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The battle for Super Rugby Americas (SRA) glory has reached the Semi Finals stage. The 2026 SRA champions will be an Argentine team. Of the four Semi Finalists, only Los Dogos are prior SRA champions. The Córdoba side will have home advantage against Los Tarucas in the first of two SRA Semi Finals on Friday.
The teams are based in Córdoba and Tucumán respectively. This is highly significant given that Tucumán and Córdoba is one of the most historic and fiercest regional rivalries in Argentine rugby. Pitting two of the country’s deepest rugby powerhouses against each other, provincial clashes have long been characterized by immense physicality, tactical intensity, and traditional regional pride.
In SRA terms it has been altered with Tucumán representing NOA (Noroeste / Northwest) more than just the Tucumán province. In SRA, NOA represents Tucumán, Salta and Santiago del Estero rugby clubs.
Los Tarucas are in their second season in SRA. The team missed out on the play-offs in 2025, making the 2026 Semi Finals historic for the franchise. In contrast, Los Dogos are in familiar territory. Los Cordobeses are in the Semi Finals for the fourth time in as many years.
Los Dogos reached the Final in their rookie season, losing 23-17 to Peñarol in 2023. The team went all the way the following year, defeating Los Pampas 37-23 in the 2024 Final. Peñarol became SRA champions for the third time in 2025 with a 35-34 victory over Los Dogos in the Final.
The rivalry between Tucumán and Córdoba has carried over into the SRA results between the franchises in the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The four matches played have seen two wins per team. Both teams won away in 2025 while securing home victories in 2026.
 SRA SEASON RESULTS |
February 23 – Dogos 21-19 Cobras (Córdoba)
February 28 – Pampas 34-36 Dogos (Buenos Aires)
March 06 – Tarucas 29-26 Dogos (Tucumán)
March 14 – Dogos 68-0 Cobras (Córdoba)
March 20 – Dogos 33-22 Peñarol (Córdoba)
March 30 – Dogos 29-24 Capibaras (Córdoba)
April 04 – Dogos 41-20 Yacare (Asunción, PY)
April 19 – Cobras 19-48 Dogos (São Paulo)
April 24 – Dogos 43-28 Pampas (Córdoba)
May 02 – Dogos 18-13 Tarucas (Córdoba)
May 09 – Selknam 28-35 Dogos (Santiago, CL)
May 22 – Peñarol 31-33 Dogos (Montevideo, UY)
May 29 – Capibaras 25-26 Dogos (Rosario)
June 05 – Dogos 44-20 Yacare (Córdoba)
 SRA SEASON RESULTS |
February 20 – Tarucas 41-13 Selknam (Tucumán)
February 27 – Peñarol 18-28 Tarucas (Montevideo, UY)
March 06 – Tarucas 29-26 Dogos (Tucumán)
March 13 – Tarucas 22-43 Pampas (Tucumán)
March 21 – Yacare 22-28 Tarucas (Corrientes)
March 27 – Tarucas 52-22 Cobras (Tucumán)
April 13 – Capibaras 39-28 Tarucas (Rosario)
April 19 – Selknam 37-13 Tarucas (Santiago, CL)
April 27 – Tarucas 20-34 Peñarol (Tucumán)
May 02 – Dogos 18-13 Tarucas (Córdoba)
May 11 – Pampas 38-39 Tarucas (Buenos Aires)
May 23 – Tarucas 43-14 Yacare (Tucumán)
May 30 – Cobras 26-61 Tarucas (São Paulo, BR)
June 05 – Tarucas 42-15 Capibaras (Tucumán)
| LINE-UP CHANGES |
|
IN | OUT |
| 1 | Nicolás Revol | Francisco Aguirre |
| 2 | Tomás Montilla | Alejandro Ponce |
| 3 | Octavio Filippa | Galo Fernández |
| 4 | Lautaro Simes | Valentín Gozálvez |
| 5 | Enzo Héctor José Ocampo | Federico Rolotti |
| 6 | Augusto Cugnini | Tomás Gómez |
| 7 | Gastón Garayzabal | Lucio Willington |
| 8 | Valentín Cabral | Gastón Garayzábal |
| 9 | Nicolás Viola | Genaro Podestá |
| 10 | Nicolás Roger | Facundo Rodríguez |
| 11 | Agustín De Vertiz | Manuel Carrara |
| 12 | Faustino Sánchez Valarolo | Ernesto Gúdice |
| 13 | Agustín Segura | Mauricio Kember |
| 14 | Facundo Pueyrredón | Agustín De Vertiz |
| 15 | Mateo Soler | Mateo Sánchez |
|
IN | OUT |
| 12 | Bautista Estofan | Pedro Coll |
| 15 | Simón Pfister | Tomás Elizalde |
 NOTES |
- Los Dogos finished the regular season in top spot while Los Tarucas finished fourth.
