Play-off Picture Clarified Following Raptors Yacares Showdown

Following Yacare’s road 44-37 win over the American Raptors the Super Rugby Americas play-off picture is increasingly clear. Peñarol and Los Dogos are assured of places in the Semi Finals. Los Pampas are knocking on the door and Yacare are fighting to remain in fourth ahead of Selknam.

Yacare won in Denver in what was a match of contrasts. The Paraguayan side played old-fashioned forward dominated rugby. The lineout and rolling maul combination was a hallmark of their performance. In contrast, the Raptors played with brilliant flair.

The Raptors burst to a massive early lead. It decreased during the opening half, though the Raptors were ahead at half-time and deserved to be. Shawn Clark was in try try zone in the opening minute. Center Watson Filikitonga was over minutes later as the Raptors were running wild. Both tries came with assists from Ramiro Moyano. The former Puma then went over for the third Raptors score after just 13 minutes of play.

Yacare scored next. The opening Paraguayan try was a team effort. The 24th minute penalty try was their second score following a 7th minute penalty to Federico Cacciabue. The penalty try was part of a double blow. Raptors captain Diego Fortuny was yellow carded and thus off for ten minutes.

The teams then traded tries. Line Latu touched down in the try zone for the home side after Juan González had broken down the left to score Yacare’s best attacking score of the match. Yacare went in to the break with the deficit notably reduced; flanker Felipe Vilagrán scored late in the half.

Yacare started the second half with a bang. Former Puma Lucas Noguera Paz put on the afterburners to run in an impressive score. The Raptors managed a penalty in response but Yacare now had the upper hand. Tries to Sebastián Urbieta and Federico Gauna set them on course for victory.

The Raptors wanted to come away with competition points. A neat play saw them getting one back; Lucas González Amorosino put in a deadly accurate pass while being tackled. Ryan James did the rest. Julián Martín had the final say. The Mendoza front-rower scored to seal a bonus point win.

The Raptors have a bye next weekend. Their next match will be in Córdoba against Los Dogos on May 21. Yacare fly home to face Los Dogos in Asunción on Saturday.

 

SCORING

RAPTORS (37)
Try – S Clark (1′); W Filikitonga (7′); R Moyano (13′); L Latu (31′); R James (69′)
Con – L González Amorosino 4/5 (2′, 8′, 32′)
Pen – L González Amorosino 2/2 (51′, 76′)
YC – D Fortuny (24′)

YACARE (44)
Try – Penalty Try (24′); J González (28′); F Vilagrán (36′); L Noguera Paz (47′); S Urbieta (56′); F Gauna (61′); J Martín (79′)
Con – No Try (24′); F Cacciabue 2/6 (61′, 80′)
Pen – F Cacciabue 1/1 (7′)

TEAMS

RAPTORS
1 Payton Telea-Ilalio, 2 Diego Fortuny (capt.), 3 Ma’ake Muti, 4 Diego Magno, 5 Will Crawford, 6 Shawn Clark, 7 Mo Vanikolo, 8 Ronan Murphy, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Lucas González Amorosino, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 12 Aki Pulu, 13 Watson Filikitonga, 14 Ryan James, 15 Line Latu

Replacements: 16 Sione Finefeuiaki, 17 Sebastián Otero, 18 Leonard Sagapolutele, 19 Mikey Grandy, 20 Tavius Sykora-Matthess, 21 Ethan McVeigh, 22 Dominick Iacovino, 23 Patrick Madden

YACARE
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Mariano Muntaner, 3 Facundo Pomponio, 4 Lucas Sommer, 5 Mariano Garcete, 6 Felipe Vilagrán, 7 Felipe Puertas, 8 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel, 9 Ignacio Inchauspe (capt.), 10 Federico Cacciabue, 11 Juan González, 12 Sebastián Urbieta, 13 Ramiro Amarilla, 14 Arturo López, 15 Tomás Mc Call

Replacements: 16 Emilio Gorostiaga, 17 Julián Martín, 18 Rolando Portillo, 19 Ignacio Martínez, 20 Carlos Plate, 21 Estanislao Pregot, 22 Federico Gauna, 23 Estanislao Gómez

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Nehuén Jauri Rivero (AR)
Assistant Referees: Steve Gore (US); Michel Lawrenson (US)
TMO: Austin Reed (US)