lyon 30

* Play-offs zone
* Relegation

Perpignan vs Toulouse


Agen vs Toulon

Résumé Agen-Toulon por rctoulon

Clermont Auvergne vs Stade Français

ASM-Stade Français : Le résumé por asm

Montpellier vs Lyon OU

Montpellier/LOU (43-12) : le résumé vidéo por LOURugby1896

Racing Métro vs Brive


Bayonne vs Biarritz Olympique


Castres Olympique vs Bordeaux-Begles

Fernández - Bustos Moyano - González Amorosino Try vs Castres

Last weekend Montpellier was defeated by Castres in an away Top 14 Orange match. The result means Castres go ahead of Montpellier on the table but changes little for either side as neither are likely to catch the top two sides of Toulouse and Clermont and will, therefore, play in the barrage round of the French Top 14 play-offs should they finish in the top six. Castres' win was stereotypical with the home side getting home thanks to its goalkicking while Montpellier continued to show a lot of flair with the team looking more solid than last year when it finished second after appearing in the Top 14 Semi Finals and Final for the first time in history.

One player who has contributed significantly to the club's season is Los Pumas' fullback, Lucas González Amorosino who has had many in France calling him the best 15 in the country. His try vs Castres last Saturday, his fifth of the Top 14, was another featuring lightening pace as he was too fast for the French speedster, Marc Andreu. The try was a piece of Pumas brilliance as Santiago Fernández, playing at inside centre chased through an up-and-under, caught it and passed it to a third Argentine player, right winger Martín Bustos Moyano. The number 14 stepped inside a tackler and opened up space down the right-hand touchline as he drew the first Castres defender before passing it to González Amorosino who ran 40 metres to score. All three players have been regular starters for Montpellier all season and all will feature for Los Pumas in 2012.