By JOE SANTAMARIA
Round Ten of the Super Rugby Americas season kicked off with a thumping 43-15 victory for Selknam against Cobras which keeps the Chilean side in a strong position to reach the play-offs.
The visitors applied early pressure and should have capitalised on Selknam's poor early discipline. However, the hosts managed to survive and scored the game's first try when fullback Luca Strabucchi finished a move that began deep inside their own half. Selknam pressed home their advantage and quickly scored a second after some sharp footwork from fly half Tomás Salas unlocked the Cobras defence. Powerful winger Nicolás Garafulic seized upon a loose ball to race in for Selknam's third try before the break.
The second half continued in the same vein as Garafulic secured the bonus point with half an hour still to play. Cobras continued to fight back and finally got their reward when Henrique Ribeiro Ferreira burrowed over from close range. The match opened up in the final quarter as both sides added further scores, including a superb effort from Selknam winger Iñaki Delguy. Selknam's win sees them retain control of their own destiny as the Chilean side looks to be finding form at the perfect time.
Paraguay played host to the biggest shock of the season so far as Yacare condemned table-topping Dogos to their first defeat of the season in a bruising encounter. Dogos started strongly and led through a penalty try after eight minutes due to a series of dominant scrums. Yacare fought back with a penalty try of their own after Dogos captain Franco Molina illegally collapsed their maul. A Joaquin Lamas penalty gave Yacare a slender 10-7 lead at the break.
Lamas' kicking remained impeccable as the fly half added further penalties either side of a brilliant try from Dogos hooker Tomas Bartolini, who showed great strength as he held off multiple defenders on his way to the line. Dogos fly half Julián Ignacio Hernandez scored the game's best try as he scythed through Yacare's defence to restore his team's lead. Lamas soon levelled the game with another penalty. With the game on a knife edge, Lamas stepped up to secure a famous 22-19 victory with a penalty that will live long in the memory.
The weekend's final match saw American Raptors looking for a famous in of their own against Peñarol, who knew they needed a win to keep their hopes of defending their title alive. The hosts started brightly as Rufus McLean collected a clever kick in behind to open the scoring after two minutes. Fly half Ignacio Mieres extended his team's lead to 10-0 with a penalty before Peñarol hooker Francisco Garcia capitalised on a strong driving maul to get his team on the scoreboard.
The visitors began to take control in the second half as powerful No.8 Carlos Manuel Deus forced his way over from close range. With the game still tight, American Raptors' tighthead Facundo Ignacio Pomponio was sent off and Peñarol quickly took advantage when fullback Ignacio Alvarez dotted down in the corner unopposed. The Uruguayan side secured the bonus point before Raptors struck back with a superb consolation from Mieres after an incredible break from replacement scrum half John Lefevre. The Colorado side will rightly view the 24-17 defeat as an opportunity missed while the visitors kept their chances of reaching the playoffs alive.
Round Eleven will see Peñarol host Selknam in a game that could have huge ramifications for the playoffs while Cobras will play their first home game for a month when they host Yacare in São Paulo. Finally, Dogos will host fellow Argentinians Pampas in a mouthwatering top of the table clash to round off the weekend's action.
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