Last weekend, while ye were all in bed, and I was up watching NXT Takeover: Philadelphia, there was a World Cup qualifier being played. Uruguay beat Canada 29 – 38 in the first leg of their World Cup Qualifier. This game doubled as part of the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship. The winner of the play-off will play in pool D, alongside Australia, Wales, Georgia, and Fiji. The game was refereed by Irish official Andrew Brace.
Uruguay started the scoring in the first minute when fullback Rodrigo Silva got over, Felipe Berchesi converted. Canada found their form in an 8-miute spell. First Evan Olmstead got a try, then Connor Braid kicked a penalty and converted DTH van der Merwes try. Uruguay would respond with a try from Leandro Leivas, Berchesi added the conversion. On the stroke of halftime Santiago Arata touched down to put the visitors in front, Berchesi once again converted.
In the 2nd half Canada were awarded a penalty try 6 minutes in. Uruguay went back in front with two tries from their locks, Ignacio Dotti and Rodrigo Capó Ortega got over, both tries were converted by Berchesi. Canada ensured they’d take a bonus point from the game when Centre Nick Blevins got their 4th try. They wouldn’t get a losing bonus point however as Berchesi kicked a penalty late on.
The next leg is this Saturday, starting at 20:00 Irish time. It will be played at Estadio Charrúa, in Montevideo.
Teams
Canada
1 Hubert Buydens (17 Djustice Sears-Duru 58’), 2 Ray Barkwill (16 Benoît Pifféro 58’), 3 Jake Ilnicki, 4 Brett Beukeboom, 5 Josh Larsen (20 Lucas Rumball 64’), 6 Evan Olmstead, 7 Matt Heaton (19 Admir Cejvanovic 76’), 8 Tyler Ardron
9 Phil Mack (21 Gordon McRorie 72’), 10 Connor Braid (22 Patrick Parfrey 32’), 11 DTH van der Merwe, 12 Nick Blevins, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Jeff Hassler (23 Brock Staller 20’-29’), 15 Taylor Paris
Unused replacement: 18 Cole Keith
Uruguay
1 Mateo Sanguinetti (17 Matías Benítez 68’), 2 Germán Kessler (16 Carlos Pombo 67’), 3 Mario Sagario (Juan Echeverría 67’), 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Rodrigo Capó Ortega (19 Manuel Leindekar 58’-61’, 64’), 6 Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt.) (7 Franco Lamanna 68’-72’), 7 Franco Lamanna (16 Carlos Pombo 48’-58’) (20 Rodolfo Garese 64’), 8 Alejandro Nieto,
9 Santiago Arata (21 Agustín Ormaechea 59’), 10 Felipe Berchesi, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Andrés Vilaseca, 13 Juan Manuel Cat (23 Joaquín Prada 68’), 14 Leandro Leivas (22 Gastón Mieres 61’), 15 Rodrigo Silva
Ciarán Duffy (@TheVoiceDepth) is a Leinster supporter and self-proclaimed ‘big cheese’ of Post To Post (@PostToPostSport). He’ll write about anything rugby under the condition he gets to take it too seriously.
*****
Want to see your own rugby opinions on the web?
Click "Write for us" in the sidebar to find out how.
