After a two-week break after the regular season, the Super Rugby Americas semifinals exploded into life on Friday night.
Table-topping Pampas hosted defending champions Peñarol in Buenos Aires and it was the visitors who dictated the pace early on, taking the lead through powerful No.8 Manuel Diana Olaso. If Pampas were guilty of displaying early nerves, they soon righted themselves and began to establish a foothold in the game. Some clever footwork from Joaquin De La Vega Mendia allowed him to score in the corner and the hosts soon added a second try through Eliseo Fourcade. The Peñarol defence came under increasing pressure and was eventually breached again after Nicolas D’Amorim surged towards the line and his compatriot Estanislao Carullo was able to burrow over for their third try, extending their lead to 12 points at the break.
The defending champions came out firing at the start of the second half, desperate to keep their chances of a third consecutive trophy alive. The Uruguayans scored ten points in quick succession to reduce the deficit and had Pampas on the ropes at times. However, the Argentine side showed great composure when it counted and scored an excellent try from a set piece move which dented Peñarol’s momentum and eased the nerves that had begun to creep in to the crowd.
At 29-20, Peñarol were still in the hunt but their hopes were dashed when master finisher Santiago Pernas timed his support line to perfection to score under the posts and take the game out of reach. The match opened up in its final quarter as the visitors threw caution to the wind but Pampas were the ones to take advantage, with fullback Benjamin Elizalde helping himself to two tries, while Peñarol were able to grab another from a rolling maul.
The 50-27 victory for Pampas doesn’t tell the whole story of a game that was extremely competitive for large portions but the hosts’ ruthless attack eventually proved to be the difference. For the first time in three years, Peñarol will play no part in the final, while their opponents will go into next week’s showpiece event as favourites for the title.
As the Pampas fans were celebrating, attention began to shift westwards to Cordoba, where Dogos were looking to reach the final for the second year in a row. Visitors Yacare started in defiant mood and neither side was able to take control early on, with the game scoreless through 20 minutes. Dogos fly half Julián Ignacio Hernandez was able to slip through a rare gap in the Yacare defence but two Joaquin Lamas penalties ensured the hosts lead by just one point at the break.
Dogos fans would be forgiven for thinking their side might pull away in the second half but Yacare tore up the script when hooker Axel Taiel Zapata picked a perfect line to breach the defence and give his side the lead. Lamas’ third penalty took the Paraguayan team seven points clear as their fans began to hope for a famous win.
The hosts battered relentlessly against the wall of Yacare defenders for much of the half to no avail but there was a sense in the stadium that something had to give. So it proved when centre Leonardo Gea Salim showed great strength to reach the try line before Julián Ignacio Hernandez added the conversation to level the scores. Despite their efforts to secure the victory inside 80 minutes, Dogos were thwarted and the game went to extra time with the scoreline reading 14-14.
The match would go on to be decided by sudden death, meaning the first side to score points during extra time would immediately win the game. With discipline of paramount importance, both sides looked cagey in the opening period before fatigue finally got the better of Yacare and they conceded a kickable penalty. Replacement Juan Bautista Baronio showed great composure to slot the kick and give his side a famous 17-14 victory. Yacare fought bravely and will rue their missed chances but most neutrals would agree that next week’s clash between Pampas and Dogos is the right one. The two sides have one win apiece over one another so far this season and few will be able to call what promises to be an epic final with any degree of confidence.
