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Yacare are marching towards the Super Rugby Americas 2023 play-off’s. The Paraguayan side were 34-30 bonus point winners over Os Cobras on Sunday evening. The win moves Yacare six points above Selknam to now have a firm hold on 4th position in the standings.
Os Cobras opened the scoring in Asunción. Captain Lucas Tranquez slotted an early penalty for a 3-0 lead. Yacare responded with Sebastián Urbieta running a good angle and Ignacio Inchauspe having him as a runner off his shoulder. The Paraguayan scored in the try zone.
Inchauspe converted before Tranquez responded with his second penalty. What followed was a lovely try with Thomas Mac Call bursting through to score his second try of the Super Rugby Americas season. Inchauspe added the conversion before Tranquez again kicked a penalty.
Os Cobras followed up the penalty with their opening try. Flanker Matheus Claudio went over for a 39th minute score. Tranquez landed the conversion before, yet again, the opposition goal-kicker hit-back. Inchauspe landed his first of two penalties of the match.
The home side were 17-16 leaders at half-time. Inchauspe gave his team breathing space with the opening try of the second-half. He added the conversion himself. His opposite, fellow Argentine scrum-half, Facundo Villalba hit-back for the Brazilian team. Before then, however,r Marcos Riquelme scored the bonus point try for Yacare.
Inchauspe again added points when needed. His 68th minute penalty all but secure victory. Os Cobras scored a scrappy try with less than two minutes remaining. Colombian Alain Altahona went over after the ball bounced forward off a teammates’ shoulder.
Yacare have a bye next weekend. Os Cobras travel to Buenos Aires to face the red-hot Pampas at La Catedral. It remains to be seen how Os Cobras will approach facing Los Pampas. The match is positioned before the vital game away to Selknam in Santiago.
YACARE (34)
Try – S Urbieta (8′); T Mac Call (14′); I Inchauspe (46′); M Riquelme (53′)
Con – I Inchauspe 4/4 (8′, 14′, 47′, 54′)
Pen – I Inchauspe 2/2 (30′, 68′)
COBRAS (30)
Try – M Cláudio (29′); F Villalba (56′); A Altahona (78′)
Pen – L Tranquez 3/3 (4′, 12′ 18′)
Con – L Tranquez 3/3 (30′, 57′, 79′)
TEAMS
YACARE
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Mariano Muntaner, 3 Facundo Pomponio, 4 Ignacio Martínez, 5 Mariano Garcete, 6 Felipe Villagrán, 7 Felipe Puertas, 8 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel, 9 Ignacio Inchauspe (capt.), 10 Federico Cacciabue, 11 Arturo López, 12 Sebastián Urbieta, 13 Ramiro Amarilla, 14 Federico Gauna, 15 Tomás Mac Call
Replacements: 16 Julián Martín, 17 Emilio Gorostiaga, 18 Estéfano Aranda, 19 Álvaro Báez, 20 Marcos Riquelme, 21 Estanislao Pregot, 22 Juan David Agudelo, 23 Estanislao Gómez
COBRAS
1 Levy Marinho, 2 Endy Pinheiro, 3 Henrique Ferreira, 4 Cleber Dias, 5 Lucio Anconetani, 6 Donnacha Byrne, 7 Matheus Cláudio, 8 André Arruda, 9 Facundo Villalba, 10 Lucas Spago, 11 Ariel Rodrigues, 12 Robert Tenório, 13 Victor Silva, 14 Guillermo Coghetto, 15 Lucas Tranquez (capt.)
Replacements: 16 Diego Vidal, 17 Alexandre Alves, 18 Bautista Vidal, 19 Gabriel Paganini, 20 Adrio de Melo, 21 Douglas Rauth, 22 Felipe Gonçalves, 23 Alain Altahona
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Damian Schneider (AR)
Assistant Referees: Adrián Bogado (PY); Luca Solda (AR)
TMO: Victor Silvero (PY)