- Los Tarucas enter with a settled line-up while Los Dogos rotate entirely from the team that eliminated reigning champions, Peñarol last Friday in Montevideo.
- The one retained player is an alteration with Gastón Garayzábal moving from N8 to flanker.
- Juan Ignacio Greising Revol is the leading try-scorer in SRA this season with 11 tries. He will be a replacement in the Semi Final.
- Mateo Pasquini is the top Tarucas try-scorer with 7. Dogos backs Facundo Pueyrredón and Nicolás Viola both scored 7 tries each, one behind Mateo Soler with 8.
- There are capped Pumas on both teams. The home side has a 10-12 combination in the form of Nicolás Roger and Faustino Sánchez Valarola while Los Tarucas are led by Matías Orlando.
- Nicolás Roger played for Los Tarucas in 2025. He joined Benetton in the United Rugby Championship (URC) before arriving late in the SRA 2026 season as a medical joker for Los Dogos.
| PREDICTION |
Los Dogos have an all-rounded style of play with the ability of dismantling the opposition in different ways. It The lineout to maul has been a deadly weapon employed as has the flair of the backs. In contrast, Los Tarucas have utilized the forwards more than most with their scrum being unparalleled as the best in SRA. A sunny day is forecast for Córdoba ahead of the Semi Final contest which kicks-off at 7pm. Los Dogos are favorites to win the Semi Final in Córdoba.
| LINE-UPS |
DOGOS
1 Nicolás Revol, 2 Tomás Montilla, 3 Octavio Ignacio Filippa, 4 Lautaro Simes, 5 Enzo Héctor José Ocampo, 6 Augusto Cugnini, 7 Gastón Garayzabal, 8 Valentín Cabral (capt.), 9 Nicolás Viola, 10 Nicolás Roger, 11 Agustín De Vertiz, 12 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Facundo Pueyrredón, 15 Mateo Soler
Replacements: 16 Juan Ignacio Greising Revol, 17 Juan Aguirre, 18 Galo Fernández, 19 Valentín Gozálvez, 20 Tomás María Gómez González, 21 Genaro Podestá, 22 Facundo Rodríguez, 23 Ernesto Giudice
TARUCAS
1 Mariano Muntaner, 2 Juan Manuel Vivas Estrella, 3 Francisco Moreno, 4 Ignacio Marquieguez, 5 Luciano Asevedo, 6 Facundo Cardozo, 7 Agustín Sarelli, 8 Thiago Sbrocco, 9 Estanislao Pregot, 10 Stefano Ferro, 11 Tomás Vanni, 12 Bautista Estofan, 13 Matías Orlando (capt.), 14 Mateo Pasquini, 15 Simón Pfister
Replacements: 16 José Calderoni Zenteno, 17 Francisco Palazzi Barrientos, 18 Rodrigo Navarro, 19 Santiago Melitón Heredia, 20 Tomás Dande, 21 Santiago Saleme, 22 Ignacio Cerrutti, 23 Pedro Coll
| MATCH OFFICIALS |
Referee: Pablo De Luca (Argentina)
Assistant Referees: Gonzalo De Achaval (Argentina); Federico Longobardi (Argentina)
| VS – SRA HEAD-TO-HEAD |
May 02, 2026 – Dogos 18-13 Tarucas (Córdoba)
March 06, 2026 – Tarucas 29-26 Dogos (Tucumán)
May 16, 2025 – Tarucas 29-43 Dogos (Tucumán)
March 24, 2025 – Dogos 20-22 Tarucas (Córdoba)
2 Wins
2 Wins
