Peñarol Outlast Dogos to Celebrate Third Super Rugby Americas Title

Peñarol outlasted Los Dogos on Friday to celebrate a third Super Rugby Americas (SRA) title. Playing at home in Montevideo, the Uruguayans were 35-34 winners. The victory came with an outstanding opening half and a strong early second-half; Peñarol held a 35-8 lead at one stage. The title follows glory in 2022 and 2023. It gives Uruguayan rugby authorities plenty to think about in terms of a second SRA team.

MATCH NOTES

Peñarol lost winger Ignacio Facciolo to injury in the 2nd minute.
The other starching Uruguayan winger more than made up for it; Bautista Basso scored twice in the opening quarter. Felipe Etcheverry converted for a 14-0 lead.
Juan Bautista Baronio got Los Dogos on the board with a long-range penalty on 20 minutes.
Following a scrum, Argentine Bautista Fairse broke the line to be tackled within inches of the try zone. Flanker Santiago Civetta scored from a pick-and-go.
Los Dogos ended the half on a high as Leonardo Gea Salim scored in the left corner.
Peñarol restored control in the second-half; Manuel Diana charged over Lautaro Cipriani from a scrum. He followed his try up with an assist as he broke the defense to this time set-up Santiago Álvarez.
Trailing 35-8, with 20 minutes remaining, Los Dogos clicked to score four unanswered tries.
New Pumas call-up, Agustín Moyano scored from a quick-tap penalty to give his side some hope.
Captain Ignacio Gandini scored from a lineout to maul and replacement hooker Juan Igancio Greising Revol muscled his way over. It means Los Dogos were 8 points behind with two minutes remaining.
Replacements Facundo Rodríguez and Fabricio Griffo Zaradnik combined with time up for the final score.
Dogos center Faustino Sánchez Valarolo was named as SRA Break-Through player of the year. The 20-year-old is on Argentina’s roster to travel to Dublin, Ireland to face the British & Irish Lions.
Peñarol are now three-time SRA champions. They defeated Selknam 24-13 in the 2022 final and Los Dogos 23-17 in the 2023 Final.

SCORING

PEÑAROL (35)
TRY – B Basso 2 (10′, 17′); S Civetta (30′); M Diana (45′); S Álvarez (51′)
CON – F Etcheverry 5/5 (11′, 18′, 31′, 46′, 52′)
YC – M Sanguinetti (60′); F Etcheverry (80′)

DOGOS (34)
TRY – L Gea Salim (39′); A Moyano (60′); I Gandini (71′); JI Greising Revol (77′); F Griffo Zaradnik (80′)
CON – JB Baronio 0/1; F Rodriguez 4/4 (61′, 72′, 78′, 83′)
PEN – JB Baronio 1/1 (20′)
YC – JB Baronio (43′)

LINEUPS

PEÑAROL
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Joaquín Myszka, 3 Juan Francisco Aguirre, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 5 Bautista Viero, 6 Santiago Civetta, 7 Lucas Bianchi, 8 Manuel Diana (capt.), 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Ignacio Facciolo, 12 Bautista Farise, 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 14 Bautista Basso, 15 Manuel Cardoso Pinto

Replacements: 16 Sebastián Pérez, 17 Mateo Perillo, 18 Bautista Vidal, 19 Manuel Rosmarino, 20 Federico de Los Santos, 21 Tomás Di Biase, 22 Alfonso Perilo Albarracín, 23 Justo Ferrario

DOGOS
1 Boris Wenger, 2 Leonel Oviedo, 3 Pedro Delgado, 4 Lautaro Simes, 5 Federico Albrisi, 6 Aitor Bildosola, 7 Ignacio Gandini (capt.), 8 Genaro Fissore, 9 Agustín Moyano, 10 Juan Bautista Baronio, 11 Lautaro Cipriani, 12 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 13 Leonardo Gea Salim, 14 Franco Rossetto, 15 Mateo Sánchez

Replacements: 16 Juan Igancio Greising Revol, 17 Nicolás Revol Pitt, 18 Octavio Filippa, 19 Felipe Villagrán, 20 Juan Cruz Caballero, 21 Fabricio Griffo Zaradnik, 22 Facundo Rodríguez, 23 Felipe Mallía

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS