By Joe Santamaria
In Round 13 of the 2026 Super Rugby Americas season, Dogos became the first team to secure a home semi-final with a hugely impressive away victory over Capibaras.
A late score handed the visitors a 26-25 victory in Rosario, and potentially the psychological edge over an opponent they could well meet again in the play-offs.
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Dogos secure home semi-final with dramatic win over Capibaras
The opening exchanges were tightly contested and it took 20 minutes for either side to trouble the scoreboard, when Capibaras fly-half Juan Bautista Baronio put the hosts ahead with a penalty.
Dogos struck back almost immediately, however, with scrum-half Nicolás Viola causing problems with his sniping runs.
One such attack found captain Valentín Cabral in space out wide, and the flanker cantered over for the game’s first try.
Dogos sensed they had the advantage and looked to pull further ahead.
Within five minutes, they had crossed the line again, this time through the ever-impressive Mateo Soler.
The fullback collected the ball close to the line after an excellent attack, but still had plenty to do as he held off the would-be tacklers to score.
The hosts could ill afford to let Dogos’ lead grow any more before half-time, and gradually dragged their way back into the contest.
They relied on their power game and it paid off when hooker Martín Vaca scored from the back of a rolling maul to reduce the deficit to just four points at the break.
Classic
Just as the first half had done, the second 40 minutes had a cagey opening, with the half waiting to catch fire.
Capibaras eventually got things moving on the 53-minute mark when second row Lucas Bur ran a great line to pierce the Dogos defence.
The hosts secured quick ball at the ensuing ruck and replacement fly-half Ignacio Dogliani managed to put Franco Rossetto in to score.
Having lost their lead, Dogos went back on the attack and scored the next try in style.
Argentina international Faustino Sánchez Valarolo measured a brilliant kick in behind that was gathered by Luciano Avaca for a super try.
The game was quickly becoming a classic and it seemed inevitable that Capibaras would hit back themselves.
So it proved when Gino Dicapua finished acrobatically in the corner after a lightning-fast pass from Dogliani had put him in space.
As the game entered its final ten minutes, Capibaras were pushing for the try that would put them ahead.
Edge
For the third time since his introduction into the game, Dogliani was the man to provide it.
The fly-half’s looping pass found Bruno Heit, who raced over to give the hosts the lead.
The home fans may have felt their side had done enough, but a late Dogos try silenced them.
Replacement Ernesto Giúdice collected a pass from Viola and dived over to secure the victory with the clock in the red.
Dogos were already likely to play their semi-final at home but this victory made it official.
However, the more telling factor may well be the edge it will give the Córdoba-based side if and when they face off against Capibaras in the play-offs.
Regardless of their opponents, few would bet against Dogos sealing their second title in the coming weeks.
Capibaras will rue the missed conversions that would have handed them the victory.
However, there is little doubt that the team could have been victorious and they will feel confident that they can win the next matchup, which could well come sooner rather than later.
The performance of Dogliani in particular was a highlight in the second half.
Pampas snatch victory after late Selknam collapse
A late moment of madness cost Selknam an away victory over Pampas that could have huge consequences for their pursuit of the play-offs.
The Chilean side led until a late penalty handed Pampas a 30-28 win.
The hosts started in the ascendancy and quickly took control, scoring their first try with just seven minutes on the clock.
Impressive fly-half Estanislao Renthel eased through a gap after a succession of attacking phases close to the Selknam line.
Before long, Pampas doubled their lead through winger Alfonso Latorre, who finished in the corner after a miss pass from Alejo Lavayen.
Selknam needed to score next and managed it through Augusto Böhme, who scored from the back of a maul.
A late Bautista Farisé penalty ensured that the hosts carried a 17-7 lead into the break.
Selknam came out firing in the second half and narrowed the gap with Böhme’s second try, having clearly targeted the maul area ahead of the game.
Thoughtless
The visitors had momentum and capitalised with another try, this one scored by winger Nicolás Saab after they had pinned Pampas back on their own line.
The hosts didn’t panic, despite having fallen behind, and narrowed the gap with a Renthel penalty.
As the match entered its final ten minutes, Selknam’s maul came to the fore again, as Salvador Lues scored the Chileans’ fourth try.
Matías Garafulic’s conversion meant the visitors led by eight points with just seven minutes to play and looked on course for victory.
Pampas replacement Ignacio Diaz narrowed the gap with a try from close range, and Renthel’s conversion meant only one point separated the teams.
With just seconds to play, Selknam found themselves in possession and looked likely to see out the game.
However, a thoughtless Böhme gave up a penalty for striking a Pampas player, handing the impetus back to the hosts.
Pampas were then able to work their way up the pitch, where they won another penalty, and Renthel made no mistake from the tee.
Pole position
Pampas’ win means they are in pole position to secure the remaining home semi-final spot in next week’s final round.
Head coach Juan Manuel Leguizamón continues to tinker with his lineup and the team was fortunate to get over the line against a desperate Selknam side.
