Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News. It reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

 

UP

Uruguay 7’s
Los Teros 7’s were runners-up on home soil in the  Montevideo Challenger Series. The South Americans were beaten 5-0 by Japan in a low-scinring, yet epic, tournament final. The performances indicated a notable improvement from an Uruguayan side which is in uncluttered waters following the creation of the SLAR.

Austin Gilgronis
It wasn’t quite a win, but Saturday’s draw against Utah was a major achievement for Austin. For the first time since June 1, 2018, the beleaguered franchise came away from a Major League Rugby game with something other than defeat. A pair of one-time All Blacks made their marks, Jamie Mackintosh playing 70 minutes at prop after arriving during the week and Frank Halai making a big impression in the backline after coming on at halftime. Things are looking up for the Gilgronis.

Toronto Arrows
The unerring boot of Sam Malcolm helped propel the Toronto Arrows past the Seawolves on Saturday evening by a final score of 39-17. Malcolm was an impressive 9-for-9 off the tee with 24 points. Toronto’s win was their first ever at Starfire Stadium, and accomplished in emphatic fashion. They will now look to take their season to 4-0 this coming weekend when they take on Rugby ATL on Sunday.

NOLA Gold
Two second half tries from Carl Meyer helped the NOLA Gold get back on the winning track as they edged the Raptors 27-20 in Glendale on Saturday. The result gives the Louisiana side a 2-1 record after three rounds of the 2020 campaign. They play host to the San Diego Legion this coming weekend.

Old Glory DC
Old Glory DC made it two wins on the trot as they scrapped to a 22-13 victory over the Houston SaberCats at AVEVA Stadium on Saturday. Once again their scrum was decidedly second best but they made the most of their opportunities with Jason Robertson contributing 17 points off the kicking tee.

Rugby United New York
Rugby United New York came away 22-19 winners over Rugby ATL at Lupo Family Field on Sunday afternoon. The visitors had pulled away by halftime but a late surge earned the home side a losing bonus point that may well pay dividends come playoff time in the highly competitive Eastern Conference.

Ceibos
The on-field birth of Ceibos saw a thunderous win over Los Pumitas on Friday. The win was expected, although the manner in which it occurred did raise eye-brows. Regardless, it was an instance ton underline the impact that full-time training cane have on professional athletes. The Ceibos project is certain to add a new dimension to Los Pumas, something dramatically lacking during the RWC 2015-2019 cycle, wherein Daniel Hourcade’s selection policies were irrational.

USA South Panthers
On their way south in July are the USA South Panthers. The team have confirmed a two match tour of Colombia. It is to involve one match against Los Tucanes, Colombia’s national men’s team. With Colombia having beaten Rugby Americas North competitors the Cayman Islands, Guyana, and Mexico by comfortable margins in 2018-2019, the tour offers a lot for both teams.

Argentine Fly Halves in Top 14
Patricio Fernández scored 19 points for Lyon on Sunday. The points were all but ten of the those scored by the team which downed Racing 92. It was his finest performance of the season and one for Mario Ledesma to take note of. Both Nicolás Sánchez and Benjamín Urdapilleta were also among the points with them kicking 12 and 13 points respectively.

 

UNDER

Jaguares
Los Jaguares went down to the Stormers, the only team to have won all matches this far in the 2020 season. As predicted, rotation affected continuity and ultimately the South African side was too strong. Both Tomás Cubelli and Bautista Delguy are in doubt for the upcoming match. Should the former be ruled out then Sebastián Cancelliere may need to cover scrum-half.

Seattle Seawolves
It just hasn’t gone to plan for the two-time defending champions this season. Injuries have knocked them back in key positions but there is also a fire absent from their performances thus far. The Seawolves need to find something extra this weekend when they play host to the New England Free Jacks.

Colorado Raptors
Colorado missed a last-gasp draw by the narrowest of margins as they tasted defeat at Infinity Park for just the second time in MLR. The painful defeat sees the Raptors remaining winless after three rounds of the season. While they can feel somewhat aggrieved by a couple tight calls, it’s clear they need some reinforcements up front if they are to pull themselves from the bottom of the Western Conference.

Houston SaberCats
A poor second half was the culprit against Old Glory as the SaberCats dropped their second in a row. Houston simply failed to take advantage of their dominance at the scrum and DC’s 65th minute yellow card. The Cats need to sharpen their claws ahead of Sunday’s game against Rugby United New York.

Olímpia Lions
Three Argentines are unable to play for Olímpia due to previously-agreed regulations set by the UAR. The three are props Thomas Gallo and Jonathan Marchetta, and fly half Alejandro Torres. The UAR noted that the Paraguayan side had exceeded the maximum number of Argentines permitted to play for a SLAR side other than Ceibos. While the regulations were agreed, it’s nonetheless disappointing that the three players who had already been in training are now out of a contract.

Brazil Men’s Sevens
Another huge disappointment from Brazil. The Men’s Sevens team was poor in both legs of the Challenger Series, losing all matches in Viña del Mar and Montevideo. Providing talent for the SLAR has taken some class away from the side, however this alone does not explain the performances of what was a poorly prepared and executed series from the Brazilians.

Santiago Medrano
Removed from the match after 28 minutes, Santiago Medrano’s game against the Stormers will not be remembered for positive reasons. The substitution was tactical as he was outperformed at the scrum and his replacement Joel Sclavi again came on to turn around Los Jaguares’ in this area. There are now doubts over international duty in 2020 for players such as Medrano. With Argentina needing wins for RWC 2023 seeding there will be casualties.

Javier Ortega Desio
Ruled out of the match against the Stormers was Ortega Desio. His participation was ended following a knock to the leg in training, however he has since flown home to Argentina due to the severity of the injury. In his place, Gonzalo Quesada added Santiago Grondona to the roster. He is now looking at a Super Rugby debut against the Bulls or Sharks over the coming two rounds.

Mateo Carreras, Santiago Montagner and Lucas Santa Cruz
Although Los Ceibos enjoyed a comfortable debut performance, the team did suffer three injuries. Winger Mateo Carreras, No8 Santiago Montagner, and flanker Lucas Santa Cruz were all forced off the field through injuries. Of them Carreras is certain to miss the opening round of SLAR, while both Montagner and Santa Cruz are also in doubt.