Uruguay XV outperform USA Falcons in highscoring contest

The Uruguay XV played host to the USA Falcons on Thursday at Montevideo’s Estadio Charrúa. The non-capped fixture was the opening contest of the Uruguay Conference, a tournament positioned for match practice ahead of the November Internationals. The Uruguay XV were 50-27 winners in what was a high scoring contest.

Uruguay fielded a line-up made up of many of the country’s leading domestic-based players. The USA did not do so due to another team being in coach Gary Gold’s home country of South Africa competing against the Cheetahs on Friday.

Pita Vi opened the scoring for the Eagles, on the end of an attacking move with some slick hands from Dom Iacovino and Aaron Matthews. Line Latu converted and added a penalty goal soon after.

The Uruguayans fired back with interest. Baltazar Amaya sliced up the middle to score, followed by Emiliano Faccennini on the back of a driving maul. José Iruleguy then regathered a cross-kick from Felipe Etcheverry to give the home side a 17-10 lead at the break.

Vi scored a sensational double after regathering a Iacovino grubber that popped up perfectly. The young flyer stepped outside Rodrigo Silva and sped down the sidelines for the try. Latu added the extras to draw the scores level.

Controversy then struck as Chris Baumann was sent from the field following a report from the assistant referee. The official claimed that the USA prop had raised his elbow into the face of Baltazar Amaya in a collision. A video replay, however, did not provide evidence of the claim.

With no TMO available the USA could only accept the decision and play the rest of the game down a forward. Uruguay took full advantage, scoring three tries via the maul with Faccennini’s brace followed by two from his replacement Guillermo Pujadas.

Mike Matarazzo’s yellow card, just before the second Pujadas try, came after a series of team infringements and put the Falcons down to 13 men. Manuel Ardao was next to cross for the home side before a penalty try went to the Falcons after Pujadas was found guilty of collapsing a maul. Santiago Civetta brought a close to the game with a show-and-go finish from the Uruguay captain.

The 23 point win puts Uruguay in an excellent position heading into their contest against the Argentina XV on October 23. For the USA it’s the Argentines next on Tuesday to wrap up their stay in Montevideo.

 

SCORING

URUGUAY 50
Tries – B. Amaya (20′), J. Iruleguy (31′), E. Faccennini 2 (35′, 47′), G. Pujadas 2 (52′, 58′), M. Ardao (68′), S. Civetta (80′)
Cons – F. Etcheverry 4/7 (21′, 48′, 53′, 59′), J. Iruleguy 1/1 (80’+1′)
YC – G. Pujadas (75′)

USA 27
Tries – P. Vi 2 (9′, 44′), Penalty try (75′)
Cons – L. Latu 2/2 (10′, 45′), No kick (75′)
Pens – L. Latu 2/2 (14′, 50′)
YC – M. Matarazzo (57′)
RC – C. Baumann (46′)

 

TEAMS

URUGUAY XV
1 Matías Benítez (17 Mateo Perillo 51′), 2 Emiliano Faccennini (16 Guillermo Pujadas 51′), 3 Mathias Franco (18 Reinaldo Piussi 46′), 4 Eric Dosantos, 5 Felipe Aliaga (19 Agustín Morales 56′), 6 Lucas Bianchi (2 Emiliano Faccennini 77′), 7 Santiago Civetta (capt.), 8 Manuel Diana (20 Manuel Ardao 56′), 9 Santiago Álvarez (21 Pedro Hoblog 65′), 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Nicolás Conti (23 Facundo Facciolo 65′), 12 Juan Manuel Alonso, 13 Baltazar Amaya (22 Juan Zuccarino 46′), 14 Rodrigo Silva, 15 José Iruleguy

USA FALCONS
1 Jake Turnbull (capt.) (16 Mika Felix 70′), 2 Alex Lopeti (19 KoiKoi Nelligan 60′), 3 Chris Baumann, 4 Jonah Dietenberger, 5 Mike Matarazzo, 6 Ronan Murphy (17 Mason Pederson 56′), 7 Devin Short, 8 Jason Damm, 9 Ethan McVeigh (21 Karl Keane 57′), 10 Line Latu, 11 Pita Vi, 12 Aaron Matthews, 13 Dom Iacovino (23 Patrick Medina 60′), 14 Zach Bastres, 15 Owen Sheehy (22 Shane Barry 65′)

Not used: 18 Lincoln Sii, 20 Collin Grosse

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Damián Schneider (Argentina)
Assistants: Nehuén Jauri Rivero (Argentina) & Gonzalo de Achaval (Argentina)