By Joe Santamaria
In round eight of the 2026 Super Rugby Americas, league leaders Pampas were made to work by Yacare but nevertheless managed to strengthen their grip on the tournament with a 31-14 victory in Buenos Aires.
In a week in which rumours swirled about Yacare’s future in the league, the Paraguayan side performed admirably and showed that, when it comes to matters on the field, they can compete with any team in the competition.
For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.
Pampas maintain control at the top
The opening exchanges were tightly contested and neither side was able to trouble the scoreboard until nearly 20 minutes had passed, when Pampas, so celebrated for their expansive style of play, turned to their forwards.
After a powerful rolling maul, second row Marcelo Toledo managed to crash over the line for the game’s first score.
The visitors hit back just minutes later through winger Arturo López, who showed great strength to finish off a multi-phase attack.
With the game beginning to open up, Pampas’ backline increasingly came to the fore.
One of the competition’s most in-form players, Tobías Wade, received the ball out wide and beat the last defender with a wicked step on his way to the try line.
Pampas sensed momentum was with them and pressed home their advantage when Jerónimo Ulloa collected a brilliant looping pass from Bautista Farisé and dotted down for his team’s third try.
Two late Joaquín Lamas penalties narrowed the gap and ensured Pampas only led 19-11 at the break.
Satisfied
Another Lamas penalty put Yacare within touching distance of their hosts early in the second half, but Pampas struck back almost immediately.
Under pressure at the breakdown, Yacare failed to control possession, allowing Pampas to launch a counterattack, which was finished off by Juan Pedro Bernasconi.
Try as they might, Yacare couldn’t land a telling blow on Pampas for the remainder of the half, with the hosts brilliantly shutting down any hint of a comeback.
The Argentines added a fifth try 20 minutes from time when Ignacio Díaz scored out wide after some slick handling.
Pampas head coach Juan Manuel Leguizamón will be satisfied at the manner in which his team was able to control the second half, having been put under real pressure in the opening 40 minutes.
Pampas look well placed to finish top of the table for the third season in succession, but Leguizamón will be looking to ensure his team are prepared for the high-stakes nature of playoff rugby, where they have been found wanting in recent seasons.
For Yacare, there was plenty of alarm during the week due to headlines that suggested their participation in the league beyond this season is in doubt.
Far from proving a distraction, the team performed admirably and more than played their part in a competitive game.
Selknam underline title credentials
Selknam delivered a statement in their 37-13 win over Tarucas in Santiago that showed their title credentials cannot be dismissed out of hand.
To cap off a perfect afternoon, the hosts were able to welcome back key players Martín Sigren and Nicolás Garafulic after long-term injuries.
Tarucas struck first when Facundo Cardozo scored from the back of a maul with just three minutes on the clock.
It proved to be as good as things got for the visitors, however, as Selknam quickly took control of the contest.
Hooker Augusto Böhme broke away from a maul that had splintered and showed great power to score Selknam’s first try under pressure from several defenders.
Selknam’s second score was one of the best of the season so far. Fly-half Rodrigo Fernández’s spiral bomb was expertly claimed by Cristóbal Game, who managed to get the ball away to Nicolás Saab.
The Tarucas defence was unable to regroup fast enough and the ball made its way out wide to Domingo Saavedra.
Finely balanced
After shrugging off the first defender, Saavedra seemed destined to be tackled into touch, but threw an incredible offload behind his back to centre partner Matías Garafulic, who finished off the brilliant try.
Selknam continued to make inroads throughout the half but struggled to find the third try.
With six minutes to go, they attacked out wide, before Game kicked in behind, allowing Lucas Berti to apply downward pressure before the ball crossed the dead ball line.
Tarucas’ fast start seemed a lifetime ago when they headed for the changing rooms trailing 19-7.
The second half was finely balanced, with both sides opting to take shots at goal rather than push for more tries.
Garafulic and Ignacio Cerrutti exchanged two penalties apiece, but Selknam always looked the more likely to land a meaningful blow.
With 15 minutes to play, they wrapped up the match and the bonus point when Saab dived over in the corner after a superb long pass from Fernández.
Result to savour
The fly-half was at the heart of Selknam’s fifth try too, with his perfectly judged kick falling into the hands of Nicolás Garafulic, who marked his return from injury in style.
Having been well-beaten by Tarucas in the first game of the season, this was a result to savour for Selknam.
After an inconsistent start to the season, they have now won three of the last four games and secured back-to-back wins for the first time this year.
The return of Sigren and Garafulic adds firepower, while Fernández put in his best performance since his return from Europe. Jake Mangin’s team looks well placed for a strong end to the season.
Tarucas have won plenty of admirers for their performances this season, but have now fallen to two defeats in succession, conceding more than 70 points in the process.
They are still in the playoff positions for now, but will need to stop the rot quickly if they are to stay there, with the league more competitive than ever.
Dogos keep pace with dominant display
Dogos did their best to keep pace with leaders Pampas, with a 48-19 away victory over Cobras.
The Brazilian hosts performed well in patches but were ultimately outclassed by Dogos on the night.
The visitors struck twice within the opening ten minutes to take control of the game.
First, scrum-half Nicolás Viola darted over from close range after Cobras left a gap open close to the ruck before winger Facundo Pueyrredón added a second out wide.
Cobras managed to reduce the deficit with 12 minutes played when Matheus Claudio forced his way over the line after a period of sustained attacking pressure.
Ultimately, it proved to be a brief respite for the hosts, who spent most of the half defending an onslaught of Dogos attacks.
Mateo Sánchez grabbed their third try after the forwards had tired out the Cobras defence with some brutal carries, leaving plenty of space out wide for the fullback to score.
Centre Agustín Segura secured the bonus point with barely 20 minutes played when he powered through a weak tackle and managed to reach out to the line.
