Everything is ready for you in the stadium José Zorrilla from Valladolid It will be a true rugby festival since the poster could not be better with Spain facing Fiji, one of the best teams on the planet, not in vain it is ninth in the world ranking and comes from beat Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardif by 19-24.
The test is a level one for the ‘XV del León’ since they will have to deal with a team of many carats, both in attack and physical power, although somewhat anarchic in general, which makes them unpredictable. It will be a litmus test for Spain’s defensive system that will have to find a way to be effective in contacts and know how to counter a higher-class team.
Pablo Bouza introduces some changes with respect to those who played against Uruguay in the Madrid Central a week ago, specifically eight new faces in the starting fifteen. The first line is completely renewed and there will also be a new wearer of the captain’s armband, Alvaro Garcia, who already knows what it is to command a group since he was in the M20 that achieved victory in the Trophy and promotion to the World Cup in the category. Valladolid will be a new responsibility for the young heeler.
Piñeiro and Urraza continue to partner as second lines, and in the third Álex Saleta enters to close the pack forming the third along with Boronat and Ekain Imaz. New hinge and new game directors also for this match. Tani Bay will share the game with Gonzalo López Bontempo this time in the opening role. Álex Alonso from Valladolid also enters the centers, partnering with Iñaki Mateu, and behind John Wessel Bell, from El Salvador, will close the team, along with Martiniano Cian and Gauthier Minguillon.
Spain will face a team that was fourth finalist in the last World Cup in France (lost to England) and that was close to the semifinals. With attractive and fun-to-watch rugby, the ‘Flying Fijians’ They appear in Valladolid for a ‘mach test’ that will have an impact on the World Rugby classification, so they will take it very seriously.
The FER has prepared a holiday in Valladolid and it is not only about the match, but about the entire party around it with ‘Fan Zone’ included to welcome more than 16,000 people who have already bought their tickets until Friday, although the forecasts put the figure closer to 20,000, which would be a record for a match of the ‘XV del León’ team. The match is broadcast by TeleDeporte live from 2:50 p.m. and delayed at 2:00 a.m.. A litmus test for Valladolid and for Zorrilla since the idea of the FER is that the decisive match for the qualification of the Australia 2027 World Cup that Spain has to play against the Netherlands in February will be in Valladolid and part of the decision will come from what happens this weekend in Pucela, in the city of Spanish rugby par excellence.
This is the complete lineup of the Spanish for the duel against Fiji:
1. Thierry FUTEU – RFER 2. Álvaro GARCÍA (8 caps) – Stade Français 3. Lucas SANTAMARÍA – State Tarbes 4. Ignacio PIÑEIRO – Oyonnax Rugby 5. Imanol URRAZA – Lazio Rugby 6. Vicente BORONAT – Recoletas Burgos Caja Rural 7. Ekain IMAZ – Biarritz Olympique 8. Álex SALETA – VRAC Quesos Entrepinares 9. Tani BAY – Recoletas Burgos Caja Rural 10. Gonzalo LÓPEZ BONTEMPO – RC Massy 11. Martiniano CIAN – VRAC Quesos Entrepinares 12. Álex ALONSO – VRAC Quesos Entrepinares 13. Iñaki MATEU – Recoletas Burgos Caja Rural 14. Gauthier MINGUILLÓN – Valence Romans Drome Rugby 15. John-Wessel BELL – El Salvador.
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