By Joe Santamaria
In Round 12 of the 2026 Super Rugby Americas season, Pampas put their torrid recent run behind them in their clinical 59-0 victory over Cobras in Buenos Aires.
Having lost their last three matches, the title-hopefuls were desperate for a win to get their season back on track.
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Pampas put torrid run behind them in dominant Buenos Aires win
Juan Penoucos got Pampas on the board early when he crashed over from close range, before winger Alfonso Latorre finished off a blistering attack to double the lead with 20 minutes played.
Pampas relied heavily on their maul throughout the half and it was easy to see why, as hooker Francisco Lusarreta grabbed two tries to secure the bonus point before halftime.
The second half picked up where the first one had left off as Augusto Cabano Wall raced through unopposed after a sumptuous pass from Estanislao Renthel.
Penoucos scored his second with another muscular effort, as the team continued to exorcise the demons of recent weeks.
The home side added three further scores before Cobras’ misery came to an end with the final whistle, including a brilliant effort from Renthel to cap a fine individual performance.
Pampas’ early season form was such that three successive defeats didn’t rule them out of a top-two finish.
They were expected to win convincingly and managed to do so, leapfrogging Capibaras in the process.
Head coach Juan Manuel Leguizamón will be delighted to see his team return to winning ways, but will know that their season will be defined by what happens in the playoffs.
Cobras had their moments in the game, but never showed the kind of edge necessary to compete.
Their fans will be disappointed to see their side kept scoreless, even if they were facing the tournament’s meanest defence.
The Brazilian side face an uphill battle to avoid finishing bottom of the table.
Dogos survive late Peñarol surge in Montevideo thriller
Peñarol came agonisingly close to a comeback win against table-topping Dogos, but fell short 33-31 in Montevideo.
The game was a repeat of last year’s final and proved to be the game of the weekend.
The game was scoreless with nearly 20 minutes played before Dogos scored an excellent try, finished off by captain Valentín Cabral after some quick hands from his teammates.
Fullback Mateo Soler doubled the lead just five minutes later, showing impressive strength to reach the line under pressure out wide.
Dogos had begun to take control and Peñarol looked as though they were struggling to hold on.
Soler’s second try, two minutes from halftime, looked to be a sucker-punch for the Uruguayans, who looked as though they would be scoreless at the break.
With the clock in the red, Peñarol’s talismanic flanker Manuel Ardao shrugged off two tackles and accelerated to the line to give his side something to build on heading into the second half.
Dogos got things back on track in the second half, wrapping up the bonus point through Tomás Montilla with barely four minutes played.
The game then went without a score for over 20 minutes, as Dogos looked to cruise their way to victory.
The two sides exchanged tries around the 70-minute mark, but Dogos still held a healthy advantage heading into the final ten minutes.
Exploded
However, Peñarol exploded into life and nearly snatched victory.
Fly-half Justo Ferrario got them started after racing onto an offload from captain Felipe Aliaga to score.
Ardao blew his first-half effort out of the water a few minutes later when he charged from inside his own half to score a blistering individual effort.
Dogos were clinging on, but couldn’t stop Santiago Marolda from scoring late after throwing a dummy close to the ruck.
Ferrario pushed wide a conversion that would have snatched a draw, and Dogos managed to hang on for the victory.
Peñarol’s late assault reflected their need for a win, given the three-horse race they find themselves in for the last playoff spot.
Defeat, even with two bonus points, leaves them five points adrift of Selknam and Tarucas
On the positive side, Ardao’s performance was his best since returning to the league this season.
Dogos’ win means they are almost certain to play their semifinal at home, but there were warning signs.
Conceding 31 points is worrying, even if fans will point to the fact that Peñarol’s late surge came once the win was in the bag.
Capibaras fight back to down Selknam in milestone match
Capibaras came from behind to beat Selknam 34-17 in front of 10,000 fans. The match was the 250th in the competition’s history.
Selknam started on the front foot and took the lead early through Marcelo Torrealba.
The scrum-half ran a clever supporting line to capitalise after some excellent handling from the likes of Matías Garafulic and Nicolás Saab.
Both players combined for Selknam’s second try, as Saab collected a cross-kick before offloading to Garafulic to score.
Capibaras gradually grew into the game and got on the board with half an hour played through Franco Rossetto after a break from Lautaro Cipriani.
Ignacio Dogliani’s conversion meant the home side trailed 7-12 at the break.
Capibaras started the second half at a blistering pace and quickly took the lead, with Dogliani at the heart of proceedings.
The fly-half scored an early try after surging through a gap in Selknam’s defence, before kicking a penalty soon after.
Selknam hooker Augusto Böhme scored from the back of a rolling maul to keep Selknam within touching distance, but their ill-discipline was beginning to tell.
Another Dogliani penalty punished the Chileans for their indiscretions.
Phenomenal
With three minutes left to play, Capibaras killed the contest through Dogliani’s second try, which he scored after a bruising carry from replacement Franco Benítez.
Winger Gino Dicapua got in on the action with a late try out wide to put even more emphasis on an excellent second-half display.
Capibaras fans will be delighted at the way their side dragged their way back into a contest that they had trailed 12-0 with 30 minutes on the clock.
Dogliani’s performance was phenomenal, with the fly-half’s 24-point haul a crucial part of the team’s victory.
Selknam showed huge promise in the first half, but their discipline let them down, conceding 20 penalties by the time the game finished.
The Chileans are in a dogfight for the semi-finals, and will know this was a missed opportunity to pick up what could be vital points come the end of the season.
Tarucas cruise past Yacare to keep playoff push alive
Tarucas eased past Yacare and kept up their pursuit of a playoff spot. The hosts ran out 43-14 winners in Tucumán.
Tarucas had the bonus point wrapped up before halftime thanks to a try from Santiago Heredia and a superb hat-trick from Thiago Sbrocco.
The No. 8 showed every aspect of his game, with his opening try showcasing his physicality in close quarters, while his second demonstrated his turn of pace and clever support play.
Yacare improved in the second half and scored well-worked tries through Gonzalo Del Pazo and Joaquín Dominguez, both of whom crashed over from close range.
They were second best throughout, however, as Tarucas went through the gears, running in seven tries in a dominant victory.
Tarucas’ win leaves them in fourth place, with their destiny still in their own hands. They will know that any slip-up could cost them a playoff spot, with Selknam snapping at their heels.
However, they seem to be returning to form at just the right time, with Sbrocco’s display a particular highlight.
Yacare’s season risks petering out unless they manage to solve their defensive issues over the coming weeks.
They will be desperate to avoid finishing bottom, and will feel they are capable of an upset, but will need to be much better than they showed themselves to be in this game.
Round 13
Round 13 sees Capibaras host Dogos in what promises to be a fascinating clash.
Selknam then travel to Buenos Aires to face Pampas, knowing they will likely need at least a bonus point to take into the final round if they are to reach the semifinals.
Cobras welcome Tarucas to São Paulo with the visitors keen to secure five points and strengthen their grip on fourth place.
The weekend’s action finishes in Paraguay, where Yacare and Peñarol both look to bounce back from defeat.
READ MORE: 2026 Super Rugby Americas – Round 11 summary: Capibaras surge into playoff contention
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