At home for the first time in 2017, Uruguay completed a bonus point win over Brazil. Their 23-12 win was their first of this year’s Americas Rugby Championship. With remaining matches at home against Canada and Chile Los Teros have an eye of making it three in-a-row.

The first points of the match went Brazil’s way. In just the second minute Moisés Duque opened the scoring. His straight-forward penalty was awarded after Super Rugby player, Nicolás Freitas went in from the side of a ruck.

Raids from the Uruguayan pack saw the home side enter Brazil’s 22. Os Tupi’s were being driven back quickly. Smart recycling saw second-rower Diego Ayala crossing from one meter out. Replays confirmed that it was a knock-on. Not for the first time in the tournament the lack of a TMO was brought into question.

A second Duque penalty saw Brazil back in front. Their 6-5 lead after 11 minutes was and it could have been more. Duque’s third shot at goal, in the 14th minute, was unsuccessful.

Meanwhile an unforced error from Brazil saw Uruguay score their second try. Ignacio Dotti joined his second-row partner in entering the score sheet. Dotti scored a gift try after De Wet van Niekerk threw a poor early lineout pass to Josh Reeves. The New Zealand-born fly half failed to gather the pass, allowing Uruguay to pounce. Germán Albanell was again unable to convert.

A third try was denied in the 33rd minute. Uruguay charged forward from a lineout to cross. The ball was indeed touched down but was called a no-try based on a double-movement ruling. Two minutes later another opportunity presented itself only for Gonzalo Soto to knock-on two meters out.

Sustained Teros pressure eventually resulted in further points. With time up in the first half Uruguay took a five meter scrum to score. The home side shoved Brazil back with Alejandro Nieto scoring a push-over try. Albanell’s conversion rebounded off the posts.

Duque cut the deficit to six points. His 43rd minute penalty would be a brief moment of celebration. Santiago Arata underlined his future credentials by finishing off a try. The scrum half went over from a Soto pass to secure his team a four-try bonus point. The conversion was again off-target.

Germán Albanell’s inaccuracies were ended in the 51st minute. His first goal of the match gave Uruguay a comfortable 23-6 advantage. It was cancelled out by Duque fourteen minutes later.

No further points would be scored though Brazil would play with 14 men for ten minutes following a yellow card to hooker Daniel Danielewicz.

SCORING

URUGUAY 23

Tries – D. Ayala (7’), I. Dotti (16’), A. Nieto (40’), S. Arata (45’)

Pens – G. Albanell (50’)

BRAZIL 12

Pens – M. Duque 4 (2’, 12’, 43’, 64’)

Yellow cards – D. Danielewicz (68’)

TEAMS

URUGUAY

1 Mateo Sanguinetti, (17 Matías Benítez 74’) 2 Martín Espiga (16 Facundo Gattas 65’), 3 Mario Sagario (18 Juan Echeverría 51’), 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Diego Ayala (19 Lorenzo Surraco 61’), 6 Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt.) (20 Juan Diego Ormaechea 51’), 7 Gonzalo Soto (23 Manuel Diana 61’), 8 Alejandro Nieto, 9 Santiago Arata (21 Guillermo Lijtenstein 61’), 10 Germán Albanell, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Andrés Vilaseca (22 Gastón Gibernau 51’), 13 Juan Manuel Cat, 14 Leandro Leivas, 15 Rodrigo Silva

BRAZIL

1 Wilton Rebolo, 2 Daniel Danielewicz (16 Endy Willian HT-51’) , 3 Pedro Bengaló (17 Vitor Ancina 56’), 4 Lucas Piero, 5 Diego López, 6 Matheus Daniel (18 Matheus Rocha 69’-79’), 7 Cléber Dias (19 André Arruda 36’) , 8 Nick Smith (capt.) (20 João Luiz da Ros 61’), 9 Matheus Cruz (21 Beukes Cremer 79’), 10 Josh Reeves, 11 De Wet van Niekerk, 12 Moisés Duque, 13 Felipe Sancery (22 Luan Smanio 79’), 14 Robert Tenório (23 Ariel Rodrigues 79’), 15 Daniel Sancery

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Pablo De Luca (UAR)

Assistants: Joaquín Montes (URU) & Francisco González (URU)