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The penultimate round of Super Rugby Americas 2023 concluded with a competitive match in Córdoba. Home side Los Dogos came out on top. Their win gives them good form with a bye round ahead of the Semi Finals.
Los Dogos led throughout and were in control for the most part. The Raptors were able to fight back following Dogos tries. The Colorado side made a game out of it in losing by 8 points. The 40-32 final score saw the North Americans sneaking in a bonus point with a try in the final play of the match.
Los Dogos scored six tries. Fly half Julián Hernández kicked 5/6. His first kick was from an early try. flanker Juan Bautista Mernes made the most of his late call-up to the side. His early score was quickly followed by a second. Mateo Soler scored the first of a double. The rapid-fire start has Los Dogos 14-0 up after nine minutes.
The American Raptors hit-back. Ronan Murphy touched down in the try zone in the 15th minute. Thet teams then traded tries. Center Faustino Sánchez scored for Los Dogos and former Puma Ramiro Moyano went over for the Raptors. Lucas González Amorosino added a penalty late in the half but Mateo Soler had the final say with his second try.
The teams split the second half with two tries each. Boris Wenger continued his impressive season with another ‘hooker’s try.’ Franco Giudice quickly followed with a try of his own. The Raptors’ second half tries came with the match result no longer in doubt.
Smart play from Line Latu and good line work from Watson Filitonga saw the latter over. Ryan James’ try to conclude the game saw the visitors rewarded for playing until the final whistle. They did so with 14 men after Mikey Grandy was red carded for a hideous tackle on Mateo Soler. The red card will likely be followed with a very long suspension as Soler landed on his neck and the tackler rolled him with force.
Disciplinary decisions may now cloud the Raptors preparations for their final match of Super Rugby Americas 2023. The Raptors travel to São Paulo to face Os Cobras on Saturday. The winner of that match will avoid the wooden spoon. The loser will not.
SCORING
DOGOS (40)
Try – JB Mernes (2′); M Soler 2 (8′, 40′); F Sánchez (28′); B Wenger (56′); F Guidice (58′)
Con – J Hernandez 5/6 (3′, 9′, 40′, 57′, 59′)
RAPTORS (32)
Try – R Murphy (15′); R Moyano (31′); W Filititonga (70′); R James (80′)
Con – L González Amorosino 2/4 (16′, 32′)
Pen – L González Amorosino 2/2 (37′, 45′)
YC – A Pulu (7′); S Clark (55′)
RC – M Grandy (75′)
TEAMS
DOGOS
1 Tomás Bartolini, 2 Boris Wenger, 3 Octavio Filippa, 4 Gregorio Hernández, 5 Lautaro Simes, 6 Juan Bautista Mernes, 7 Efrain Elías, 8 Ignacio Gandini (capt.), 9 Agustín Moyano, 10 Julián Hernández, 11 Ernesto Giudice, 12 Leonardo Gea Salim, 13 Faustino Sánchez, 14 Lautaro Cipriani, 15 Mateo Soler
Replacements: 16 Tomás Pretz, 17 Santiago Pulella, 18 Octavio Barbatti, 19 Valentín Cabral, 20 Juan Bautista Mernes, 21 Juan Cruz Strada, 22 Juan Bautista Boronio, 23 Franco Giudice
RAPTORS
1 Sebastián Otero, 2 Diego Fortuny (capt.), 3 Ma’ake Muti, 4 Max Dacey, 5 Will Crawford, 6 Shawn Clark, 7 Tommy Clark, 8 Ronan Murphy, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Lucas González Amorosino, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 12 Aki Pulu, 13 Cassh Maluia, 14 Ryan James, 15 Line Latu
Replacements: 16 Jack Manzo, 17 Payton Telea-Ilalio, 18 Juan Echeverría, 19 Isikeli Kava, 20 Mikey Grandy, 21 Patrick Madden, 22 Watson Filititonga, 23 Seimou Smith
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Frank Méndez (CL)
Assistant Referees: Juan Pablo Chumbita (AR); Federico Longobardi (AR)
TMO: Gustavo Paulín (AR)
