Pampas overwhelm Hawks in Buenos Aires

The USA Hawks came up against a formidable Pampas side at Casa Pumas in Buenos Aires on Friday. Though they held their own for parts of the first half, they young visitors were overwhelmed in the second 40 minutes and ultimately fell 69-14 after conceding 11 tries.

Unlike the first match of the USA side’s tour, the Super Rugby Americas side was comprised mainly of first team players including two capped Pumas – prop Rodrigo Martínez and scrumhalf Eliseo Morales. The latter left the game in the early minutes after straining an adductor, but Martínez played a significant role as the Pampas scrum dominated their opposites.

In the first quarter of the match the Pampas were operating at a point-a-minute pace, but the Hawks responded with a try from standout flanker Ethan Fryer. Valentino Minoyetti’s second try from a driving maul stretched the home side’s lead before D’Montae Noble was driven over after the winger had early broken upfield to gain territory.

The 24-14 halftime score was hopeful but things started badly in the second half. Benjamin Elizalde crossed just two minutes in and then the Pampas exploded with four tries in just 10 minutes. Late scores from Matías Medrano and finally Benjamín Grondona, his second, wrapped up the scoring.

There is one more match for the Hawks in Buenos Aires, against an Argentina Development side on Wednesday. They will then return to North Carolina to host four South American teams in April. The Pampas face the Dogos next weekend in Super Rugby Americas.

 

SCORING

PAMPAS 69
Tries (11) – F. Jorge 2 (3′, 50′), R. Iriarte (11′), V. Minoyetti 2 (18′, 30′), B. Elizalde (42′), T. Passaro (48′), L. Auad (54′), B. Grondona 2 (57′, 74′), M. Medrano (69′)
Cons (7) – T. Suárez Folch 6 (4′, 19′, 43′, 49′, 51′, 75′), J. Landó (70′)
YC (1) – R. D’Agostino (27′)

HAWKS 14
Tries (2) – E. Fryer (23′), D. Noble (36′)
Cons (2) – C. Warner 2 (24′, 37′)

 

TEAMS

PAMPAS
1 Rodrigo Martínez, 2 Valentino Minoyetti, 3 Martín Villar, 4 Franco Carrera, 5 Federico Lavanini, 6 Eliseo Fourcade, 7 Manuel Bernstein (capt.), 8 Eliseo Chiavassa, 9 Eliseo Morales, 10 Tomás Suárez Folch, 11 Tomás Passaro, 12 Manuel Alfaro, 13 Benjamín Elizalde, 14 Francisco Jorge, 15 Ramiro D’Agostino

Replacements: 16 Ramiro Gurovich, 17 Matías Medrano, 18 Renzo Zanella, 19 Felipe Bares, 20 Benjamín Grondona, 21 Rafael Iriarte, 22 Juan Landó, 23 Ramiro Costa, 24 Franco Auad, 25 Lucio Auad

USA HAWKS
1 Elijah Hayes, 2 Isaac Bales, 3 Oliver Kane, 4 Bill Whiteside, 5 Lucas Gramlick, 6 Marnus Spangenberg, 7 Ethan Fryer, 8 Aminae Amiatu-Tanoi, 9 Evan Conlon, 10 Coleson Warner, 11 D’Montae Noble, 12 Chase Suznevich, 13 Trace Bolstad, 14 Kyle Fulton, 15 Christian Olney

Replacements: 16 Ivan Pula, 17 Hunter Blanchard, 18 Trent Rogers, 19 Matt Gelhaus, 20 Isaiah Caver, 21 Tai Kauwe, 22 Jason Tidwell, 23 Doyle Hedgepeth, 24 Aidan Christians, 25 Tristan Cole, 26 Maxime Wilson