Hindú Win Argentine National Club Treble

Hindú are the Argentine National club champions. The Don Torquato club won the Nacional de Clubes final this afternoon, defeating Tala 20-10. In doing so the club completed a treble, winning the national title three years in-a-row.

Hindú’s win was based on a solid second half performance. The teams were locked into a 10-10 scoreline at half time and the deadlock was broken with Hindú doing all of the scoring after the interval.

Argentina XV scrum half Sebastián Cancelliere scored the game’s opening try. Cancelliere did so playing out of position on the wing. Hindú’s use of the player in this position is customary but for higher honors he is viewed as a specialist scrum half.

Cancelliere’s try was converted by Joaquín Díaz Bonilla. The Jaguares fly half also landed a first half conversion, doing so from fullback. Tala got themselves into the game through their own fly half. A first half penalty from Stefano Ambrosio was followed by him converting Juan Cruz Cuyaube’s try.

Tala’s comeback was aided by Hindú being reduced to 14 men. Both Mariano de la Fuente and Bautista Ezcurra were yellow carded. The former player was highly fortunate not to have been Red carded. He entered with his shoulder making contact with an opponents shoulder and head. It was similar to Sonny Bill Williams’ recent red card and also comparable to Ramiro Herrera and Tomás Lavanini both being sent off in a Super Rugby match against the Kings in 2016.

With Hindú back to 15 players the Buenos Aires club was able to click into gear and score all of the points in the second half. The oner try came from replacement prop Juan Ignacio Martínez Sosa. Díaz Bonilla added the conversion and also kicked a penalty.

With the win the Elephants have made it 8 national titles in 21 years. The next best performer is SIC with 4 titles between 1993 and 2008. Tala is yet to win with Córdoba rivals La Tablada having the province’s one title which came in 1999.

SCORERS
HINDU
Try: Cancelliere, Martínez Sosa
Conversion: Díaz Bonilla (2)
Penalty: Díaz Bonilla (2)
Yellow Card: De la Fuente, B Ezcurra

TALA
Try: Cuyaube
Conversion: Ambrosio
Penalty: Ambrosio

HINDU (Buenos Aires)
1 Mariano de la Fuente, 2 Augusto Faraone, 3 Pablo Henn, 4 Nicolás Guisasola, 5 Sacha Casañas, 6 Luca Zanetti, 7 Lautaro Bavaro, 8 Gonzalo Delguy (Capt.), 9 Lucas Camacho, 10 Santiago Fernández, 11 Bautista Álvarez, 12 Hernán Senillosa, 13 Severiano Escobio, 14 Sebastián Cancelliere, 15 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla

Replacements: 16 Nicolás Leiva, 17 Alejandro Capurro, 18 Juan Ignacio Martínez Sosa, 19 Agustín Schab, 20 Federico Aguiar, 21 Bautista Ezcurra, 22 Santiago Mourin, 23 Francisco Mateu

TALA (Córdoba)
1 Franco Brarda, 2 José Escutti, 3 Facundo Gigena, 4 Marcos Lobato, 5 Martín Freytes, 6 Aníbal Panceyra Garrido, 7 José Basile, 8 Franco Casutti, 9 Rodolfo Ambrosio, 10 Stefano Ambrosio, 11 Franco Cuaranta, 12 Nicolás Cantarutti, 13 Juan Cruz Cuyaube, 14 Germán Schulz, 15 Guillermo Albrisi

Replacements: 16 Micael Majoan, 17 Gonzalo Llopis, 18 Ramiro Ceti, 19 Javier Ruiz, 20 Manuel Garzón, 21 Gastón Oviedo, 22 Gonzalo Ruíz, 23 Ignacio Albrisi