Up and Under

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

 

UP

Toronto Arrows
The red-hot Arrows left Jersey City with a stunning 53-12 win over New York on Sunday. It was a major statement from the Canadian side who have now recorded back-to-back winning margins of 40+ points after a slow start to the campaign. The outstanding back three all scored tries with former Pumas winger Manuel Montero claiming a hat-trick.

LA Giltinis
There is no debate as to who is the team to beat at the moment. LA were totally dominant against San Diego, such that the game was effectively over within five minutes of kickoff. By halftime there was 38 points on the board and at 50 minutes the Giltinis put it in neutral. The question now is: can anyone stop them?

Austin Gilgronis
Make it four in a row for Austin. The Gilgronis started slow but dominated the second half as they cruised to a 42-15 over the Seawolves on Sunday evening. Not only is it their longest winning streak, it’s now the most wins in a single season for Austin period. Isaac Ross led the way with two tries despite playing through considerable discomfort.

Rugby ATL
A fast start and a clinical finish saw the Ratlers taking a 38-28 win over NOLA Gold at The Snake Pit on Saturday afternoon. ATL came out firing from the start and it paid off with three tries in the first quarter. Adriaan Carelse was a standout with 16 points and a number of big plays from his fullback spot.

Utah Warriors
The Warriors returned to winning ways on Saturday evening as they downed the Houston SaberCats 50-43 at Zions Bank Stadium. It was non-stop action in what was an 80-minute thriller. Three tries from Robbie Povey weren’t enough as Mike Te’o and Mika Kruse helped the home team end a three-game losing streak.

Olímpia Lions
The Paraguayan side will compete in the SLAR Semi Finals. Olímpia booked their spot in the final four with a tight win over Os Cobras. The 19-15 win was a very different result to the match between the sides earlier on in the season. It was the best game from the Brazilian entry, yet the Lions were able to hold on for victory.

Sebastián Cancelliere, Domingo Miotti
Argentina’s lone SLAR side continue to hammer every opponent. Their latest win was 68-8 against Selknam. Cancelliere scored a remarkable five tries in the win. Also winning again was the Western Force. Miotti scored 10 points in the team’s win on Friday against the previously undefeated Queensland Reds. Both players will join the Glasgow Warriors next season.

Argentines in Europe
This past week saw a number of notable performances from Argentines in Europe. Jerónimo de la Fuente and Patricio Fernández started for Perpignan in the win that took the club above 100 Pro D2 points. The club is nearing a probable return to the Top 14. Benetton defeated Glasgow Warriors to win for the first time this season. Argentines Thomas Gallo, Juan Ignacio Brex, and Tomás Baravalle all featured. Pablo Matera led Stade Français to a big win over Pau and Juan Cruz Mallía returned from injury for Toulouse. Santiago Chocobares will soon join him at the club. A number of Pumas impressed in England. The pick of the bunch was Santiago Carreras who put in a try-saving tackle in Gloucester’s win over Newcastle.

 

UNDER

Rugby United New York
Sunday was not a good day for New York. Many considered them East Conference favorites heading into the match but they were completely outplayed on their home turf by the visiting Arrows. They are by no means out of the race but will have to make adjustments now that their Canadian rivals look to be firing on all cylinders.

Seattle Seawolves
The former champions were once again well off the pace in Texas. It was too soon for the dramatic coaching changes made during the week to have an affect, but positives are in short supply in Seattle’s camp at the moment. The good news is a home game is finally at hand after a horror run on the road that has them dead last on the overall table.

San Diego Legion
A worse start could hardly have been imagined for the Legion. Three tries were conceded in the opening five minutes. To make matters worse they lost first choice scrumhalf Nate Augspurger to an ankle injury, having only just welcomed him back to the lineup from a previous injury. San Diego could use a week off but they’ll have to play another three games before they get one.

Peñarol
Los Cafeteros Pro almost upset Peñarol on Wednesday evening. The Colombians competed until the death in what was a match decided by a single point. The Uruguayans put on their worst performance of the SLAR season. Teros captain Andrés Vilaseca played out of position at flyhalf and the gamble did not pay off.

Ignacio Calles
The Argentine prop was unable to finish the match for Pau against Stade Français. Calles was taken off after a collision 25 minutes into the game. He now faces an anxious wait to see when he can play again. The loosehead has impressed this season for Pau. He was with Los Pumas for the 2020 Tri Nations but remains uncapped.

July Internationals
The mid-year internationals remain unconfirmed. Argentina and Uruguay are due to welcome Wales while Canada and the USA are scheduled to play England. Georgia is also intended to tour South America. All tours to the Americas are in doubt though the USA might yet prove a viable host option in North America. One solution on the table is for teams to play in Europe.