2016 World Rugby Americas Pacific Challenge

The 2016 World Rugby Americas Pacific Challenge was the inaugural rugby union tournament created by World Rugby for national 'A' teams to develop home grown talent for their national test sides.

2016 Americas Pacific Challenge

Tournament details
Date	8–16 October 2016
Countries	Argentina XV  Canada A  Fiji Warriors  Samoa A  Uruguay A  USA Selects
Teams	6
Final positions
Champions	Argentina XV
Runner-up	Fiji Warriors
Tournament statistics
Matches played	9
Tries scored	84 (9.33 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Juan Cruz González (37)
Most tries	Benjamín Macome (4)
2017 →

Uruguay vs United States, Montevideo 2016

The Americas Pacific Challenge provides the Pacific nations a chance of further competition outside their own region, as the Pacific Challenge is reduced to just the Pacific nations when Rugby World Cup qualifiers are played.

For national 'A' teams from the Americas, this new tournament replaced the pre-2015 format of the Americas Rugby Championship, which is now an annual championship elevated to test status.

The tournament was hosted by Uruguay, with all matches played at the 14,000 capacity stadium Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo.^[1] Argentina XV won the tournament undefeated, with Fiji Warriors as runner-up.

Format

With six teams in the tournament and a limitation of three matches per team, a "split pool" format was used. The field was split into two pools, with teams in one pool only playing the teams in the other. The competing teams were:^[2]

Group A

•  Argentina XV
•  Samoa A
•  USA Selects

Group B

•  Canada A
•  Fiji Warriors
•  Uruguay A

Table

Final standings for combined pools:

Rank	Team	Games				Points			Try Bonus	Losing Bonus	Table Points
		P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff
1	Argentina XV	3	3	0	0	154	62	+92	2	0	14
2	Fiji Warriors	3	2	0	1	127	65	+62	4	0	12
3	Samoa A	3	2	0	1	97	103	-6	1	0	9
4	Uruguay A	3	1	0	2	96	130	-34	3	0	7
5	USA Selects	3	1	0	2	74	106	-72	1	0	5
6	Canada A	3	0	0	3	88	130	-42	3	0	3
Updated: 16 October 2016 Source: World Rugby Four points for a win, two for a draw, and no points for a bye. One bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match. One bonus point for losing by seven or less. The tie-break mechanism for teams finishing on the same table points has not been sourced.

Fixtures

The matches were announced on 7 September 2016.^[3]

All times are local UYT (UTC-03)

Round 1

	8 October 2016	Argentina XV	56–29	Canada A	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	12:30	Try: Tuculet 11' c Delguy 14' c Macome (4) 27' c, 36' c, 45' c, 68' c Gigena 56' c Báez 75' c Con: González (6/6) 12', 15', 28', 37', 46', 57' Miotti (2/2) 69', 76'	Report[4]	Try: McRorie 62' c, Con: McRorie (1/2) 63' Povey (2/2) 78', 80' Pen: McRorie (1/1) 18'	Attendance: 500 Referee: Tim Baker (Hong Kong)

Team details

FB 15 Bautista Delguy RW 14 Segundo Tuculet OC 13 Santiago Álvarez IC 12 Juan Cappiello LW 11 Fernando Luna  24'  34' FH 10 Juan Cruz González  62' SH 9 Felipe Ezcurra (c)  62' N8 8 Benjamín Macome OF 7 Tomás Lezana  40' BF 6 Rodrigo Báez RL 5 Ignacio Larrague LL 4 Juan Cruz Guillemaín 24' to 34'  56' TP 3 Cristian Bartoloni 23' to 33'  62' HK 2 Axel Zapata  56' LP 1 Facundo Gigena Replacements: HK 16 Gaspar Baldunciel  56' PR 17 Nicolás Solveyra PR 18 Santiago Medrano  24'  34'  62' LK 19 Pedro Ortega  56' N8 20 Santiago Montagner  40' SH 21 Gonzalo Bertranou  62' FH 22 Domingo Miotti  62' CE 23 Julián Domínguez Coach: Diego Ternavasio FB 15 Rory McDonell RW 14 Kainoa Lloyd  65'  70' OC 13 Giuseppe du Toit  55' IC 12 Ben LeSage LW 11 Dan Moor  40' FH 10 Pat Parfrey SH 9 Gordon McRorie (c)  72' N8 8 Lucas Rumball  54' OF 7 Matt Heaton BF 6 Kyle Baillie RL 5 Adrian Wadden LL 4 Conor Keys  46' TP 3 Ryan Kotlewski  68' HK 2 Ray Barkwill 55' to 65' LP 1 Rob Brouwer 58' to 68'  70' Replacements: HK 16 Martial Lagain PR 17 Peter Houlihan  65' PR 18 Ryan Ackerman  68' LK 19 Lucas Albornoz  46' FL 20 Nanyak Dala  54' SH 21 Andrew Ferguson  72' CE 22 Robbie Povey  55' WG 23 Anton Ngongo  40' Coach: Mark Anscombe