The team is full of talent, but questions about their title credentials remain unanswered.
Had Böhme not given away such an unnecessary penalty, the Chilean side would be celebrating a brilliant bonus point victory that would have left them in a strong position to reach the playoffs.
Instead, they are now relying on a Tarucas defeat next week.
The two bonus points may not have been a bad result prior to kick-off, but it seemed like a disaster at full-time, given how close they had come to securing five.
Tarucas keep play-off hopes alive with emphatic win in São Paulo
As expected, Tarucas secured a bonus point win over Cobras in São Paulo to keep their pursuit of the play-offs alive.
The Brazilian hosts did manage to score four tries, but were outclassed in the 61-26 defeat.
The hosts actually struck first when João Lucas Marino powered over close to the ruck, but Tarucas quickly took control with two tries of their own, including an impressive individual effort from Tomás Vanni.
Cobras appeared keen to give their fans something to cheer about in their last home game of the year and were playing more expansively than usual.
This approach paid off when Renato Santos scored out wide after some slick offloading.
The rest of the half belonged to Tarucas’ teenage sensation Mateo Pasquini.
The winger helped himself to a hat-trick, which included a stunning solo effort that saw him outpace several defenders before bouncing off the final tackle attempt, belying his slender frame.
Pasquini’s efforts ensured the visitors led 35-12 at the break.
Failed
Fullback Tomás Elizalde took advantage of a gaping hole in the Cobras defence to score early in the second half, before Cobras hit back through Pedro Aparecido, who finished off a Rosko Specman-inspired counterattack.
Tarucas were going through the motions but still managed to add two further tries before Cobras sealed their bonus point through Gabriel Oliveira, who seemed to charge through the middle of the ruck on his way to the line.
With the clock in the red, Tarucas passed the 60-point mark with Máximo Ledesma’s converted try.
Cobras’ four tries gave them the bonus point and they can still avoid finishing bottom of the table with a win next week, but one cannot escape the feeling that they have failed to build on the improvements made since last year.
They can clearly score points against good sides, but it hardly matters when they regularly concede so many.
Tarucas met expectations in this win and will head into next week with their destiny still very much in their hands.
They may not need the win to secure a play-off spot, but their attitude will be simple: a win guarantees a first ever semifinal appearance.
That thought will surely sharpen minds over the course of the coming week.
Peñarol finish strongly to overcome brave Yacare
Yacare fought bravely but ultimately succumbed to a 22-36 defeat to Peñarol in Asunción.
With uncertainty surrounding the team’s participation in next year’s tournament, this could well have been their last ever home game.
The Uruguayan visitors got off to a flying start when Mateo Acosta raced over the line after some sharp offloading from the backline.
Yacare struck back with a try of their own through Juan Mernes, with the No. 8 benefitting from some equally impressive offloading.
Peñarol grabbed their second try from a rolling maul, before a Valentino Quattrocchi penalty ensured Yacare only trailed 10-12 at the break.
The second half began at a frantic pace and Peñarol soon widened the gap through a Manuel Ponte try.
The No. 8, starting in place of talisman Manuel Diana, scored from another strong maul.
Within minutes, Yacare had struck back after a searing break from Francisco Calello allowed winger Arturo López to score out wide.
Canada international Ethan Fryer powered over for Peñarol’s fourth try but once again the visitors looked vulnerable soon after scoring.
Impressive display
Quattrocchi showed a great turn of pace to ease away from the attempted tackles to score under the posts for Yacare.
It proved to be Yacare’s final score of the game, however, as Peñarol pulled away in the final quarter.
Ponte grabbed his second try of an impressive display before winger Tomás Baca Castex surged away for a try that added a degree of gloss to Peñarol’s victory.
Yacare deserve credit for their display against the defending champions as the final score doesn’t fully reflect how close the game had been.
The Paraguayan franchise have been a brilliant team in Super Rugby Americas and, if this is to be their final home game, the tournament will be the poorer for their absence.
Peñarol’s season will go down as a disappointing one, with the side set to miss out on the playoffs for the first time in their history.
However, one of the stated ambitions for the year was to give opportunities to younger players and the performances of teenagers Ponte and Justo Ferrario offer hope for the future.
Round 14
The final round sees Peñarol welcome Pampas to Montevideo, knowing it is virtually certain to be their last game of 2026.
A win for Pampas would secure a home semi-final.
Dogos may look to rotate their team against Yacare, with first place already sealed, while the visitors may be playing their last ever game in the tournament.
Tarucas host Capibaras in a game that could determine the look of the playoffs.
Tarucas are in a fight with Selknam for fourth place, while Capibaras haven’t yet lost hope of a home semi-final.
Cobras close out the regular season in Santiago where they face Selknam.
The Chilean hosts will know exactly what they need to do to qualify, if Tarucas have left the door ajar.
It will likely require a bonus point victory.
READ MORE: 2026 Super Rugby Americas – Round 12 summary: Pampas hit back as playoff race tightens
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