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Brazil couldn’t quite recover from an 11-point second half deficit, ultimately falling 30-29 to Salta in a Tuesday-evening fixture at Jockey Club. Despite outscoring their hosts five tries to three, a 20-point individual haul from Santiago Larrieu sealed their fate.
Salta got off to a fast start. Larrieu missed his first penalty opportunity, the kick ringing off the uprights, but he was soon under those same posts to score a try after José Chierici broke through the line. Larrieu converted to make it 7-0 just a few minutes in.
The Tupis responded with a superb bit of skill from Daniel Sancery. Lucas Tranquez spotted space behind the defensive line and put in a grubber which Sancery controlled with his foot and steered into the in-goal to fall on. Josh Reeves converted from a tough angle to draw the scores level.
Next to score was Salta. Chierici peeled off the back of a lineout drive to come just inches short. Matias Michelena picked up the ball and just reached forward to touch it down on the line. Larrieu added the extras and tacked on a penalty goal, with Reeves just missing his target on the stroke of halftime.
The second half could not have started any better for Brazil. After winning the restart Valentin Garcia beat three defenders and then found Sancery on his shoulder. The fullback raced clear from 40 metres out to touch down for his second.
Larrieu’s boot struck twice in quick succession to make the score 23-14 and Brazil were in danger of letting the game slip. They got back into it with a team effort. Quick hands found replacement hooker Endy Willian loitering on the wing to dive into the corner.
Salta went back to their forwards approach and as he had earlier, Michelena scooped up the ball and simply fell over the line to stretch the lead to 11. Despite tired legs at the end of the second game in just five days, Brazil stayed in the fight.
Michael Moraes showed excellent leg drive and low body position to power over from short range. It was Moraes again with the final desperation score, this time the flanker rolled to the short side of a ruck to make the line. Reeves’ conversion drifted inches past the left upright and Salta escaped with the victory.
That ends a memorable year for Brazilian rugby and the players will now rest up before beginning their preparations for the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship.
SCORING
SALTA 30
Tries – S. Larrieu, M. Michelena 2
Cons – S. Larrieu 3/3
Pens – S. Larrieu 3/4
BRAZIL 29
Tries – D. Sancery 2, E. Willian, M. Moraes 2
Cons – J. Reeves 2/5
Pens – J. Reeves 0/1
Yellow cards – L. Piero
TEAMS
SALTA
1 Agustín Fernández, 2 Diego Fortuny (capt.), 3 Franco Giaccopo, 4 Exequiel Gil, 5 Matías Michelena, 6 Matías Fortuny, 7 Mauro Sarmiento, 8 José Chierici, 9 Lucas Genovese, 10 Santiago Larrieu, 11 Tomás Suárez, 12 Gastón Frey, 13 Nicolás Acedo, 14 José Correa, 15 Ramiro Chávez
Replacements: 16 Cristian Fernández, 17 Ramiro Guzmán, 18 Franco Bresanutti, 19 Gonzalo Aldao, 20 Nicolás Sánchez, 21 Gastón Bazán, 22 Agustín Isola, 23 Ignacio Cordovin
BRAZIL
1 João Talamini, 2 Wilton Rebolo, 3 Jardel Vettorato, 4 Lucas Piero, 5 Cléber Dias, 6 Deon Müller, 7 Arthur Bergo (capt.), 8 André Arruda, 9 Douglas Rauth, 10 Josh Reeves, 11 Stefano Giantorno, 12 Valentin Garcia, 13 Robert Tenório, 14 Lucas Tranquez, 15 Daniel Sancery
Replacements: 16 Endy Willian, 17 Caique Silva, 18 Pedro Bengaló, 19 Gabriel Paganini, 20 Michael Moraes, 21 Daniel Lima, 22 Thiago Evaristo, 23 De Wet van Niekerk
