Stade Francais star Samuel Ezeala set for long-awaited Test debut

Spain is gearing up for another Men’s Rugby Europe Championship season, and Pablo Bouza has named his squad for the tournament’s opening game, with Stade Français wing Samuel Ezeala among the head coach’s selections.

Developed in Clermont’s rugby academy, Ezeala made his senior debut for the club in 2018 before joining Section Paloise in 2023.

Despite playing for Spain’s youth national teams, Ezeala came close to becoming a member of Les Bleus when Fabien Galthié called up the wing-centre to take part in preparations for the Autumn Internationals. However, he never made the matchday 23 and remains uncapped.

The utility back had his first taste of Test match action back in November, when Spain clashed with England A at José Zorrilla Stadium, with the centre scoring a try in his side’s 29–25 defeat.

His full Test debut was then postponed as he was unavailable for the following game against Fiji, but it could come in nine days’ time when Spain face the Netherlands in Amsterdam in the opening match of the Rugby Europe Championship 2026.

Alongside him, Bouza has called up eight overseas-based players: Biarritz’s Hugo Pirlet, FC Grenoble’s Ignacio Piñeiro, Stade Français’ Álvaro García, Bayonne’s Hugo González and Manex Ariceta, Colomiers’ Alberto Carmona, Stade Toulousain’s Oriol Marsinyac and Stade Niortais’ Raphael Nieto.

Toulouse’s Joel Merkler and Lucien Richardis, RFER’s Thierry Futeu, Brive’s Asier Usarraga and Pau’s Jon Zabala could join the squad at a later date.

In 2025, Spain mounted a serious title challenge, having beaten Portugal in the semi-finals to qualify for the final. In Tbilisi against the Lelos, Los Leones produced a strong performance and briefly took the lead before the home side regained control and completed a comeback.

Having qualified for a Rugby World Cup for the first time since 1999, Spain are on the rise and have voiced ambitions of reaching the round of 16, a demanding task given they are set to face Argentina, Fiji and Canada.

Spain squad for the opening round of the Rugby Europe Championship:

Props: Hugo González (Aviron Bayonnais), Raúl Calzón (VRAC), Hugo Pirlet (Biarritz) and Bernardo Vázquez (Burgos).

Hookers: Álvaro García (Stade Français) and Santiago Ovejero (Burgos).

Locks: Pablo Guirao (Alcobendas), Imanol Urraza (Burgos), Ignacio Piñeiro (FC Grenoble), Pepe Borraz (Cisneros) and Nicolás Moletti (Santboiana).

Back row: Vicente Boronat (Burgos), Álex Saleta (VRAC), Matt Foulds (UE Santboiana), Raphael Nieto (Stade Niortais) and Manex Ariceta (Aviron Bayonnais).

Scrum-halves: Nicolas Infer (Cisneros) and Estanislao Bay (Real Ciencias).

Fly-half: Gonzalo Vinuesa (Cisneros).

Centres: Samuel Ezeala (Stade Français), Álvar Gimeno (RC Valencia), Oriol Marsinyac (Stade Toulousain), Iñaki Mateu (Burgos) and Pablo Pérez (Barça Rugby).

Outside backs: Alberto Carmona (US Colomiers), John Wessel Bell (Harlequins RC), Alejandro Laforga (Cisneros), Martiniano Cian (VRAC), Gauthier Minguillón (El Salvador), Beltrán Ortega (VRAC) and Pau Aira (Barça Rugby).