Joe Santamaria reviews an enthralling round four, as champions Dogos finally found their flow to grab their first win of the season.
Pampas 15-14 Tarucas
Last season’s runners up, Pampas, began Round Four with a tight 15-14 victory over newcomers Tarucas in an all-Argentine clash.
After an uneventful opening quarter, Pampas powered over for the games’s opening score after their normally expansive style had been nullified by the hosts. Instead it was Tarucas who found success in the wider channels when diminutive winger Tomas Vanni scored to level the scores just minutes later.
With the scores level at the break, it was clear that the game would go down to the wire.
The game was crying out for a moment of quality and it was provided by one of last season’s breakout stars, Santiago Pernas.
The Pampas winger showed remarkable power and composure to score from a difficult angle to restore his side’s advantage with 25 minutes to play.
The hosts fought back and Danni’s second try gave them the lead but a late penalty from the boot of Renthel Estanislao meant the spoils belonged to Pampas.
Peñarol 22-18 Selknam
Peñarol bounced back from defeat in Round Three by seeing off a spirited Selknam side in Montevideo.
A subdued opening saw both teams trade penalties before Peñarol hooker Guillermo Pujadas scored off the back of rolling maul.
A moment of brilliance from Felipe Etcheverry put Felipe Mario Arcos Perez Piccardo away for the hosts’ second try as they began to take control.
Selknam had to rely on the ever-impressive Marcelo Torrealba whose opportunistic try against the run of play took the wind out the Uruguayan’s sails going into the break.
Selknam stayed in the fight despite coming under heavy pressure from Peñarol throughout the second half. The visitors even took the lead with 12 minutes to play after Torrealba’s well taken second try.
It looked as though something truly special would be needed to breach the stalwart Selknam defence and so it proved when Justo Ferrario scored in the corner after a blistering counter attack that began deep in Peñarol’s half.
Ivo Dugonjic will have been delighted with the belief shown by his side as they held on for a 22-18 win that could be vital come the end of the season.
Dogos 80-29 Cobras
After two closely fought matches, the weekend’s final game couldn’t have been more different as Dogos finally got their first win of the season with a 80-29 demolition of Cobras.
Franco Rossetto dotted down in the corner after just two minutes and Dogos barely let up for the remainder of the half. Mateo Soler helped himself to a brace of tries including the best of the half after 30 minutes when he raced in from the half way line.
Cobras had no answer to their rampant hosts and the 49-8 halftime score didn’t flatter Dogos at all.
While Cobras’ attack did improve in the second half, their defence looked every bit as porous.
The Brazilian side’s already inadequate defensive line only suffered as the game went on, with the forwards looking especially fatigued.
With plenty of rugby still to be played this season, Dogos’ poor start may yet become a distant memory but there will be tougher tests to come for the defending champions.
Meanwhile, Cobras continue to lurch from one issue to another and show no signs of securing their first win of the season any time soon.
Round Five sees Pampas welcome Yacare to Buenos Aires before table-topping Peñarol travel to face winless Cobras.
The weekend closes out with a clash between Selknam and Tarucas with both sides looking to convert promising performances into wins.