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	8 October 2016	USA Selects	12–62	Fiji Warriors	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	14:30	Try: Leuta 5' Tomasin 47' c Con: Eloff (1/2) 48'	Report[5]	Try: Tovilevu 7' m Hickes 15' c Radrodro (2) 28' m, 51' c Doge 39' c Veitokani 52' m Penalty try 59' c Mudu 65' c Nadruku 68' c Daveta 73' m Con: Veitokani (6/10) 16', 40', 51', 60', 66', 69'	Attendance: 600 Referee: Ricardo Sant'Anna (Brazil)

Team details

FB 15 Mike Te'o RW 14 Brett Thompson OC 13 Bryce Campbell IC 12 Martin Iosefo 37' to 47' LW 11 Matai Leuta  61' FH 10 JP Eloff  61' SH 9 Stephen Tomasin  72' N8 8 Sione Tu'ihalamaka  48'  55' OF 7 Pat Blair BF 6 Harry Higgins RL 5 Matt Jensen  68' LL 4 Siaosi Mahoni  55' TP 3 Demecus Beach 44' to 54'  68'  77' HK 2 Joe Taufete'e (c)  63' LP 1 Mason Pedersen  27'  70' Replacements: HK 16 Hanco Germishuys  63' PR 17 Chance Wenglewski  27'  70' PR 18 Alex Maughan  48'  55'  68'  77' LK 19 Christian Ostberg  68' FL 20 Malon Al-Jiboori  55' SH 21 Nick Boyer  72' FH 22 Ben Cima  61' CE 23 Ahmad Harajly  61' Coach: Ray Egan FB 15 Lepani Raiyala RW 14 Apete Daveta  69' OC 13 Ifereimi Tovilevu  56' IC 12 Eroni Vasiteri LW 11 Fred Hickes FH 10 Alivereti Veitokani SH 9 Henry Seniloli  58' N8 8 Eremasi Radrodro  65' OF 7 Vasikali Mudu BF 6 Nemani Nagusa RL 5 Mesulame Kunavula LL 4 Rupeni Nasiga (c)  62' TP 3 Mesake Doge  68' HK 2 Jerry Naureure  56' LP 1 Joeli Veitayaki Jr.  68' Replacements: HK 16 Iliesa Leca  56' PR 17 Mosese Ducivaki  68' PR 18 Kalivati Tawake  68' LK 19 Esikia Macu  62' FL 20 Sakiusa Nadruku  65' SH 21 Sakiusa Gavidi  58' WG 22 Ilimeleki Leiloma  69' CE 23 Sitiveni Kunaga  56' Coach: Senirusi Seruvakula

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	8 October 2016	Samoa A	44–42	Uruguay A	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	16:30	Try: Fa'afou 31' m Magele 34' c Peleseuma (2) 42' m, 65' c Tuiletufuga 47' c Leilua 58' c Con: Fa'apale (4/6) 35', 48', 59', 66' Pen: Fa'apale (2/2) 21', 80'	Report[6]	Try: Penalty try (2) 40' c, 45' c Freitas (2) 53' m, 68' c Arata 61' c Con: Etcheverry (4/5) 40', 46', 62', 69' Pen: Etcheverry (3/3) 20', 30', 78'	Attendance: 1,200[7] Referee: Pali de Luca (Argentina)

