Wild weather and results shake Super Rugby Americas

Replaying the previous years’ final as your first competitive game of the season in scorching heat of around 40 degrees wind chill, is not the ideal start of your tournament. 

Yet, for travelling Pampas, losing finalists in 2024 and holding a one win and five losses record against Dogos XV in the past two seasons, the 20-all draw could be seen as a positive result. 

The second round of the Super Rugby Americas started on Friday with Peñarol Rugby beating Yacare XV 50-15 at home in Montevideo and had its drama early on Saturday, whilst the game in Jacareí, a satellite town of Sao Paulo, home-side Cobras Brasil Rugby and Chilean outfit Selknam needed to start an hour late due to heavy thunderstorm. Selknam won 28-21. 

In six seasons of this tournament, never before thunderstorms had been an issue – in two consecutive weekends, Super Rugby Americas was affected. Climate change is a reality and is affecting the game. 

Peñarol Rugby rose to the top of the league with a second bonus-point win, in a strong seven-try performance against Yacare XV. 

Rain – weather again interfering – did not affect the Uruguayan game-plan, based on controlling the strong Paraguayan forward pack.

International hooker Guillermo Pujadas scored the first of two tries before ten minutes and Portugal wing Manuel Cardoso Pinto, the first European to play in the tournament, scored his first try on the left corner. 

Yacare XV, a winner in the first round, was a shadow of the side that beat Selknam the previous weekend. 

Selknam, with national captain Martín Sigren in imperious form a double try-scorer, had to fight hard to leave Brazil with a 28-21 win. 

The home-side, beaten heavily in the opening round against debutant Tarucas, were a changed team and despite only winning twice in eight previous encounters against Selknam, and pushed the winners to the limit. 

With Selknam in the lead throughout the game, hooker Endy Willian scored from a pick-and-go attack for the Cobras with four minutes of regular time left; the calm and collected Lucas Tranquez added the extras for the 21-21 draw. 

Naively unable to defend the ensuing kick-off, Cobras allowed Selknam sufficient space to attack, from which Sigren scored the winning try. 

It wasn’t a given; pushed by the loud crowd, the Brazilians were hungry to at least earn a draw. A series of penalties meant that the game ended in the 86th minute after resolute defence from the Jake Mangin-coached side, allowed them to celebrate. 

The sun and high humidity in Córdoba forced too many mistakes in both sides as Dogos XV, champions last year, were aiming for their sixth win in seven games against the Buenos Aires-based side. 

Pumas’ assistant coach Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe in attendance was in attendance as this game operates as a de-facto trial game. It is still uncertain what level of availability there will be for Europe-based players when Argentina plays the British & Irish Lions on June 20th, outside of the July test-window. 

Argentina players are fully aware that the pathway to the national team has an important step in Súper Rugby Américas and as such, they prepare. 

“We work with national selectors and they are very present in what we do,” said Pampas coach Juan Manuel Leguizamón, a teammate of Contepomi and Fernández Lobbe, a very close friend. 

His side saw six players elevated to the national squad and more might play themselves into contention.

Probably, their first game was not the best to take many conclusions, as both teams played with more intention than execution. 

Pampas opened the score inside the first ten minutes with loose forward Nicolás Damorín benefiting from a great angled run from former sevens international Alfonso Latorre. 

Hooker Leonel Oviedo, eager to join older prop brother Joaquín Oviedo in Los Pumas, scored two tries within five minutes, each side of half-time, from mauls. By then, Dogos XV, cheered by a loud crowd in their new home at the historic Córdoba Athletic Club, was imposing. 

Puma hopeful, scrumhalf Agustín Moyano, scored his third try of the tournament dummying from the base of a ruck, at the hour mark. 

Against the tide, 2024 Puma Justo Piccardo showed his explosiveness at centre to break the Dogos defence and pass to replacement scrumhalf Ignacio Inchauspe. Estanislao Renthel, in his first professional game, added the goal to secure the draw. 

“There were a lot of good things in a very hard and difficult first game,” said Pampas’ coach Leguizamón. “The boys did very well many things but, of course, there are many more things to get right. We have to narrow the mistake margin and focus on our second game next Friday.”  

Pampas open the third round against leaders Peñarol Rugby on Friday night. Dogos, who still haven’t won, travel to Chile to play against Selknam, joint-second with Tarucas, the team that had the bye-weekend and returns to play their first away game against Yacare XV, a winner at home on Round One.