The Jaguares scored a late try to steal a 25-22 victory over the Rebels in Melbourne on Saturday. DYLAN JACK reports.
Despite seeing less of the ball in the first half, the Rebels still managed to score two tries to take a 14-3 half-time lead. However, the visitors fought back in the second half, with replacement centre Bautista Ezcurra going over in the 74th minute to put them in the lead and Nicolás Sánchez crucially kicking the touchline conversion.
The Rebels then piled the pressure onto the Jaguares, taking the ball through over 30 phases before being awarded a penalty in front of the posts. However, instead of taking the three points and a draw, the hosts opted to scrum and push for a match-winning try. That bold approach backfired when the Jaguares stripped the ball in a tackle and booted it into the stands.
Sánchez opened the scoring for the visitors with an early penalty, but the hosts hit back as Will Genia sliced through the defence and played in centre Billy Meakes, who scored.
That try gave the Rebels some confidence, and they started to see more of the ball as they spent some time in the Jaguares’ 22. That pressure paid off when Dane Haylett-Petty got the ball wide to big wing Marika Koroibete, who crossed for the second try of the match.
The visitors were all too lateral in attack, and although they saw most of the ball in the first half, they made it all too easy for the Rebels to defend. They tested the Rebels’ line late in the half, but made crucial errors that prevented them from scoring.
This pattern continued into the second half as the Jaguares dominated possession but could not turn it into points. The Rebels, however, continued to be clinical and got their third after Genia broke from the back of a scrum and his pass was knocked down to an all-too grateful Haylett-Petty.
The visitors immediately struck back when some good interchanging between forwards and backs allowed wing Sebastian Cancelliere to cross. That momentum shift was given a boost when Rebels prop Tetera Faulkner was yellow-carded for multiple infringements.
As the rain poured down, the Jaguares used their numbers when they sucked in Rebels’ forwards before spreading the ball to Ramiro Moyano, who shrugged off three would-be tacklers to cross in the corner.
After Jack Debreczini kicked a penalty to make it a four-point game, the visitors took the lead late through Ezcurra’s try and were then able to hang on for the win.
Rebels – Tries: Billy Meakes, Marika Koroibete, Dane Haylett-Petty. Conversions: Jack Debreczeni (2). Penalty: Debreczeni.
Jaguares – Tries: Sebastian Cancelliere, Ramiro Moyano, Bautista Ezcurra. Conversions: Nicolás Sánchez (2). Penalties: Sánchez (2).
Rebels – 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Jack Maddocks, 13 Tom English, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Will Genia, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Richard Hardwick, 6 Ross Haylett-Petty, 5 Adam Coleman (c), 4 Geoff Parling, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Tetera Faulkner.
Subs: 16 Jordan Uelese, 17 Ben Daley, 18 Jermaine Ainsley, 19 Matt Philip, 20 Colby Fainga’a, 21 Lopeti Timani, 22 Michael Ruru, 23 Sefa Naivalu.
Jaguares – 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Ramiro Moyano, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 11 Sebastian Cancelliere, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti Pagadizaval, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta.
Subs: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Javier Manuel Diaz, 18 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Bautista Ezcurra, 23 Joaquin Tuculet.
Photo: Mike Owen/Getty Images
