Round Three of the Super Rugby Americas season kicked off with a convincing 37-7 victory for defending champions, Peñarol over American Raptors on Friday night.
Despite a strong start from the visitors, they were unable to resist their opponents for long. Combative Peñarol hooker, Joaquin Myszka Macé bookended a brilliant score from teammate Juan Manuel Alonso Dieguez with two tries of his own. Having fallen to a shock defeat in the opening round, the Uruguayan side will be pleased to record their first win of the season, while American Raptors remain the only side in the competition with no wins after three rounds.
Saturday’s opening match saw Chilean franchise Selknam record a deserved 30-20 win away from home, holding off a comeback from their hosts. Cobras. The visitors looked dangerous in the first half, scoring three tries to race into a 24-3 halftime lead. Head coach Jake Mangin will be frustrated at their inability to kick on in the second half, conceding three tries of their own and looking fragile at the set-piece. While Selknam will return to Chile with the first win of their campaign, both sides will likely view this match as a missed opportunity for more.
The weekend closed with a thrilling encounter between table-topping Dogos and Paraguayan outfit, Yacare. Many wingers would be proud of the acrobatic finish from Dogos hooker Boris Wenger after just four minutes, though his fullback’s superb try midway through the half arguably eclipsed it. A tightly contested first half culminated in a modest 12-7 lead for the Argentinian team at the break before both teams threw caution to the wind in the second half. The two teams exchanged tries almost at will, with neither able to establish dominance over the other. Yacare’s 80th-minute try ensured they will head into Round Four with two bonus points while Dogos remain unbeaten after a breathtaking second forty minutes that finished 36-32.
Round Four kicks off with a mouthwatering clash between Argentinian rivals Pampas and Dogos, the only unbeaten teams left in the competition. Selknam will play their first home game of the season when they host Peñarol while Cobras head out on the road for the first team this season when they travel to face Yacare. American Raptors will have to wait until Round Five for a chance to record their first win of the year.
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