Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Uruguay’s on-field preparations for RWC 2019 concluded today. Playing at home in Montevideo Los Teros fell to a 36-24 defeat today against the Argentina XV.
Played in damp conditions at the Estadio Charrúa the weather would not stop both teams from playing attacking rugby.
In just the second minute the Argentina XV were within range of scoring. Multiple raids of phases would be made before the wide ball went out to Sebatián Cancelliere who was taken into touch by Nicolás Freitas.
Three minutes later the Argentina XV would crack the defense. Quick service from scrum half Gonzalo Bertranou would put players into half games from which N8 Santiago Montagner would latch on to a pass and score.
As he has done so with regularity, Germán Kessler scored for Uruguay. The first try from Los Teros would come from an attacking line out which mauled forward three meters before Kessler broke off to beat three defenders and score. With Juan Manuel Cat’s game being cut short after a knock Agustín Ormaechea took over the goal-kicking.
At the completion of the opening quarter the scores were locked at 7-7. Breaking the deadlock was Santiago Chocobares who was ran in support for flanker Santiago Grondona who broke the line to hand a gift try to the center.
Two minutes later Grondona would score himself. Being the first receiver from six meters out he ran over an attempted tackle from his opposite, Juan Manuel Gaminara to give the Argentina XV a 21-10 lead.
The non-stop action continued as a further two minutes later would see the next try. This time it was Uruguay who scored with winger Nicolás Freitas hitting the line with speed to get past Juan Pablo Castro and score and set up a 21-17 half-time deficit.
In the second half the Argentina XV started strongly. Scoring early was Sebastián Cancelliere who latched on to a kick through Chocobares to score.
Uruguay’s one, and only, second half try came in response. Scoring from a pick-and-go was replacement N8 Manuel Diana. Federico Favaro added the conversion.
With time up the Argentina XV scored once more with Mendy bagging his second. He did so after Leandro Leivas fumbled and up-and-under from Tomás Albornoz several meters from the try line.
With the RWC warm-up matches over Uruguay’s players and staff now have three rest days before departing for Japan. They are to travel on Wednesday with stops in São Paulo and London.
SCORING
URUGUAY (24)
Try: Kessler, Freitas, Diana
Conversion: A Ormaechea (3), Favaro
Penalty: Ormaechea
ARGENTINA XV (36)
Try: Montagner, Chocobares, Grondona, Cancelliere, Mendy (2)
Conversion: Albornoz (3), Elías
TEAMS
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Germán Kessler, 3 Diego Arbelo, 4 Franco Lamanna, 5 Manuel Leindekar, 6 Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt.), 7 Santiago Civetta, 8 Alejandro Nieto, 9 Agustín Ormaechea, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Andrés Vilaseca, 13 Juan Manuel Cat, 14 Leandro Leivas, 15 Rodrigo Silva
Replacements: 16 Facundo Gattas, 17 Juan Echeverría, 18 Juan Pedro Rombys, 19 Diego Magno, 20 Ignacio Dotti, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 Federico Favaro, 23 Gastón Mieres, 24 Tomás Inciarte, 25 Agustín Della Corte, 26 Manuel Ardao, 27 Joaquín Jaunsolo, 28 Juan Diego Ormaechea, 29 Manuel Diana, 30 Guillermo Pujadas
ARGENTINA XV
1 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 2 Axel Zapata, 3 Lucio Sordoni, 4 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 5 Lucas Paulos, 6 Santiago Grondona, 7 Bautista Pedemonte, 8 Santiago Montagner, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Juan Pablo Castro, 14 Sebastián Cancelliere, 15 Facundo Cordero
Replacements: 16 José Luis González, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Mauro Genco, 19 Ignacio Calas, 20 Lucas Bur, 21 Manuel Bernstein, 22 Santiago Ruíz, 23 Facundo Ferrario, 24 Martín Elías, 25 Gonzalo García
