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

Argentina out to learn from Rugby League
Michael Cheika finalized his coaching staff this past week. As expected Felipe Contepomi joins the team from Leinster as the backs coach. Also joining is David Kidwell, a former New Zealand Rugby League player. In a new move for Argentina, Kidwell will be Argentina’s Defensive Coordinator. As a player, Kidwell was known as a hardman. His ball-carrying skills and defense made him one of the toughest players in the 13-man rugby code. It is a new way of thinking for Argentina who seek to dramatically improve their defense.

Los Pumas Sevens are on Top of the World
Fiji claimed their second tournament win of the season while Argentina move into top spot for the first time in World Series history with two events left. Los Pumas won both of their games on Day Three. Marcos Moneta scored two tries to lead them past Australia, and then Moneta produced another double against England in the 5th Place Final. Argentina now hold a two-point lead over the Blitzboks at the top of the standings, with the Australians another six points back in 3rd place.

Bolivia building for the Future
Bolivia Rugby (Federación Boliviana de Rugby) welcomed coaching and refereeing assistance from Sudamérica Rugby. Hosted in the country’s largest city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, it was an opportunity to help grow the game in the country. Bolivia is building towards playing a first recognized test match. Prior matches involve games against Paraguay and Salta.

Oceania u20’s with Argentina Flavor
Argentina’s u20’s will compete in Australia next month. Los Pumitas will join Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand in the upcoming Oceania u20’s competition. The tournament will be played at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland from July 1 to July 10. The tournament will be played as the Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship. This is so despite the involvement of Argentina and the non-involvement of regional powers such as Samoa and Tonga.

North Americans set to contest Premier 15s Final
As many as 14 North American internationals could take the field in the Premier 15s Final on June 3. Exeter and Saracens were each successful in their Semi Final matches on Sunday. Jennine Detiveaux scored the match-winning try for the Chiefs in the 77th minute, with Hope Rogers scoring two tries to take home Player of the Match honors. Alev Kelter collected 10 points for Saracens with two conversions and two penalty goals.

Sensational Selknam beat SLAR Champs to advance to SLAR Final
2021 was historic for Chile rugby while 2022 may be even more so. Selknam put in a spectacular display of defense to win their way to the SLAR 2022 Final. Selknam defeated Los Jaguares XV to eliminate the Argentine professional team. Selknam’s 16-10 win means that SLAR will have a new champion. Selknam earned their place in the SLAR 2022 Final with a performance worthy of respect. The Chileans scored early, extended their lead and stayed committed throughout.

It comes down to Peñarol vs Selknam
Peñarol got past Los Cafeteros Pro in the second SLAR Semi Final. The Uruguayan side defeated the Colombian side 34-13 to qualify for the SLAR 2022 Final. In doing so, Peñarol is the only team that has reached both SLAR Finals. Peñarol played against Los Jaguares XV in the SLAR 2021 Final and will face Selknam in the SLAR 2022 Final.

Houston blaze towards MLR playoffs
The SaberCats are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot after defeating Old Glory in a wild 59-41 contest on Saturday. It’s the first match in Major League Rugby history to top the century mark in combined points, with Dean Muir’s four-try performance also a single-game record. Segra Field may well have produced another record with the pitch reaching a blazing-hot 109°F (43°C).

Atlanta dominate New York
Rugby ATL took a major step towards playoff qualification with a 38-3 win over Rugby New York at JFK Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Stifling defense from the Ratlers combined with stifling heat to shut down the home side despite New York holding a clear advantage in territory.

UNDER

Canada KO’d by Controversy
Canada narrowly missed out on a Quarter Final at the Toulouse 7’s, in part this was due to a controversial play during England’s game against Los Pumas. Trailing 19-0, England’s Will Homer broke free from his own goal-line, knowing that the try would be enough to put them ahead of Canada on the standings he chose not to ground the ball in order to kill time on the clock. In response Argentina refused to advance to make the tackle, having already done enough to secure their place at the top of the pool. It meant two minutes of standing until the clock was up.

Brazil Frustrated and Relegated
New Zealand claimed victory at Toulouse in the final women’s event of the 2022 World Sevens Series. They defeated Australia, who had already claimed the overall series title, in a Cup Final decided by one score. Canada, the USA, and Brazil finished in 6th, 7th, and 8th respectively. For Brazil the result means relegation from Core Status on the circuit. They were first defeated by France and then the USA on Day Three. As Yaras finished two points behind 10th-place Spain.

Streak is over for New England Free Jacks
The Toronto Arrows upset the league-leading Free Jacks with a 33-18 win at York Lions Stadium on Thursday night. New England’s record-setting 10-game winning streak was brought to a screeching halt, with the visitors looking lethargic against an inspired home side.

Austin toppled from top in MLR Western Conference
The Austin Gilgronis are no longer the top team in the Western Conference. Utah were 22-8 winners at Zions Bank Stadium on Saturday evening, the Warriors denying the AG’s a single bonus point. Combined with LA’s earlier win over Dallas and Austin are now in second spot on the table.

Struggling Jaguares XV are out
Los Jaguares XV were the favorites to win the SLAR 2022 title. This was based on a number of factors, one being that the team was unbeaten throughout SLAR 2021. The 2022 season saw Peñarol and Sleknam climbing above them with the Uruguayans and Chileans both downing the Argentine side twice during the regular season. Selknam’s Semi Final win meant a miraculous three wins by the Chilean side against the previously unbeatable Jaguares XV.

SLAR Scheduling
The week of the SLAR Semi Finals started with the match being moved from Saturday to Friday. The SLAR Final has also been moved forward by one day. The Semi Finals were originally scheduled to be played on May 21 but were played on May 20. The decision came late with people caught unaware, including Americas Rugby News readers.

Pumas Ambitions Appear On Hold for Rodrigo Fernández Criado
The SLAR season ended early for Rodrigo Fernández Criado. The Jaguares XV second-rower missed the Semi Final and will be out of contention for Los Pumas in July. Fernández Criado suffered a severe sprain to his left ankle against Peñarol. He requires an eight week recovery regime. This means he will miss the July Internationals. His chances of a place on the roster for the Rugby Championship are low.

Power Plays are for Hockey, not Rugby
Over the weekend the term ‘power play’ suddenly invaded Major League Rugby commentary, and was even used in an on-screen graphic. Other reports indicated its use at the World Sevens Series broadcast from Toulouse. This, of course, is a hockey term used when a team has a numerical advantage as a result of a penalty. In the 15-a-side game it simply isn’t an accurate comparison beyond being one player down. There are certainly parts of rugby that may be challenging for newcomers to understand – the breakdown, the scrum, the maul – but the ‘sin bin’ isn’t one of them.