A new chapter in the rugby rivalry between Spain and Uruguay will be written on Saturday. Los Leones have home advantage against Los Teros in a match between two teams who are well-placed to feature at Rugby World Cup 2027.
Current World Ranking: 18 (66.29 points)
2024-02-03 – Netherlands 18-20 Spain (Amsterdam, NL)
2024-02-11- Spain 27-05 Germany (Madrid, ES)
2024-02-17 – Georgia 38-03 Spain (Tbilisi, GE)
2024-03-03 – Portugal 33-30 Spain (Lisbon, PT)
2024-03-17 – Romania 33-40 Spain (Paris, FR)
2024-07-13 – Samoa 34-30 Spain (Apia, WS)
2024-07-19 – Tonga 20-29 Spain (Nuku’alofa, TO)
Current World Ranking: 17 (67.39 points)
2024-07-10 – Uruguay 28-43 France (Montevideo, UY)
2024-07-20 – Uruguay 07-79 Argentina (Punta del Este, UY)
2024-07-27 – Uruguay 19-31 Scotland (Montevideo, UY)
1 Bernardo Vázquez replaces Thierry Futeu 3 Jon Zabala replaces Hugo Pirlet 4 Ignacio Piñeiro replaces Asier Usárraga 6 Vicente Boronat replaces Mario Pichardie 7 Ekain Imaz replaces Marc Sánchez 9 Kerman Aurrekoetxea replaces Estanislao Bay 11 Martiniano Cian replaces Gauthier Minguillón 13 Iñaki Mateu replaces Alex Alonso 14 Gauthier Minguillón moves from 11; replaces Manuel Alfaro 15 Alberto Carmona replaces John-Wessel Bell
1 Mateo Sanguinetti replaces Ignacio Peculo 3 Ignacio Peculo moves from 1; replaces Diego Arbelo 6 Santiago Civetta replaces Manuel Ardao 10 Ignacio Álvarez replaces Felipe Etcheverry 11 Bautista Basso replaces Nicolás Freitas 12 Juan Manuel Alonso moves from 13; replaces Tomás Inciarte 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez replaces Juan Manuel Alonso 14 Mateo Viñals replaces Juan Bautista Hontou 14 Baltazar Amaya replaces Ignacio Álvarez
| + MOST CAPS |
– A Gimeno (40); T Futeu (33); J Zalaba (27); I Mateu (20; S Ovejero (16); G Minguillón (19)
– M Sanguinetti (87); I Dotti (63); M Diana (44); M Leindekar (35); G Pujadas (34) S Civetta (33)
| + LEAST CAPS |
– P Guirao (0); B Boronat (1); B Vázquez (1); A Saleta (4); I Urraza (4); P Aira (5); R Nieto (5)
– Í Amarillo (0); J González (0); J Myszka (1); J Suárez (2); I Álvarez (4); M Viñals (5)
| + ON TEST DEBUT |
– Pablo Guirao
– Ícaro Amarillo; Juan González
| + NOTABLE ABSENTEES |
– Joël Merkler (TH); Brice Ferrer (FL); Asier Usarraga (FL); Martín Alonso (WI)
– German Kessler (HK); N8 Manuel Ardao (FL); Santiago Arata (SH); Felipe Etcheverry (FH); Tomás Inciate (CE); Andrés Vilaseca (CE); Nicolás Freitas (WI)
- Spain and Uruguay have previously played each-other on 14 occasions. The last meeting in Spain was in Málaga in 2016. The only previous match between Los Leones and Los Teros in Madrid was in 2011.
- Uruguay is Spain’s most frequent non-European opponent since 1995.
- Los Leones and Los Teros have 7 wins and 7 losses each from their prior meetings.
- The teams each won 1 and lost 1 match in the 2020 series in Montevideo.
- Spain’s one prior Rugby World Cup tournament was in 1999 which included debuting against Uruguay.
- Jon Zabala captains Los Leones. Mario Pichardie was skipper in Spain’s most recent test match.
- Los Teros are led by Manuel Leindekar with Andrés Vilaseca having undergone surgery.
- Spanish players Santiago Ovejero, Álvaro García, Ikain Imaz, Kerman Aurrekoetxea, Alberto Carmona, Ignacio Piñeiro, Raphael Nieto, Lucas Santamaría and Jon Zabala play their rugby in France.
