Peñarol battle past American Raptors

Peñarol battled past the American Raptors on Friday. The 28-19 home win sees the 2022 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) champions opening their Super Rugby Americas 2023 win with a victory. The loss sees the American Raptors 0-2 in their first season in the league.

The American Raptors had the better of early play. Camped inside the Peñarol 22, the Raptors came away with an early score. A cross-kick was gathered by Seimou Smith who had too much space for Rodrigo Silva to stop him from scoring. Line Latu missed the sideline conversion attempt.

Felipe Etcheverry was also off-target with his first shot at goal. The Uruguayan made up for it with his second. The 16th minute strike saw Peñarol making it a 5-3 scoreline. Clever play followed from Etcheverry four minutes later culminated in Ignacio Dotti scoring near the posts.

The Raptors had good possession for the following ten minutes. They won multiple penalties with Latu landing one out of two shots at goal. Peñarol recovered to have an opportunity at a push over try at the other end. Instead, a penalty was awarded to the Raptors.

The final points of the opening half were scored with the clock in the red. Etcheverry landed a regulation penalty shot at goal to give the Uruguayans a five point lead at the break. The Raptors missed an early scoring opportunity in the second half. Lucas González Amorosino missed a long-range penalty.

The first points of the second half were scored by the home team. Peñarol charged forward. Forwards and backs combined with raids and spinning the ball. Points seems inevitable and they were. Matías Benítez touched the ball down for a simple score.

A school boy error saw Peñarol in trouble close to their line. Etcheverry tried to keep the ball in play with Ryan James hot on his heels. The result was a turnover and the Raptors attacked. A penalty resulted from which González Amorosino added three points. The Pumas hero from RWC 2011 added another to make it a 4 point ballgame with 15 minutes remaining.

Peñarol needed a spark. It came in an unlikely manner with Diego Magno yellow carded for coming in from the side with Peñarol hot on attack. Etcheverry slotted the penalty to give his team some breathing space.

It was not accuracy but errors that summed up the contest. With an opportunity of ensuring victory,  Peñarol went for goal. Etcheverry missed and the Raptors broke down the right touch line in response. Peñarol won the lineout and a penalty from just outside the 22.

The Raptors conceded another and then former Puma Diego Fortuny traded places with the returning Magno. The best player of the match then sealed the win. From an advancing scrum Manuel Diana touched down a second before Nehuén Jauri Rivero ran around to call a penalty try.

Peñarol finished with a man down. Juan Andrés Zuccarino was yellow carded and the Raptos took advantage. With a super ball off the deck from Smith, replacement Watson Filikitonga scored. It was too late as time was up, though it was a good way to end what was a much better performance from the Colorado side than that against Selknam first up.

The Raptors will play in a third South American country in as many weeks next weekend. They travel across the Rio de la Plata to face Los Pampas in Buenos Aires next Friday. Peñarol also travel to Argentina; their next match is on Saturday, March 04 against Los Dogos in Córdoba.

 

TEAMS

PENAROL 28
Try – I Dotti (20′), M Benítez (47′), M Diana (78′)
Con – F Etcheverry 2/3 (21′, 79′)
Pen – F Etcheverry 3/5 (16′, 40′, 69′)
YC – JA Zuccarino (80′)

AMERICAN RAPTORS 19
Try – S Smith (11′), W Filikitonga (80′)
Con – L Latu 0/1, L González Amorosino 0/1
Pen – L Latu 1/2 (29′), L González Amorosino 2/3 (56′, 65′)
YC – D Magno (69′); D Fortuny (76′)

TEAMS

PENAROL
1 Matías Benítez, 2 Guillermo Pujadas, 3 Ignacio Peculo, 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Felipe Aliaga, 6 Manuel Ardao (capt.), 7 Lucas Bianchi, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Juan Manuel Alonso, 12 Juan Andrés Zuccarino, 13 Tomás Inciarte, 14 Alfonso Silva, 15 Rodrigo Silva

Replacements: 16 Emiliano Faccennini, 17 Mateo Perillo, 18 Diego Arbelo, 19 Agustín Morales, 20 Carlos Deus, 21 Juan Francisco Torres, 22 Guillermo Juan Storace, 23 Santiago del Cerro

 

AMERICAN RAPTORS
1 Ma’ake Muti, 2 Diego Fortuny, 3 Juan Echeverría, 4 Mikey Grandy (capt.), 5 Will Crawford, 6 Shawn Clark, 7 Ronan Murphy, 8 Diego Magno, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Lucas González Amorosino, 11 Seimou Smith, 12 Aki Pulu, 13 Dominick Iacovino, 14 Ryan James, 15 Line Latu

Replacements: 16 Sione Finefeuiaki, 17 Payton Telea-Ilalio, 18 Franco Palillo, 19 Tavius Sykora-Matthess, 20 Tommy Clark, 21 Ethan McVeigh, 22 Watson Filikitonga, 23 Patrick Madden

 

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Nehuén Jauri Rivero (AR)
Assistant Referees: Claudio Cattivelli (UY); Simón Larrubia (AR)
TMO: Francisco Pesce (UY)