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Spain edged out Uruguay in Madrid in a thriller on Saturday. Los Leones and Los Teros each scored two tries with both teams also managing one try each per half. The contest ended with a Spanish victory by 18-12 after Los Leones successfully won a penalty inches out from their own try zone. Uruguay’s forwards were very close to scoring a match-winning try.
The scoring in the tight contest opened in the 8th minute. Argentine-born Iñaki Mateu kicked his first of two penalties for the match. The 3-0 lead lasted just three minutes as Los Teros hit-back with the game’s opening try.
In a move reminiscent of Rugby Sevens, Justo Ferrario picked up the ball outside the attacking 22 from the base of a ruck and ran while stepping his way to the try zone. Ícaro Amarillo slotted the simple conversion.
The home side responded ten minutes later. Their opening try came early in the second quarter and was a result of powerful charges from Los Leones’ forwards. With the Uruguayan cover looking to protect the fringes, Spain spread the ball wide for Alejandro Laforga to score in the left corner.
Neither team added points until late in the third quarter. Spain was the first to score in the second half. Like in the first, it came in the form of a penalty with Mateu putting the hosts 11-7 ahead after 55 minutes. Additional points may have been scored had it not been for the world-class jackals from Manuel Ardao for Uruguay.
Los Teros’ second-half points came from Justo Ferrario. The Peñarol starting fly half was wearing the 13 shirt and playing very much like an outside center. Captain Manuel Leindekar was the creator with a magical behind-the-back pass for Ferrario who sliced between Matt Foulds and Kerman Aurrekoetxea to score.
The try was unconverted but Uruguay were back in front, leading 12-11 with 11 minute remaining. The under pressure Spain responded five minutes from full-time. After a non-jackal from Ardao, the game seemed to freeze. Spain went left and an unmarked Gauthier Minguillon scored in the corner.
The hosts had the lead and made it a six-point cushion after Mateu added the conversion from a difficult angle. Uruguay had a narrow window to fight back but went agonizingly close. After winning a penalty inside the Spanish half, Ferrior kicked for the corner. Uruguay set-up a lineout to maul and raids followed with Spain sealing victory by wining a penalty inches out from the try line.
| NOTES |
- The match marked the official test debut of the Guzmán Barreiro coaching era.
- Regular captain Manuel Leindekar played for Uruguay for the first time in 2026.
- Mateo Sanguinetti earned his 99th cap for Uruguay.
- Pedro Hoblog, Sebastian Pérez and Mateo Sosa debuted as replacements for Uruguay.
| SCORING |
SPAIN (18)
TRY – A Laforga (22′), G Minguillon (75′)
CON – I Mateu (76′)
PEN – I Mateu 2 (8′, 55′)
URUGUAY (12)
TRY – J Ferrario 2 (11′, 69′)
CON – I Ámarillo
| LINE-UPS |
SPAIN
1 Thierry Futeu Youtcheu, 2 Santiago Ovejero, 3 Jon Zabala (capt.), 4 Ignacio Piñero, 5 Antonio Suárez, 6 Matt Foulds, 7 Manex Ariceta, 8 Rapha Nieto, 9 Estanislao Bay, 10 Bautista Güemes, 11 Alejandro Laforga, 12 Yago Fernández, 13 Iñaki Mateu, 14 Martiniano Cian, 15 John Wessel Bell
Replacements: 16 Diego González, 17 Lucas Santamaría, 18 Hugo Pierlet, 19 Vicente Boronat, 20 Gabriel Vélez, 21 Kerman Aurrekoetxea, 22 Oriel Marsinyac, 23 Gauthier Minguillon
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Germán Kessler, 3 Reinaldo Piussi, 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Manuel Leindekar (capt.), 6 Manuel Ardao, 7 Lucas Bianchi, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Ignacio Rodriguez Bosch, 10 Ícaro Amarillo, 11 Ignacio Facciolo, 12 Joaquín Súarez, 13 Justo Ferrario, 14 Juan González, 15 Ignacio Álvarez Akiki
Replacements: 16 Sebastian Pérez, 17 Mateo Perillo, 18 Ignacio Péculo, 19 Felipe Aliaga, 20 Manuel Rosmarino, 21 Mateo Sosa, 22 Pedro Hoblog, 23 Alfonso Vidal
| MATCH HIGHLIGHTS |
| MATCH OFFICIALS |
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Peter Martin (Ireland), Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
