Yacare complete solid win over Raptors in Asunción

In their first home match of Super Rugby Americas 2023, Yacare impressed. The Paraguayan side were three tries to zero winners over the American Raptors. 25-3 victory gives Yacare back-to-back wins and a pace in the top four. The Raptors are winless after four rounds.

It was slow-going early on at the Estadio Heroes de Curupayty . Neither team was able to score in the opening quarter. Argentines Lucas González Amorosino and Federico Cacciabue exchanged penalties early in the second quarter to make it 3-3.

Good field possession then saw the game’s opening try. Yacare captain Ignacio Inchauspe broke through a Diego Magno tackle to score. Federico Cacciabue landed the conversion. The remaining score of the opening half came late with Cacciabue landing his second penalty.

Yacare’s 13-3 half-time lead also came with the Raptors down to 14-men as Ryan James was yellow carded minutes before the half concluded. James returned to restore the Raptors to 15, albeit not for long; Ronan Murphy was yellow carded in the 47th minute.

Scoring resumed following another Raptors yellow card. Winger Seimou Smith received a 10 minute suspension early in the third quarter. Yacare kicked for the corner and set-up a lineout to maul attack from five meters out. The throw was good and the maul advanced with a canyon opening down the middle from which Marcos Riquelme scored.

The Raptors indiscipline improved in the final quarter. No more yellow cards were given though penalty were. With time up Yacare had two opportunities to convertet offenses into tries. The second was a success with Felipe Puertas touching down for a push-over try.

The Raptors’ four match South American tour is now over. The team now returns to Colorado with a bye next weekend. The Raptors next match will be their first home game. Los Dogos visit Infinity Park on March 24. Yacare travel to Montevideo to face the unbeaten Peñarol next weekend.

 

SCORING

YACARE 25
Try – I Inchauspe (28′); M Riquelme (66′); F Puertas (80′)
Con – F Cacciabue 1/1 (29′); I Inchauspe 1/1 (67′); R Amarilla 0/1
Pen – F Cacciabue 2/3 (24′, 40′)

 

RAPTORS 3
Pen – L González Amorosino 1/1 (21′)
YC – R James (36′); R Murphy (47′); S Smith (65′)

 

TEAMS

YACARE
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Emilio Gorostiaga, 3 Facundo Pomponio, 4 Ignacio Martínez, 5 Mariano Garcete, 6 Felipe Vilagrán, 7 Felipe Puertas, 8 Marcos Riquelme, 9 Ignacio Inchauspe (capt.), 10 Federico Cacciabue, 11 Juan González, 12 Ramiro Amarilla, 13 Tomás Acosta Pimental, 14 Federico Gauna, 15 Tomás Mac Call

Replacements: 16 Mariano Muntaner, 17 Julián Martín, 18 Estéfano Aranda, 19 Carlos Plate, 20 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel, 21 Diego Miño, 22 Sebastián Urbieta, 23 Facundo Paiva

 

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

Replacements: 16 Franco Palillo, 17 Payton Telga-Ilalio, 18 Adagio Lopeti, 19 Will Crawford, 20 Tommy Clark, 21 Ethan McVeigh, 22 Cassh Maluia, 23 Patrick Madden

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Gonzalo de Achával (AR)
Assistant Referees: Federico Solari (AR); César Torres (AR)
TMO: Alejandro Longres (UY)