Dominated
The league’s top scorer, Juan Greising Revol, added another to his tally from the back of a rolling maul to ensure Dogos led 29-7 at the end of a half they had utterly dominated.
Cobras had to improve in the second half if they were to avoid one of the truly chastening defeats that they hoped to have left in 2025, and so it proved.
The ever-reliable Adrio de Melo burrowed his way over the line early in the half to give the supporters a much-needed boost.
Dogos still looked capable of scoring more, however, and managed to do so through Agustín de Vertíz, but fly-half Giuliano Avaca deserves all the credit for the slick score.
Avaca dummied brilliantly and coasted through the defensive line and then showed great patience to time his pass to perfection, setting Vertíz up for the simplest of tries.
Powerful Dogos No.8 Genaro Fissore got a try that his performance had warranted when he bumped off a series of would-be tacklers on his way to the line.
Cobras didn’t let their visitors have things all their own way and did manage to score another excellent try of their own.
Touching distance
Rather than elect to catch a kick in behind, centre Tasriq Mynhardt volleyed it past the covering defenders, leaving a footrace between several players.
Mynhardt lost the footrace, but was on hand to score the try after the Dogos players failed to ground the ball under pressure from Cobras winger Robert Tenório.
Dogos replacement Tomás Gómez González had the last laugh when he scored in the corner after some loose play from Cobras.
Dogos’ win means they are still within touching distance of rivals Pampas in the upper echelons of the table.
Their season will not be defined by victories over Cobras, but they were nevertheless professional and ruthless when they needed to be.
Cobras will take some heart from the fact they were able to score three tries against a top side, but must find ways of starting matches quicker if they are to compete.
Capibaras outgun Peñarol in thriller
Peñarol were left to rue their first-half display as they fell to a 38-32 home defeat to Capibaras.
The Uruguayan side put some respect on the scoreboard with an improved second-half display, but were far below Capibaras’ level for much of the game.
In-form Franco Rossetto scored the game’s first try on seven minutes when he ran a good support line to ensure he was able to capitalise on an early line break.
Peñarol hit back via Santiago Marolda and the winger was soon on the scoreboard again, this time after stepping brilliantly and surging over the Capibaras line for a try.
It proved to be as good as things got for Peñarol in the first half, as they were soon under pressure again.
Capibaras captain Manuel Bernstein took advantage of a dominant scrum to pick and go from the base, showing great acceleration and strength to force his way over.
Rossetto grabbed his second of the match after a clever piece of evasive work from winger Lautaro Cipriani, who ducked under a tackle before offloading to his fullback.
Rossetto secured the bonus point and a first-half hat-trick after combining with Cipriani a second time.
The winger gathered a cross-field kick and timed his pass perfectly, leaving Rossetto an easy run to the line.
Capibaras’ 26-8 halftime lead was a fair reflection on their dominance.
Hopes dashed
Sensing they had to start fast if they were to salvage anything from the game, Peñarol scored with barely a minute of the second half played.
Canadian second row Ethan Fryer scored from close range after a powerful carry from Manuel Diana in the preceding phase.
If they hoped this try would spark an immediate comeback, these hopes were dashed when Bautista Estellés scored for Capibaras minutes later, with Cipriani setting up his third try of the evening.
Peñarol replacement Alfonso Perillo scored his team’s third try under unusual circumstances, as it appeared the ball had been knocked forward in contact, allowing Perillo to dot down.
The referee declared the ball had been knocked backwards by a Capibaras player and the try stood.
As they searched for another deep in Capibaras’ half, Peñarol were undone by their own inaccuracy.
One of the Peñarol players dropped a ball out wide, and the whole team seemed to freeze, awaiting a knock on call.
Capibaras winger Gino Dicapua was alive to the possibility of a counterattack and seized upon the loose ball before charging up the pitch.
He managed to evade the covering defenders and found Cipriani, whose basketball-style pass to Bruno Heit effectively killed the contest, with the centre cantering in for a brilliant end-to-end try.
Overcoming a losing blip
Peñarol did manage to score a great try of their own before the game was done.
Replacement Noah Flesch and Marolda combined in their own ’22 to break away, never losing sight of each other as they broke up the pitch.
Marolda knew he couldn’t pass to Flesch, as there was a defender between them to put in a perfectly weighted kick for his teammate to chase.
Flesch reached the ball just before it crossed into touch and scored the team’s fourth try. Diana added a fifth with the clock in the red, but it was all too late for Peñarol.
Capibaras seem to have overcome the blip that saw them lose back-to-back games in March, and while they will be disappointed at the close margin of victory on the scoreboard, there were plenty of impressive performances in this victory.
The manner in which Cipriani combined with Rossetto was hugely encouraging for fans of the new franchise, who will hope combinations like these will continue to emerge ahead of the playoffs, which the team will be looking to reach.
For Peñarol, five defeats in eight matches will sting, even though this season was always going to be a transitional year, given the number of absentees from last year’s title-winning team.
Their fortunes will need to improve and improve quickly if they are to stand any chance of reaching the playoffs in 2026.
Round Nine
Round Nine sees Dogos host Pampas in Córdoba, with the winner likely to end the round on top of the table.
Pampas will be desperate to improve their dismal record against their arch rivals, while Dogos will be looking to do the double over their fellow Argentines.
Yacare welcome Selknam with the visitors knowing a win could be vital in their pursuit of the playoffs.
Cobras face Capibaras in São Paulo before Tarucas close out the weekend at home to Peñarol, with both teams looking to bounce back from defeats in Round Eight.
READ MORE: 2026 Super Rugby Americas – Round Seven summary: Pampas dominate Peñarol as Yacare stun Dogos
The best betting sites
You must be logged in to post a comment Login