Chile captain José Ignacio Larenas hopes his side can build on the momentum they gained from last November’s test win over Germany and kick-off their Americas Rugby Championship campaign on a winning note.

Los Condores begin the six-team continental tournament with a home game against Brazil, the team they narrowly beat 25-22 in 2016 when Larenas was among the try scorers. To date that is their only win in 10 games at this level.

Last year they lost 17-3 to Os Tupis in Sao Paolo and finished at the bottom of the ARC table for the second consecutive year, without a point to their name. But Larenas is banking on home advantage giving them the edge when they run out for the first of three ARC games at Estadio Municipal de La Pintana in Santiago.

“The goal is to have better results than the previous two Americas Rugby Championships. We are focusing on the home games where we hope the support of the crowd will make us stronger. We are hoping to have big crowds for our three games at La Pintana,” said the 28-year-old, who was first capped in 2012.

This weekend’s encounter is followed by away games against Argentina XV in Ushuaia and the USA in Fullerton before Los Condores return to Estadio La Pintana for the final stretch against Uruguay and Canada.

November gains

Chile embarked on an historic tour of Asia and Europe last November in preparation for this year’s tournament, competing at the Hong Kong-based Cup of Nations and then playing and beating a depleted Germany in a one-off test in Offenbach.

That 32-10 win saw them climb to 24th in the World Rugby Rankings – four places higher than Brazil, whose own European tour took in a fixture against Germany. While Brazil could not match Chile’s achievement, losing 45-12, the opposition line-up was much stronger that day.

On a personal level, Larenas has not lost to Os Tupis in five previous outings, but the centre says his side will give them all due respect.

“Brazil are a tough opponent, even more so in the latter stages of a match. We know them well and have analysed their game plan. Having said this, we will continue to play our usual game.

“We are highly motivated and desperate to play. We feel we took a step forward in the November window and want to prove ourselves in this ARC. As a squad, we are experienced; most of us have been in the national setup for quite some time.”

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