Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

UP

Argentina
In front of a near-capacity crowd in San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina completed their first win of 2017. The 45-29 victory brings relief to the team after having lost against England in San Juan and Santa Fé. Los Pumas scored five tries, three of which came from Ramiro Moyano. This represented the first time that a Puma had scored a hat-trick since Juan Imhoff did so against South Africa in 2015. The home side looked like they would go on to score over 60 points. Georgia, though, won the final quarter convincingly. In the end the Lelos crossed for four tries.

USA
The USA have one foot in the door of the Rugby World Cup. By virtue of drawing with Canada in Hamilton on Saturday the Eagles now head to Southern California well positioned to seal the Americas 1 spot. The Eagles did not play to the best of their ability yet appeared to be heading towards victory. Canada fought back to catch the USA and had an opportunity to win. Although neither side actually won the match the result certainly favors the visitors.

Canada vs USA
The match itself was highly entertaining and memorable. If Rugby Canada and USA Rugby are interested in a quality product they certainly have a match to market from. Fans were on the edge as the scores swung back and forth. Among the scores were tries made from opposition errors. DTH van der Merwe and Nick Civetta both scored doubles with the former setting a new Canadian record in the process. Luckily for everyone the teams are to meet again this coming Saturday. The July 1 match is to be played in San Diego. The winner will qualify for Rugby World Cup 2019 as Americas 1. The runner-up will face Uruguay home-and-away in January and February 2018 with the winner qualifying as Americas 2.

DTH van der Merwe
What an impact the outstanding Canadian outside back had in the game. His selection at outside center raised eyebrows before the match, not because he was incapable – indeed he was a standout at the position in the 2011 World Cup – but because he had not started a test match there since 2012, with his last professional appearance in the jersey with Glasgow in 2013. With Canadian coach Mark Anscombe citing a desire to “add more punch” to the midfield, the move paid off and the co-captain touched down twice to help his side escape with a draw.

Tomás Cubelli
Good news for Argentina from Australia this past week is that Tomás Cubelli is playing again. The Buenos Aires scrumhalf made his return, playing for the Brumbies against the Asia Pacific Dragons in Singapore. The fixture was a warm-up for the Canberra-based franchise ahead of the final stages of Super Rugby this season. The Brumbies won the fixture 61-14, doing so with Cubelli appearing from the bench. With Cubelli fit again for the completion of the Super Rugby season he is expected to return to Los Pumas for the Rugby Championship.

CUBA
Buenos Aires club CUBA is 8-0 in the URBA Top 12. The club is dominating the season and this is represented in the standings. After eight rounds CUBA has 36 competition points. SIC and Newman are tied for second spot on 23 points. Fourth spot is Pucará on 22 points. This weekend CUBA downed Pucará 26-16. The competition will take a pause this coming weekend. This sees the 9th round taking place on June 08. CUBA will be at home to San Luis.

Ghislaine Landry
It was a memorable weekend for the Canadian captain. Landry not only led her country to a Bronze finish in Clermont-Ferrand but also scored her 100th career try on the HSBC Sevens Series, becoming just the third player to achieve the mark following New Zealand’s Portia Woodman and Emilee Cherry of Australia. It’s been another outstanding season for the point-scoring machine, who took over the leadership role from Jen Kish and came painfully close to earning a 2nd-overall finish, falling just two points shy of Australia on the 2016-17 table at season’s end.

 

UNDER

Brazil
Brazil were given a brutal lesson in forward power on Saturday as Romania pulverised the South Americans by a score of 56-5 at the Stadionul Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest. Eight tries were scored by the home side, all converted, while the visitors did at least manage to get one over the line. There was neither surprise nor subtlety in the way Romania went about their business. The Oaks smashed ahead with their much larger forwards and dominated the set piece and tight phases. The two teams have now completed their June international schedule and return home to their clubs for the domestic season. For Brazil this has been a learning experience and a confirmation that stronger forwards will be required to move further up the World Rugby Rankings.

Canada
Home advantage for Canada saw the Maple Leafs playing their best match against the USA for quite some time. Had it not been for a late missed penalty from Shane O’Leary the Canadians would have been victorious. Instead the Eagles held on to remain undefeated against Canada in the past six matches. Canada’s last triumph over the USA was in Toronto in August 2013. Unless the Canadians can turn things around in San Diego they will miss out on qualifying as the top North American team for the first time in tournament history.

Pumas Scrum
Diabolical is the best word to describe the Pumas scrum against Georgia. The Eastern Europeans were better throughout the match but well and truly demolished Los Pumas’ scrum in the second half. In doing so it exposed an historic strong point of Argentine rugby as now being a weak point. The likes of Roberto Grau and Mauricio Reggiardo, Rodrigo Roncero and Omar Hasan, Marcos Ayerza and Juan Figallo were all feared combinations. All were also significantly older than that of the 2017 starters. Meanwhile the likes of Figallo and Francisco Gómez Kodela are off-limits, playing quality rugby in Europe.

Conor Trainor
Star Canadian center Conor Trainor missed out on playing on Saturday. He will also not play in the second match in San Diego, California. Trainor suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the match against Romania earlier this month. He joins Jeff Hassler and Matt Evans to leave Canada without three leading backs. It combines to give the Eagles the favorites tag to seal the Americas 1 spot. Trainor is unlikely to return until well into 2018, also ruling him out of contention for both the November internationals and the Americas Rugby Championship for Canada.

Segundo Tuculet
Segundo Tuculet is to play in France. The 23-year-old has signed a one year deal with Narbonne to play in the Pro D2. His contract has the option of an additional season. The younger brother of Pumas fullback Joaquín, Segundo Tuculet has been a fringe player for both Los Jaguares and the Argentina XV. He received game time in Super Rugby in 2016 at outside center. Capable of playing in the midfield or the back three, Tuculet is the latest player to leave Argentina based on a lack of opportunities. With the UAR having Los Jaguares as the country’s only professional side places are limited. Hourcade will no longer be able to pick another quality player.