Dogos and Pampas Fight Until the End in Córdoba

Los Dogos and Los Pampas fought until the end. Their round 11 Super Rugby Americas 2023 clash in Córdoba went down to the wire. Having been overtaken in the final ten minutes the home side recovered to score a late try and seal a bonus point win.

The Córdoba side outscored the Buenos Aires side by four tries to two. Tries, though were not the story of this contest. It was all about field position. Los Pampas were competitive throughout by slotting penalties when on attack in the opposition half.

Joaquín de la Vega Mendía slotted five penalties and was on his game in general. He slotted at 100% with 7/7 for the match. Julián Hernández also kicked all of his goals as Pumas great and current assistant coach Felipe Contepomi watched-on from the sidelines.

Hernández scored the opening try of the night. He darted over for a 30th minute score. It gave Los Dogos the lead for the second time. The home side then went in to half-time well on top. Winger Ernesto Giudice touched down for a try three minutes from half-time.

When fullback Mateo Soler scored early in the second-half. With the try it appeared that Los Dogos were on their way for a comfortable victory. What transpired was different. Nicolás D’Amorin hit-back with a try. The first entrance into the try zone was followed by a de la Vega Mednía conversion and then a penalty.

The game was tipped on its head ten minutes from full-time. Iñaki Delguy went over for Los Pampas. de La Vega Mendía’s conversion was again followed by a quick-fire penalty. With it Los Pampas were now ahead.

Los Dogos found their second wind. The late fight-back saw a good line from Agustín Segura and a pass out to Lautaro Cipriani. He had the speed to finish it off. Juan Bautista Baronio landed the wide conversion for a five point lead.

There was still time for a Pampas response. They attacked but were unable to score again. It was a Córdoba win and with it came the maximum five competition points. The team’s may meet again in the play-off’s; perhaps in a Semi Final or the Final.

SCORING

DOGOS (34)
Try – J Hernández (30′); E Giudice (37′); M Soler (41′), L Cipriani (78′)
Con – J Hernández 4/4 (31′, 38′, 42′); JB Baronio 1/1 (79′)
Pen – J Hernández 2/2 (9′, 47′)
YC – L Simes (50′); F Albrisi (64′)

PAMPAS (29)
Try – N D’Amorin (50′); I Delguy (71′)
Con – J de la Vega Mendía 2/2 (51′, 72′)
Pen – J de la Vega Mendía 5/5 (19′, 25′, 27′, 55′, 77′)
YC – JP Castro (31′); R Martínez (45′)

 

TEAMS

DOGOS
1 Tomás Bartolini, 2 Boris Wenger, 3 Octavio Ignacio Filippa, 4 Lautaro Simes, 5 Gregorio Hernández, 6 Aitor Bildosola, 7 Efráin Elías, 8 Ignacio Gandini (capt.), 9 Agustín Moyano, 10 Julián Hernández, 11 Ernesto Giudice, 12 Leonardo Gea Salim, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Lautaro Cipriani, 15 Mateo Soler

Replacements: 16 Roman Pretz, 17 Octavio Barbatti, 18 Ramiro Valdes Iribarren, 19 Federico Albrisi, 20 Valentín Cabral, 21 Juan Cruz Strada, 22 Juan Bautista Baronio, 23 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo

PAMPAS
1 Rodrigo Martínez, 2 Rodrigo Pérez Boulan, 3 Javier Corvolán, 4 Eliseo Fourcade, 5 Lorenzo Colidio, 6 Nicolás D’Amorim, 7 Jerónimo Ureta, 8 Santiago Ruiz (capt.), 9 Eliseo Morales, 10 Joaquín de la Vega Mendía, 11 Lucio Auad, 12 Juan Pablo Castro, 13 Benjamín Elizalde, 14 Iñaki Delguy, 15 Juan Landó

Replacements: 16 Ramiro Gurovich, 17 Matías Medrano, 18 Javier Coronel, 19 Manuel Bernstein, 20 Eliseo Chiavassa, 21 Mateo Albanese, 22 Joaquín Lamas, 23 Felipe de la Vega

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Damien Schneider (AR)
Assistant Referees: Simón Larrubia (AR); Juan Manuel López (AR)
TMO: Marcelo Pilara (AR)