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A high-flying second half gave the Rugby Americas Selects an overwhelming 59-31 win over the Glendale Raptors at Infinity Park on Saturday. The friendly was organized as part of the Rugby Americas combine that saw 26 players from across the Americas come together in a bid to earn professional contracts in Major League Rugby.
The two sides went back-and-forth with tries until the 50 minute mark. Uruguayan pair Germán Kessler and Gastón Mieres scored for the Selects with Nick Johnson and Jonny Layne replying for the Raptors. Brazil’s Arthur Bergo would break through the line to score just before the break with Josh Reeves adding his second conversion to give the Americas a 19-12 lead at halftime.
An intercept score by Chad Gough, converted by Will Magie, tied the game up just after the restart but then Americas Selects began to pull away with a flurry of tries starting with Diego Magno. Rodrigo Silva replaced Josh Reeves at flyhalf and showed his skills with two tries, singles added by Daniel Sancery, Leandro Leivas, and Ryan Rees.
Glendale also brought in several substitutes with South African flanker Dwayne Pienaar crossing on debut and Johnson getting his second late. JP Aguirre showed well for the Selects and also contributed three conversions with Moisés Duque, another standout, taking the final two kicks at goal.
No contracts were announced at the conclusion of the match but several of the Americas participants are expected to sign MLR deals in the coming weeks. Kessler and his front row mates Mateo Sanguinetti and Wilton Rebolo were completely dominant in the scrum and could be among the first to find new homes.
SCORING
GLENDALE 31
Tries – N. Johnson 2 (17’, 70’), J. Layne (30’), C. Gough (42’). D. Pienaar (60’)
Cons – W. Magie 3/5 (31’, 43’, 71’)
AMERICAS 59
Tries – G. Kessler (11’), G. Mieres (25’), A. Bergo (35’), D. Magno (49’), R. Silva 2 (53’, 76’), D. Sancery (57’), L. Leivas (63’), R. Rees (80’)
Cons – J. Reeves 2/3 (26’, 36’), J. Aguirre 3/4 (50’, 58’, 64’), M. Duque 2/2 (77’, 80’)
TEAMS
GLENDALE RAPTORS
1 Blake Rogers, 2 Chad Gough, 3 Kelepi Fifita, 4 Kody O’Neil, 5 Luke White, 6 Jonny Layne, 7 John Quill, 8 Connor Cook, 9 Shaun Davies (capt.), 10 Will Magie, 11 Nick Johnson, 12 Ata Malifa, 13 Mika Kruse, 14 Campbell Johnstone, 15 Colin Gregory
Replacements: 16 James Del Bozque, 17 Max Lum, 18 Tom Kacor, 19 Siale Maka, 20 Dwayne Pienaar, 21 Carlo de Nysschen, 22 Mickey Bateman, 23 Mike Garrity, 24 Adrian Chatelier, 25 Mateo Gadsden
AMERICAS SELECTS
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Germán Kessler, 3 Wilton Rebolo, 4 Cléber Dias, 5 Diego Magno, 6 Manuel Diana, 7 Arthur Bergo, 8 Alejandro Nieto (capt.), 9 Marcelo Torrealba, 10 Josh Reeves, 11 Daniel Sancery, 12 Moisés Duque, 13 Felipe Sancery, 14 Leandro Leivas, 15 Gastón Mieres
Replacements: 16 AN Other, 17 Lucas Abud, 18 Liam Murray, 19 Leandro Segredo, 20 Ignacio Silva, 21 Ryan Rees, 22 Rodrigo Silva, 23 Calvin Whiting, 24 Mike Scarcella, 25 JP Aguirre
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Derek Summers (USAR)
