It was an almost perfect weekend for teams within the Rugby Europe fold, as Portugal, Spain, and Georgia all secured victories, while Romania came agonisingly close to beating Uruguay, only to concede a draw in the final five minutes.
With the World Rugby Nations Cup moving into the third and final round of the July window, we still have time to find out how each team fared this past weekend.
A 36-point blockbuster at Montevideo
Stejarii and Los Teros delivered an all-time instant classic as after 80 highly intense 80 minutes there was no winner, with both Nations Cup contenders going home with a 36-point draw.
While Romania went into the break with a 5-point lead, Uruguay were the first side to add points to the scoreboard following a swift try from Felipe Arcos Velez. The Stejarii bounced back in great fashion, crossing the whitewash three times with Alin Conache slotting in two conversions and a penalty kick.
Tevita Manumua, who would go on to score two tries, was a constant problem for the opposing defence, which struggled to stop the winger, who was well supplied by Hinckley Vaovasa and Marius Simionescu.
After the short 15-minute rest, Romania looked sharp and added a fourth try to their end, thanks to a powerful carry from hooker Stefan Buruiana.
Unfortunately for Romania, their indiscipline would open the door for a Uruguayan comeback – Alexandru Savin and Vlad Neculau were sent to the sin-bin following repeated offences – as Uruguay claimed two tries before the 65th minute mark.
David Gérard’s men still managed to find their way to the opposing whitewash thanks to another sensational carry from Tevita Manumua, but it wouldn’t be enough to secure the win, as Manuel Ardao’s try levelled the game for the final time.
Although it didn’t end in celebration, the result marked a remarkable improvement from last year, when Romania conceded a 70–8 defeat on their previous visit to Montevideo.
The Stejarii will wrap up their July Nations Cup campaign next Saturday against Samoa, with the game at the Estádio Charrua (3.30 PM GMT).
Lelos defeat Samoa to secure second win
With Luka Matkava running the show yet again, the Lelos overcame Samoa 33-12 at Viña Del Mar’s Estadio Sausalito.
The Lelos were simply ruthless from the very first minute, matching Samoa's thumping physicality and consistently winning the gain-line battle. While their first try only arrived two minutes at half-time, Luka Matkava put them in the lead with three successful penalty kicks, giving a 9-point cushion before Duncan Paia'aua managed to score Samoa's first finish of the game.
Nonetheless, Georgia remained in control of the match throughout, extending their lead once again with a finish from Luka Ivanishvili, who powered through the Samoan defence to reach the whitewash. Matkava added the extras.
However, Lelos went into the break with one fewer player, as Mikheil Babunashvili was sent to the sin-bin for collapsing a Samoan driving maul.
Despite being down to 14 men, Georgia continued to impose itself on the game and scored a second five-pointer through winger Giorgi Kveseladze, who linked up brilliantly with Davit Niniashvili before crossing the try line.
Until the game’s completion, both sides scored a try each, with Luka Matkava claiming another penalty kick. The fly-half was pivotal for the Lelos winning song, claiming 16 points from the tee and creating a cascade of brilliant combos and plays.
Georgia will now face Chile on Saturday in a clash of the leaders, with the winner potentially emerging from this July with a commanding lead in the standings.
Lobos back to their finest form
After a disappointing result against the Eagles, Portugal put out a dominant display and claimed a 38-14 win over Canada.
The game remained deadlocked for the opening 18 minutes, with Canada breaking the deadlock on a stellar finish from Takoda McMullin — Peter Nelson converted the two extra points.
However, from that point on, it was all Portugal; Simon Mannix’s "Lobos" executed stunning running lines that tore apart the home team's defence, with Samuel Marques and Tomás Appleton scoring the first two tries.
Their lead would extend just two minutes after the break, with talented centre Guilherme Vasconcelos bagging his side's third finish. The Men's Rugby Europe Championship title owners collected three more five-pointers, with Appleton and Raffaele Storti each earning a brace.
Appleton was one of Portugal’s top performers, looking rapid and energetic throughout the tussle, giving Portugal a crucial edge to take down Canada.
The home team still managed to collect a second try, but it wasn’t enough to deny the Portuguese opposition the win.
The Lobos are now travelling to Winnipeg to face Tonga with the match scheduled for next Saturday (9.45 PM GMT).
Voracious Los Leones claim 5-point win
Pablo Bouza’s Spain has massively improved from their opening game, successfully putting down Tonga to take ‘home’ a 32-19 win in the second round of the Nations Cup.
Antonio Suárez was one of the reasons why Los Leones came out on top with the lock packing 17 successful tackles – two dominant ones –, two turnovers, two lineout steals, six carries and a try.
Spain started the game in the lead thanks to a beautiful 30-meter penalty kick from Gonzalo López Bontempo.
Tonga would edge ahead a few minutes later thanks to a crafty play by scrum-half Sonatane Takulua, but repeated penalties and Spain’s quick ball movement swung momentum back to Los Leones.
Suárez was the first to find his way through the tight Tongan defence to put Spain in the lead, with Estanislao Bay collecting the second, to allow Spain to hold a 17-5 lead at halftime.
At the 56th minute, Spain found their way to the try-line for a third time, with lock Ignacio Piñeiro grounding the ball. While Tonga managed to pick up their second five-pointer, the opposition quickly riposted with a massive solo effort and a try from replacement centre Iñaki Mateu.
A late third try gave Tonga something to show for their efforts, but it came too late to alter the outcome, with Spain sealing victory to remain unbeaten in the Nations Cup.
Spain now heads south to face the United States of America, with the game scheduled for Saturday (Sunday 00.30 AM GMT).
By Francisco Isaac
Photos by World Rugby, Uruguay Rugby
