Argentina smash USA to end APC on high

The Argentina XV put their disappointing opening round loss well and truly behind them as they closed out their Americas Pacific Challenge campaign with a dominant victory over the USA Select XV on Sunday. At the final whistle the scoreboard read 55-15 with the Argentines outscoring the USA eight tries to two.

It was the USA who got out of the gates quickest. Quick hands from Mika Kruse and Conor Kearns put Ryan Matyas into space and the winger showed good pace to finish a long-range effort. Dylan Audsley slotted the conversion from a tough angle.

Joaquin Diaz Bonilla opened Argentina’s account soon after with a penalty goal, Audsley responding in kind. It would be a long time before the USA would see the scoreboard again.

Within moments of Audsley’s kick Díaz Bonilla was in under the sticks for a converted try to level the scores at 10-apiece. The gears were shifted up a notch at the half-hour match when Lucas Favre powered over. He was followed by Leopoldo Herrera around the right corner and then another prop score from Franco Brarda, the loosehead racing clear from the 22 meter line.

Matyas grabbed a double early in the second half, a behind-the-back pass from Kearns finding its mark. The highlight reel dive into the corner would be the last bit of celebration for the North Americans.

Matías Osadczuk was on the end of an overlap almost immediately. Next to touch down was Santiago Grondona from a driving maul, followed closely by a searing run from Lucas Mensa under the posts and a casual stroll into the corner for Rodrigo Bruni.

The bonus-point win temporarily moves Argentina into first place pending the final match between Uruguay and Samoa. It’s a last-place finish for the USA, who earned zero points in three matches, a disappointing tournament for a team hoping to elevate several players into senior Eagles contention.

 

SCORING

ARGENTINA 55
Tries – J. Díaz Bonilla (16’), L. Favre (31’), L. Herrera (33’), F. Brarda (40’), M. Osadczuk (47’), S. Grondona (55’), L. Mensa (59’), R. Bruni (64’)
Cons – J. Díaz Bonilla 4/5 (17’, 32’, 40’, 48’), D. Miotti 2/3 (60’, 65’)
Pens – J. Díaz Bonilla 1/1 (11’)

USA 15
Tries – R. Matyas 2 (7’, 45’)
Cons – D. Audsley 1/2 (8’)
Pens – D. Audsley 1/1 (15’)

 

TEAMS

ARGENTINA XV
1 Franco Brarda, 2 Axel Zapata, 3 Lucas Favre, 4 Jerónimo Ureta, 5 Ignacio Larrague, 6 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Lautaro Bavaro (capt.), 8 Santiago Portillo, 9 Luca Magnasco, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Facundo Cordero, 12 Lucas Mensa, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Leopoldo Herrera, 15 Santiago Carreras

Replacements: 16 Gaspar Baldunciel, 17 Nicolás Solveyra, 18 Marco Ciccioli, 19 Francisco Gorrissen, 20 Santiago Grondona, 21 Gregorio Del Prete, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Matías Osadczuk

USA SELECT XV
1 Chance Wenglewski, 2 Alex Maughan, 3 John Hayden, 4 Matt Jensen, 5 Nate Brakeley, 6 Psalm Wooching, 7 Vili Toluta’u, 8 Brendan Daly, 9 Nick Boyer, 10 JP Eloff, 11 Ryan Matyas, 12 Dylan Audsley, 13 Mika Kruse, 14 Tim Maupin, 15 Conor Kearns (capt.)

Replacements: 16 Pat O’Toole, 17 Kelepi Fifita, 18 Cam Falcon, 19 Taylor Krumrei, 20 Thomas Robles, 21 Devereaux Ferris, 22 Anthony Salaber, 23 Zach Young

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Joaquín Montes (URU)