- Spain’s Piñeiro and Uruguay’s Leindekar are lock teammates at Oyonnax. Diego Arbelo also plays in France.
- Guillermo Pujadas, Ignacio Peculo, and Ignacio Dotti played Major League Rugby 2024.
- Uruguay are without 7 Rugby World Cup 2023 starting players: Manuel Ardao, Santiago Arata, Felipe Etcheverry, Nicolás Freitas, Tomás Inciarte, German Kessler, and captain Andrés Vilaseca.
- Los Teros are seeking their first win since Rugby World Cup 2023. Uruguay have only faced Tier 1 sides since beating Namibia in Lyon.
- Referee Eoghan Cross does not speak Spanish. The test match will be officiated in English.
Home advantage for Spain combined with impressive rugby played under Pablo Bouza in 2024 give Los Leones the favorites tag on Saturday. Both teams have new and inexperienced players. Los Teros are yet to register a win since downing Namibia in Lyon at the World Cup. Uruguay are one spot higher than Spain on World Rankings. However, the points exchange means Spain enter higher based on the three additional points of the handicap. Spain are favorites to win in Madrid.
| LINEUPS vs |
SPAIN
1 Bernardo Vázquez, 2 Santiago Ovejero, 3 Jon Zabala (capt.), 4 Ignacio Piñeiro, 5 Imanol Urraza, 6 Vicente Boronat, 7 Ekain Imaz, 8 Raphael Nieto, 9 Kerman Aurrekoetxea, 10 Gonzalo Vinuesa, 11 Martiniano Cian, 12 Alvar Gimeno, 13 Iñaki Mateu, 14 Gauthier Minguillón, 15 Alberto Carmona
Replacements: 16 Álvaro García, 17 Thierry Futeu, 18 Lucas Santamaría, 19 Pablo Guirao, 20 Álex Saleta, 21 Tani Bay, 22 Álex Alonso, 23 Pau Aira
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Guillermo Pujadas, 3 Ignacio Peculo, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 5 Manuel Leindekar (capt.), 6 Santiago Civetta, 7 Lucas Bianchi, 8 Carlos Deus, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Ignacio Álvarez, 11 Bautista Basso, 12 Juan Manuel Alonso, 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 14 Mateo Viñals, 15 Baltazar Amaya
Replacements: 16 Joaquín Myszka, 17 Diego Arbelo, 18 Mateo Perillo, 19 Ignacio Dotti, 20 Manuel Diana, 21 Joaquín Suárez, 22 Ícaro Amarillo, 23 Juan Gonzalez
Date: Saturday, November 09
Venue: Estadio Nacional Complutense
Kickoff: 12:45pm (ES); 7:45am (UY)
Weather Forecast: Fog 18 degrees Celsius; Wind: 3 km/h
Broadcasts: Teleport (ES). ESPN; Disney +
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Chris Busby (Ireland) + 1 other IRFU appointment (Ireland)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (South Africa)
| COMPLETE RESULTS – vs (1987-2024) |
Aug 02, 1987 – Uruguay 08-16 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
Sep 02, 1995 – Uruguay 47-10 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
Aug 28, 1999 – Uruguay 20-03 Spain (L’Aquila, IT)
Oct 02, 1999 – Uruguay 27-15 Spain (Galashiels, GB-SCO) – RWC 1999
Sep 01, 2001 – Uruguay 14-16 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
Aug 18, 2007 – Uruguay 10-18 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
Nov 19, 2011 – Spain 16-13 Uruguay (Madrid, ES)
Nov 16, 2013 – Uruguay 16-15 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
Jun 18, 2016 – Uruguay 16-0 Spain (Bucharest, RO)
Nov 19, 2016 – Spain 33-16 Uruguay (Málaga, ES)
Jun 10, 2017 – Uruguay 24-14 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
Jun 22, 2019 – Uruguay 21-41 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
Nov 01, 2020 – Uruguay 20-32 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
Nov 06, 2020 – Uruguay 19-10 Spain (Montevideo, UY)
| HEAD TO HEAD vs |
Spain Wins 7
Uruguay Wins 7
