Both teams run out into the Montevideo floodlit pitch, Peñarol with home advantage but attendance was low for such an impressive stadium.
Basso B. (10', 16'), Civetta S. (30'), Diana M. (45'), Alvarez S. (54')
Tries
Gea Salim L. (38'), Moyano A. (60'), Gandini I. (71'), Revol J. I. (77'), Zaradnik F. (83')
Etcheverry F. (11', 17', 30', 47', 54')
Conversions
Rodriguez F. (72', 78', 83')
Penalties
Baronio J. (19')
Both teams run out into the Montevideo floodlit pitch, Peñarol with home advantage but attendance was low for such an impressive stadium.
Etcheverry took kick off into Dogos 22. Dogos clear the ball, allowing Peñarol to go through a few phases of coast-to-coast attack but without much territory. Dogos manage to force the first penalty at the breakdown but opt to start the kick tennis. Peñarol get the chance to run at Dogos again, with the ball ending up out of touch.
Peñarol are having the best of the first 4 minutes, going through the hands and making metres. But they are too slow at the breakdown and Dogos manage to win another penalty, kicking down onto the Peñarol 10m line. Peñarol are gifted the scrum from the wonky lineout though and Dogos let slip the advantage again.
A few territory kicks end with a lovely 50 - 22 grubber kick from Peñarol, Peñarol go with the trademark rolling maul from the lineout. Dogos manage to stop it short of their 5-metre line. Ref says it was illegal though and Peñarol have a free stab at getting out wide. It doesn’t work out, so they come back.
Etcheverry puts it over the 5-metre mark for a lineout, Peñarol go to the lineout maul again. Another advantage for collapsing the maul on the floor. Another 5-metre lineout, front ball this time. Maul gets a bit of movement but not much. Santiago Alvarez sneaks out but is gobbled up. The forwards set to work with the pick and goes. Then it’s spun out wide, through the hands all the way to Bautista Basso to dive into the corner under tackle from 2 covering defenders still. Etcheverry is close to the byline but nails it today down the middle of the uprights. 7 - 0 to Peñarol after 11 minutes.
Dogos try to get through the phases after the restart, but they can’t find the space in the Peñarol defence. Peñarol keep managing to clear the lines at every opportunity so far.
Cipriani is put under pressure under the high ball causing a knock on near the Dogos 22. Peñarol get the ball out the back of the scrum, manage to get the ball for a couple of close-up phases then spin it out wide for a 3 on 2 overlap allowed Basso to dive over again in the corner. Etcheverry has another difficult kick from the byline to make but nails it the same as the last kick. 14 - 0 after 17 minutes. Dogos are struggling to get in this game at all.
Wenger finally gets some luck over the ball close to the Peñarol 10 metre mark, Dogos opt for the kick at the sticks. Baronio makes it look effortless down the middle from that distance. 14 - 3 after 20 minutes now.
Dogos are lucky Peñarol couldn’t get a couple of offloads to stick otherwise they would have been through and into clear space. They manage to exit and for Etcheverry to clear the decks giving them a lineout back around the Peñarol 10 metre line. Dogos get the ball across the pitch but manage to knock the ball on giving Peñarol a scrum. A messy exit from the scrum gives Dogos the chance to force over the subsequent breakdown but in the excitement, they end up playing the 9 allowing Peñarol to kick the penalty to the Dogos 22.
Another rolling maul is off towards the Dogos line, it doesn’t look like it will stop but Peñarol manage to drop the ball and give Dogos a scrum to escape their 22. Baronio can only clear as far as halfway, and Basso slips on the return as he set off towards space. Dogos opt to kick over the top having won the ball back but kick out on the full. Back to halfway for a Peñarol scrum, Dogos get the shove on, but Peñarol get the ball out and gone. It’s not in their possession for long as they send it into touch on the far side.
28 minutes on the clock and the nerves are clear as it is very scrappy out there so far. Another Peñarol scrum awarded after another knock on. Bautista Farisé runs off the shoulder of Álvarez as he takes the ball out the scrum, a little pop, 12 charges on through a tackle which he slips. He is hauled down just before the line, Santiago Civetta easy pick and go to dive at the line, looks to have been held up but has just done enough under the shadows of the posts. Etcheverry slots the conversion from close range too. 21 - 3 to Peñarol after 31 minutes.
Peñarol manage to force another knock-on error from Dogos close to their 22 after the restart. Dogos really need to get on top of this to keep themselves in the game, they are probably hoping for half time now. 33 minutes and they have another scrum to defend in their half. Álvarez ghosts off the scrum again and able to make metres. The forwards go to work with the close up work but end up spilling the pill under the posts. Baronio exits towards halfway for the Dogos to catch their breath. Peñarol spill the ball at the lineout, and Bianchi takes up an issue with Moyano with a bit of pushing and shoving.
Dogos have a scrum near their 22 to exit or mount an attack. They get the ball out wide but the defensive line speed of Peñarol stops them quickly. They have to resort to the forwards creeping up the pitch. They finally get it wide to Cipriani in space but his kick over the top is gathered. The tennis starts but ends with a Peñarol knock on close to their 10-metre line. Dogos have 2 minutes left of the half to try and get something to take into half time. Faustino Sanchez is hitting lines and finding space. Sucking in defenders, eventually Dogos have it wide with Leonardo Gea Salim hitting another hard line through the gap out wide to dive over unopposed. Baronio has a similar difficult kick on the far touchline but there is a reason he is top point scorer as he slides it in just inside the far post. 21 - 10 to Peñarol as the half time whistle is blown.
