Uruguay suffer narrow defeat to Tonga

Uruguay’s hopes for a top-three finish at the World Rugby u20 Trophy were dashed as Tonga took a narrow 29-27 victory on Sunday afternoon in São José dos Campos. After a promising start to their campaign, a sound defeat at the hands of Japan knocked them out of final contention and the Teritos must instead settle for 4th place overall.

Filipe Samate and Matías D’Avanzo exchanged penalty goals as the two sides went toe-to-toe in the early exchanges. Uruguay were the quicker team but Tonga’s power up the middle was proving a problem.

The Teritos hit a purple patch after a 10-minute stalemate. D’Avanzo orchestrated the attack, with the forwards making good ground until a the flyhalf’s cut-out pass put Felipe Lombardo in at the corner. The second try saw Juan Pablo Costabile entering the line on a scrum move to create the space for Baltazar Amaya on the outside.

Tonga came roaring back with two tries from their backline in short order. Samate’s short kick-pass found Lote Fakatou open on the wing for the first. The second came after Uruguay came just short of scoring themselves. After winning a turnover, Malakai Uasi took on the line and his offload put Rodney Tongotea free on an 80-meter sprint under the posts.

With the scores level at halftime it was anyone’s game. Not ten minutes later and the tables had turned dramatically. Apitoni Toia crashed over just inside the corner flag with Samate landing the sideline conversion. It was Toia again just a couple minutes later, the mobile prop on hand to take the offload from Otunuku Pauta.

The Teritos forwards came to the rescue just before the hour mark. Tonga’s scrum fell apart and the referee went under the sticks for a penalty try. The pressure throughout the final quarter but the Tongan defense held until the last minute when Juan Martín Rippe fell over on a driving maul. D’Avanzo’s conversion cruelly rang off the upright and the Teritos were denied extra time.

It will be new-look sides for both teams next season as only four players return for Tonga and seven for Uruguay. The scouts and selectors will have written down the names of some players, however, who are now set to embark on potentially fruitful senior careers.

 

SCORING

URUGUAY 27
Tries – F. Lombardo (14′), B. Amaya (19′), Penalty try (58′), J. Rippe (80′)
Cons – M. D’Avanzo 1/3 (15′)
Pens – M. D’Avanzo 1/1 (4′)

TONGA 29
Tries – L. Fakatou (25′), R. Tongotea (32′), A. Toia 2 (46′, 49′)
Cons – F. Samate 3/4 (33′, 47′, 50′)
Pens – F. Samate 1/1 (1′)

 

TEAMS

URUGUAY u20
1 Ezequiel Ramos, 2 Carlos Gruss, 3 Faustino Etchegorry, 4 Juanjuan Garese (capt.), 5 Felipe Aliaga, 6 Maxime Sonneveld, 7 Felipe Lombardo, 8 Juan Manuel Aguiar, 9 Alfonso Cat, 10 Matías D’Avanzo, 11 Baltazar Amaya, 12 Manuel Barreiro, 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 14 Juan Pablo Costabile, 15 José Iruleguy

Replacements: 16 Juan Martín Rippe, 17 Santiago Bonasso, 18 Ignacio Péculo, 19 Reinaldo Piussi, 20 Santiago Nicolich, 21 Carlos Deus, 22 Federico Slinger, 23 Santiago del Cerro, 24 Ignacio Rodríguez, 25 Tomás Pollio, 26 Alfonso Costa

TONGA u20
1 Apitoni Toia, 2 Lisivani Tuifua, 3 Mesake Toumohuni, 4 Lopini Kioa, 5 Solomone Fono, 6 Tupou Afungia, 7 Roy Lolesio, 8 Otunuku Pauta, 9 Siaosi Nai, 10 Filipe Samate, 11 Lote Fakatou, 12 Malakai Uasi (capt.), 13 Rodney Tongotea, 14 Lisiate Folau, 15 Taniela Filimone

Replacements: 16 Falamani Mafi, 17 Mafi Fifita, 18 Aisea Maksini, 19 Hesitoni Fa, 20 Alan Tukuafu, 21 Tu’atao Savou, 22 Mordecai Pulu, 23 Hateni Tafolo, 24 Tevita Sole, 25 Pita Halaifonua

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Nehuén Jauri Rivero (UAR)
Assistants: Cauã Ricardo (CBRu) & Frank Méndez (FERUCHI)