Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News. It takes a dive into the best and worst involving Americas Rugby from the past week.

 

UP

Nothing Between Brazil and USA
Brazil and the USA competed to a 15-15 draw in São Paulo on Saturday. Played at the Estádio Nicolau Alayon there was nothing to separate the teams on full-time. Both teams scored two tries. The USA Women’s side was under 23 rather than an official capped line-up. In a quick turn-around the USA u23 face Colombia on Wednesday.

Peñarol book spot in Super Rugby Americas Final
Peñarol downed Yacare to book a place in the Super Rugby Americas 2023 Final. Peñarol were 30-17 winners in a final that was not decided until very late. Peñarol will now have the opportunity of adding the SRA star to their jersey alongside the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) winning star from 2022.

Dogos officially the best of Argentina
Argentina’s two professional rugby teams put on a thrilling match in Córdoba on Friday. The second Super Rugby Americas 2023 Semi Final was close. Ultimately, Los Dogos came through. The 27-16 win sees the Córdoba side setting up an Argentine-Uruguayan showdown. With many players set for involvement in the Junior World Championship there is plenty of confidence of Argentina’s player production.

Record-setting Legion celebrate win over Chicago
San Diego defeated the Chicago Hounds 36-14 at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday evening. In doing so they moved into sole possession of Major League Rugby’s consecutive win record, with 11 in a row surpassing New England’s mark of 10 set last season. With a six-point lead over Seattle, a Western Conference Final at Snapdragon Stadium now looks a foregone conclusion.

Starfire to host playoff game after Seawolves edge Warriors
Seattle clinched home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 27-20 win over Utah at Starfire Stadium on Sunday night. It was the sixth consecutive victory for the Seawolves. The Warriors managed to get a bonus point but end the weekend four points behind Houston for the third and final playoff ticket.

New England Free Jacks Win Again
The New England Free Jacks made it eight wins in a row with a comfortable 35-14 victory over Rugby ATL at Silverbacks Park on Friday night. Both sides were short of their best with tactical kicking especially poor, but the visitors made the most of their scoring opportunities to leave the home side on the verge of playoff elimination.

Old Glory Book Historic MLR Play-Offs Berth
Old Glory DC are headed to the postseason for the first time in franchise history. A 28-15 bonus point victory over NOLA at The Gold Mine on Saturday sealed their spot, with the results of the final two weeks of the regular season to determine who gets home field advantage in the opening round.

SaberCats chew up Arrows to put pressure on Warriors
Houston jumped ahead of Utah into third spot in the Western Conference with a 48-26 win over Toronto at York Lions Stadium on Saturday. While the Arrows fought back to earn a bonus point, the match was effectively over as a contest after 40 minutes with 31 points already on the board for the visitors.

New York shows class against feisty Dallas
The Ironworkers have all but secured their spot in the playoffs as they defeated the Dallas Jackals in emphatic fashion on Sunday afternoon. When the final whistle sounded the scoreboard read 43-14 in favor of the home side, with formal elimination of ATL now just a single point away. Dallas were well-beaten but showed enough to suggest there might be another win headed their way before the season’s end.

Toulouse Coming to Utah
The USA Eagles have been booked for a friendly against Top 14 giants Toulouse on Sunday, September 17th. It will be played at America First Field in Salt Lake City, as part of a strategic alignment between the French club and the Utah Warriors of Major League Rugby. The agreement with the Warriors was announced in January. This will be the first event under the ‘Rugby Alliance’ banner.

Wilton Rebolo makes history with first Super Rugby appearance
Wilton Rebolo made history in Australia. The 27-year-old has become the first Brazilian player to appear in Super Rugby after starting at tighthead prop for the Western Force in their home game against the Chiefs. Rebolo was a late addition to the lineup when Argentine international Santiago Medrano pulled out before kickoff with a sternum injury.

 

UNDER

Canada Still Waiting
What are Canada’s international matches for the summer? Canada still does not have a confirmed match. It is not so simple as a result of missing out on qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2023. Indeed, the USA has a confirmed tour to face three RWC participants. Could Canada secure a home match and tour somewhere this July / August?

No postseason for NOLA once again
The disappointment for Gold fans continues as the loss to DC at home means NOLA will miss out on the postseason for a sixth time. Injuries played their part but the team’s overall performance this season was well below their potential on paper.

No Contact between Pumas staff and Domingo Miotti
Domingo Miotti is not in the plans of Los Pumas. The Tucumán fly half had a strong end to his season with the Glasgow Warriors. It has not seen a telephone call and nor were there calls in 2022. Miotti earned seven caps in 2021, including a start against South Africa.

Marcos Kremer Off and Out
The Parisian derby saw a strong turn-out. Stade Français were at home against Racing 92 on Saturday. The prize was a spot in the Semi Finals. Two key early incidents involved Pumas. Juan Imhoff scored for Racing 92 and Marcos Kremer was sent-off for Stade Français. The red card was in just the 4th minute. Kremer made direct shoulder to head contact in a ruck on Finn Russell.

Los Ezcurras Miss Out on Top 14
Bautista and Felipe Ezcurra will remain in the Pro D2. Grenoble were leading at half-time of the Access Match but Perpignan survived. Perpignan overcame a half-time deficit to defeat Grenoble 33-19 away. The match lived up to its billing; those in attendance at the Stade des Alpes were a part of an annual match of survival.

Quesada Says Goodbye to Paris
Gonzalo Quesada has coached his final match at Stade Français. The future of the Argentine is unconfirmed. He, himself, has declared that he cannot say everything. There are offers on the table both international and for professional teams. Los Pumas? Perhaps. His record places him as Argentina’s most reputable coach. He was a professional player, he played at two World Cups, he speaks French and English. He coached Stade Francis to the Top 14 title in 2015. He coached Biarritz, Racing 92 and Los Jaguares.