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Jaguares catch out Brumbies in Canberra
By Rob Lancaster
The Jaguares made it two wins from two on Australian soil in Super Rugby this season with a 25-20 triumph over the Brumbies in Canberra.
Both sides scored three tries apiece but Nicolas Sanchez's boot made sure the visitors - who had recorded a 25-22 win over the Rebels in the last round - moved above the Stormers and off the foot of the South African Conference.
The fly-half also had a hand in the game's opening try, as his offload allowed Matias Orlando to plunge over in the fifth minute at GIO Stadium.
Sanchez added the extras and was also on target with a pair of first-half penalties, putting the Jaguares 13-0 ahead in the early stages.
Tom Banks darted over to get the Brumbies on the board in the 35th minute, before the full-back capitalised on a grubber kick by Wharenui Hawera to make it 13-10 at the break.
The hosts were given a further boost when Emiliano Boffelli was sin-binned early in the second half for taking out Henry Speight in the air, yet it was the Jaguares who crucially scored next thanks to Jeronimo de la Fuente's converted try.
Chance Peni's close-range finish, with Hawera successfully converting, cut the gap back down to three, but Boffelli made amends for his earlier indiscretion by touching down nine minutes from the end.
After a lengthy break due to an injury to Ramiro Moyano, who was taken from the field on a cart in a neck brace, Hawera slotted over a late penalty to secure the beaten Brumbies a losing bonus point.
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Latest Comments
SCW really dislikes Eddie, doesn't he?
His words in 2019 before the RWC final that he now says should have resulted in Eddie's firing:
"Was Saturday’s sensational World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand England’s greatest ever performance? Yes, unquestionably, would be my answer."
So let's fire the coach one game later? Duh!
Go to commentsIreland have every right to back themselves for a win. But the key variable has little to do with recent record etc.
The reality is that Ireland are a settled team with tons of continuity, an established style, and a good depth chart, whereas NZ are fundamentally rebuilding. The questions are all about what Razor is doing and how far along he is in that program.
NZ are very close to really clicking. Against England all of the chatter is about how England could have closed out a win, but failed to do so. This has obscured the observation that NZ were by far the more creative and effective in attack, beyond the 3-1 try differential and disallowed tries. They gave away a lot of unnecessary penalties, and made many simple errors (including knock-ons and loose kicks). Those things are very fixable, and when they do so we are once again going to be staring at a formidable NZ team.
Last week we heard the England fans talking confidently about their chances against NZ, but England did not end up looking like the better team on the field or the scoreboard. The England defense was impressive enough, but still could not stop the tries.
Ireland certainly has a better chance, of course, but NZ is improving fast, and I would not be surprised at a convincing All Black win this week. It may turn on whether NZ can cut out the simple mistakes.
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