Cobras Glory with Peñarol in Serious Crisis

Brazilian professional rugby celebrated their most significant win in its five year history. Os Cobras were deserved 25-19 winners over Peñarol in Montevideo on Friday. Os Cobras’ glory comes with Peñarol in a serious crisis; the reigning Super Rugby Americas Champions have 2 wins and 5 losses this season. The Uruguayans have lost four in-a-row.

Peñarol has a crisis in the front-five. The scrum was again exposed; it was this critical area that favored Os Cobras tremendously.  Other areas of play were either even of balanced to the men in yellow-and-black.

The decision to be 100% Uruguayan has proven to have been flawed. Os Cobras starting props were Luciano Gabellieri, and Francisco Moreno. Both are Argentine. The exodus of 2023 props from Peñarol has not been attended to via adequate recruitment.

Also at play against Peñarol, yet again, was the lack of a push from the second-row. Felipe Aliaga and Juan Manuel Rodríguez remain injured. Leonardo Senatore has been fielding flankers Manuel Rosmarino and Lucas Bianchi in the engine room.

Both teams scored three tries. The first went to the visitors. Roberto Tenório finished off a try which saw João Amaral and Felipe Gonçalves both involved. Peñarol hit-back through hooker Francisco García with a push-over try.

An error from Santiago Álvarez then proved costly. The Uruguayan international needlessly kicked over the defense only to find Cleber Dias’ hands. French imports Carlos and Luca Mignot combined to mop up the loose ball and score.

Peñarol started the second-half well. Fly half Juan Andrés Zuccarino launched a counterattack which saw sox other players involved. Backs and forwards combined before center Felipe Arcos Pérez found his way into the opposition’s try zone for a 48th minute try.

Os Cobras’ response came 19 minutes later. Dominance from the forwards culminated in a try to N8 André Arruda. Replacement Lucas Tranquez extended the lead to ten points. The result was confirmed. Peñarol responded with a penalty try from a lineout to maul attack but it was too late.

Tranquez had the final say. His 80th minute penalty meant the win was by six points. With it, Os Cobras claimed four competition points and Peñarol one. Os Cobras take-on Los Dogos in Córdoba next weekend while Peñarol have a bye.

SCORING

PENAROL (19)
Try (3) – F Garcia (19′); F Arcos Pérez (49′); Penalty Try (76′)
Con (2) – JA Zuccarino (20′); No Kick (76′)
YC (3) – L Bianchi (13′); S Civetta (26′); M Perillo (67′)

COBRAS (25)
Try (3) – R Tenário (12′); C Mignot (30′); A Arruda (68′)
Con (2) – J Amaral (12′); L Tranquez (69′)
Pen (2) – J Amaral (48′); L Tranquez (80′)
YC (2) – A Rodrigues (18′); P Aparecido (76′)

LINEUPS

PENAROL
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Francisco García, 3 Santiago Martirene, 4 Manuel Rosmarino, 5 Lucas Bianchi, 6 Santiago Civetta (Capt.), 7 Carlos Deus, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Juan Andrés Zuccarino, 11 Dante Soto, 12 Juan Manuel Alonso, 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 14 Gastón Mieres, 15 Ignacio Álvarez

Replacements: 16 Santiago Cagnone, 17 Mateo Perillo, 18 Duban Silvera, 19 Agustín Morales, 20 Tomás Etcheverry, 21 Pedro Hoblog, 22 Joaquín Suárez, 23 Valentín Grille

COBRAS
1 Luciano Gabellieri, 2 Henrique Ferreira, 3 Francisco Moreno, 4 Franco Carrera, 5 Gabriel Paganini (capt.), 6 Cleber Dias, 7 Rafael Teixeira 8 André Arruda, 9 Felipe Gonçalves, 10 João Amaral, 11 Ariel Rodrigues, 12 Robert Tenório, 13 Carlo Mignot, 14 Agustín Llano, 15 Luca Mignot

Replacements: 16 Endy Willian Pinheiro, 17 Levy Marinho, 18 Nicolás Alkmin, 19 Gabriel Oliveira, 20 Adrio de Melo, 21 Pedro Aparecido, 22 Lorenzo Massari Temer, 23 Lucas Tranquez

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

OFFICIALS

Referee: Frank Méndez (CL)
Assistants: Pablo DeLuca (AR); Marcelo Piñeyro (AR)
TMO: Alejandro Longres (AR)