Dogos start the second half and manage to win the kick off. They have the forwards at work in packs already to force the metres gained. Its working until they knock on at the 5-metre line, Peñarol clear poorly to the 10-metre line, Dogos start the graft again, but lose the ball in contact again on the far side. Peñarol break away managing to pop the offload to get close to the Dogos 5 metre line this time. However, ball comes loose and Dogos are pinged for the knock on. The TMO is calling over the officials to the screen to look at the knock on from Baronio as he wraps round to enter the breakdown.
After long deliberation, Baronio is given a yellow card, and the scrum is overturned to a penalty. Peñarol drop kick to the 5-metre line for the lineout. Maul is driven out, but Dogos are pinged for encroaching in the lineout. we are back on 5 metre lineouts, another maul. This one is stopped legally just short of the line. Ref stops play though for Oviedo on the deck behind the play with a potential HIA. 44 minutes on the clock and Dogos have 14 men on the pitch. Play restarts with a Peñarol scrum on the 5-metre line, Diana peels off the back of the Peñarol scrum then forces himself over the line to score another Peñarol try. Etcheverry slots another one down the middle of the sticks. 28 - 8 after 46 minutes.
Both sides are trying to breakdown the defensive lines but there is a stalemate where neither side can make many metres before ball it kicked away. On the 51st minute though, Manuel Diana hits another line off the shoulder of Álvarez at the breakdown. Slips the tackle, pop back inside to Álvarez to run over under the sticks untouched. Etcheverry does the business again. 35 - 8 after 52 minutes. Dogos have an uphill battle, and they don’t look like they have turned up tonight so far.
Dogos manage to get a spell inside the Peñarol half, winning a penalty on the 22 directly in front of the posts. They opt to go to the corner, knowing they need points. The maul is slow but is collapsed illegally on the 5-metre line, they will go to the corner again. They get the wheel on this maul and get the trundle on, its collapsed but legally according to the officials and turnover awarded to Peñarol on the 1 metre line.
Peñarol have a scrum on their 5-metre line to mount their exit, Dogos turn the screw driving the scrum penalty. It’s now advantage to Dogos on the Peñarol 5 metre line. They get another scrum penalty but can’t take advantage of the free play when thrown out wide. Great covering defence from Peñarol to stop the try.
Scrum reset back where we started, Dogos smash Peñarol once again in a pure dominance of power. A tap and go penalty from Moyano while the Peñarol player were caught napping, as their Peñarol 1 trotted off to the sin bin for his infringements at scrum time. Rodriguez is now at the tee after Baronio yellow card, but he pulls the conversion wide of the far post. Quick thinking from Moyano has brough the score to 35 - 13 after 61 minutes.
Álvarez is down and looks in serious discomfort, Mateo Perillo comes on to step into the front row for another scrum. This time it’s a Peñarol put in, Dogos try to get the jump, but it was all a bit early. We reset and go again, Dogos can smell blood at scrum time. They absolutely obliterate Peñarol once again, but Dogos try to get away quickly and end up knocking it on. We are back to scrum time again, I am not complaining.
65 minutes gone and we have another scrum. Peñarol get it out quickly this time but can’t execute the sneak down the blindside putting the ball in touch on halfway. Dogos get the ball in safe at the lineout, then get the ball quickly out wide. Peñarol manage to rip the ball in contact, but it’s given as a knock from Dogos, so we are back to my happy place again towards the Peñarol 22. However, Dogos try too hard and get pinged at the scrum this time. Peñarol exit with a kick but don’t find touch, we play on. After a few phases of scrappy play, we are back to scrum time near the Peñarol 10 metre line.
11 minutes left of this final, some players are looking tired. Another Dogos scrum penalty awarded again, they go towards the 5-metre line but only get just inside the Peñarol 22. Dogos need to get this over now to start any sort of comeback, The Rolling maul is illegally plundered and Dogos get the chance to kick to the corner again. They nail the lineout, and the maul is too strong. Greising Revol has the line open up in front of him to flop over. Rodriguez has a difficult kick but smashes it down the middle. 35 - 20 with 9 minutes to go.
Are we going to see this final come to life now? Dogos have the wind in their sails and Peñarol are looking a bit leggy. The Peñarol line speed is still at the maximum, Dogos can’t get out of their half until Peñarol are pinged for offside near the Dogos 22. Exit to over halfway set the Dogos on their way, but they lose their own lineout. Peñarol shank the clearance and give a lineout to Dogos on the Peñarol 22. Dogos knock on in the formation of their maul, this game has been strewn with errors for both sides. Dogos will want to turn the screw again at this scrum, Peñarol opt to wheel on the push giving an easy penalty to Dogos. Rodriguez puts it in the corner again, we know what’s going to happen now.
The maul is nearly driven over but stopped a metre out. Dogos had to be patient but eventually Revol flops over from 5 metres out after the pick and goes pay off. Rodriguez makes the conversion. 35 - 27 with 2 minutes left. It looks like Dogos have left it all too late, but they are going for it, having made it all the way back to halfway after the restart. Another great line into a gap from Sanchez, charges onto the 22, offload to Cipriani. Cipriani tripped by Etcheverry when clean through for the try. Yellow card issued but no penalty try. A few more handbags, scrum called. The clock is in the red, and Dogos are 8 points behind. Peñarol players are cramping up, scrum is reset. Peñarol 18 is being taken off on a stretcher, hopefully it’s not too serious but he looks in pain.
Dogos win the scrum penalty, go for the quick tap and go. Stopped on the line, ball is spun out to the backs to do some work. Griffo goes for the grubber and slides on to gather his own kick, try to Dogos. Rodriguez takes the conversion with ease but it’s all too late. Final whistle blows with the score 35 - 34. What a second half that was! Peñarol nearly let their lead fall apart due to ill-discipline, but they are now 3 times champions of Super Rugby Americas!
