By Joe Santamaria
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Pampas 39-22 Tarucas
League leaders Pampas had to come from behind but eventually secured a 39-22 victory over fellow Argentine side Tarucas in Buenos Aires.
Tarucas started well and fly half Nicolas Roger gave them the lead with an early penalty before Pampas struck back with a try from a rolling maul.
Roger’s second penalty cut Pampas’ lead to a single point with a quarter of the game gone.
Tarucas No.8 Santiago Aguilar seized upon a loose ball to grab his team’s first try and reclaim the lead, but Roger was unable to add the conversion.
The back-and-forth nature of the game continued when Pampas fullback Solveyra Jeronimo found the line in the corner despite having a man in the sin-bin.
They couldn’t make it to halftime in the lead however, as a third Roger penalty gave the visitors a slender 14-12 advantage at the break.
The opening to the second half was cagey, with Roger briefly extending Tarucas’ lead before his opposite number Renthel Estanislao kicked two penalties of his own.
Pampas relied on their power game once again and Penoucos Juan managed to force his way over from close range to give his side some breathing space.
The Pampas scrum grew increasingly dominant as the game drew on and soon yielded a penalty try to put the game beyond doubt.
It didn’t stop the game from ending with a flourish, as Tarucas fullback Stefano Ferro picked a sumptuous line to pierce the Pampas defence with just second left on the clock.
It was Pampas who had the last laugh however, when rangy winger Latorre Alfonso collected a perfect cross field kick to dot down for his side’s fifth try.
Selknam 17-22 Peñarol
Selknam were left frustrated after a 22-17 loss to visitors Peñarol that could have huge ramifications in the race for a home semifinal.
Peñarol took the lead early through Mateo Sanguinetti Young, who powered over from close range with less than ten minutes on the clock.
Selknam’s in-form Raimundo Martínez soon levelled things up in similar fashion as it became clear that there would be little between the teams.
The visitors ended the first half in the ascendency and were able to reclaim the lead after Felipe Aliaga’s converted try.
Fly half Felipe Etcheverry added three points before the break to extend Peñarol’s lead to ten points.
It took nearly 20 minutes of the second half before either side was able to breach the opposition defence, but it proved to be worth the wait.
Selknam launched a brilliantly executed attack from the back of a lineout that gave Martínez a clear run to the line for his second try of the game.
A Tomás Salas penalty levelled the game with eight minutes to play and Selknam looked the more likely to push on and claim the victory.
With just second left on the clock, Peñarol replacement Santiago Alvarez broke down the short side after a lineout went awry and managed to put Ignacio Facciolo Palesso away to seal the win.
The victory means Peñarol strengthen their grip on 2nd place whereas, while Selknam remain firmly in the hunt for a play-off spot, their chances of a home semifinal look far slimmer.
The game also offered a fascinating insight into the summer’s international fixtures, with the sides littered with Chile and Uruguay internationals.
The two sides are widely expected to clash in search of a direct qualification spot for the 2027 World Cup and, if this match is anything to go by, it will go down to the wire.
Cobras 15-74 Dogos
Dogos finished the weekend with a resounding 74-15 victory away from home against bottom side, Cobras.
The opening minutes were tightly contested, with both sides carving up the opposition, leading to tries for Dogos’ Mateo Soler and Cobras’ Thiago Oviedo respectively.
Oviedo’s try was as good as thing got for the hosts however, as Dogos soon established their dominance, running in a further three tries to secure the bonus point before halftime.
If Cobras were hoping the second half would be an improvement, it took less than a minute for their hopes to be dashed as Soler dotted down after a clever kick in behind.
Winger Lautaro Cipriani scored the pick of the tries but there was plenty of competition, as the Cobras defence wilted in the face of the onslaught. The final scoreline did little to flatter the visitors.
Cobras are still without a win and have scarcely looked less likely to find one than they did in this game.
After a slow start to the season, Dogos look to be finding their form at the right time and are up to 3rd in the table after this impressive showing.
Round Ten will see Dogos welcome Yacare to Córdoba in a repeat of last season’s thrilling semifinal before Peñarol face Tarucas in Montevideo.
The final game of the round could prove an unwelcome one for Cobras fans, as table-topping Pampas will look to at least match Dogos’ margin of victory in São Paulo.