Team details

FB 15 Malu Falaniko  65' RW 14 Jeff Makapelu  60' OC 13 Ope Peleseuma IC 12 Meki Magele LW 11 La'aloi Leilua FH 10 Patrick Fa'apale SH 9 Danny Tusitala N8 8 Afa Aiono (c) OF 7 Oneone Fa'afou BF 6 Joshua Fuimaono  40' RL 5 Mikaele Tapili  65' LL 4 Talaga Alofipo TP 3 Nephi Leatigaga 40' to 50' HK 2 Ropeti Lafo  5' LP 1 Michael Tuiloma Replacements: HK 16 Malcolm Tanielu  5' PR 17 Sylvester Taupau PR 18 Nu'uuli Lene LK 19 Callum Adams  65' N8 20 Suamalie Tuiletufuga  40' SH 21 Melani Matavao FH 22 Jack Saena  65' WG 23 Johnny Va'ili  60' Coach: Mailo Potumoe Leavasa FB 15 Rodrigo Silva  57' RW 14 Santiago Arata OC 13 Joaquín Prada  65' IC 12 Nicolás Freitas LW 11 Santiago Gibernau FH 10 Jerónimo Etcheverry SH 9 Guillermo Lijtenstein N8 8 Gonzalo Soto  48' OF 7 Santiago Hernández  59' BF 6 Joaquín Dell'Acqua RL 5 Diego Ayala LL 4 Diego Magno TP 3 Mario Sagario (c) HK 2 Juan Echeverría LP 1 Mateo Sanguinetti 57' to 67'  67' Replacements: HK 16 Marcos Chamyán PR 17 Ignacio Secco  59' PR 18 Diego Arbelo FL 19 Manuel Leindekar  48' FL 20 Fernando Bascou  67' SH 21 Facundo Klappenbach FH 22 Manuel Blengio  57' CE 23 Juan Manuel Cat  65' Coach: Esteban Meneses

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Round 2

	12 October 2016	Samoa A	26–39	Fiji Warriors	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	12:30	Try: Tanielu Peleseuma Con: Fa’apale (2/2) Pen: Fa’apale (4/4)	Report[8]	Try: Radrodro Gavidi Leca Daveta Hickes Con: Veitokani (4/5) Pen: Veitokani	Attendance: 200 Referee: Pali de Luca (Argentina)

	12 October 2016	USA Selects	47–37	Canada A	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	14:30	Try: Boyer Iosefo (2) Te'o Harajly Con: Cima (5/5) Pen: Cima (4/4)	Report[9]	Try: Fraser LeSage (2) Rumball Albornoz Con: McRorie (2/4) Albornoz (1/1) Pen: McRorie (2/2)	Attendance: 300 Referee: Ricardo Sant’Anna (CBRu)

	12 October 2016	Argentina XV	71–7	Uruguay A	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	16:30	Try: S. Montagner (10) C. Bartoloni (13) B. Delguy 2 (21, 65) G. Bertranou (25) F. Bosch (32) J. Guillemaín (36) J. Domínguez (39) F. Luna 2 (75, 80) J. Cappiello (78) Con: D. Miotti 4/6 (11, 22, 26, 40) J. González 4/4 (66, 76, 79, 80)	Report[10]	Try: A. Rocco (45) Con: J. Etcheverry (46)	Referee: Tim Baker (Hong Kong)

Round 3

	16 October 2016	Samoa A	27–22	Canada A	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	12:30	Try: O. Fa’afou (11) O. Peleseuma (18) J. Saena (35) Con: J. Saena 3/3 (12, 19, 36) Pen: J. Saena (74) Drop: P. Fa’apale (80)	Report[11]	Try: Penalty try (30) B. LeSage (50) G. McRorie (70) Con: A. Ferguson 2 (31, 51) G. McRorie (0/1) Pen: A. Ferguson (13)	Referee: Tim Baker (HKRFU)

	16 October 2016	USA Selects	15–47	Uruguay A	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	14:30	Try: J. Turnbull (37) M. Al-Jiboori (45) Con: B. Cima 1/2 (37) Pen: B. Cima (3)	Report[12]	Try: S. Hernández (18) S. Gibernau (39) D. Magno (64), F. Klappenbach (74) R. Silva (78) Con: J. Etcheverry 5/5 (19, 40, 65, 75, 79) Pen: J. Etcheverry 4 (6, 14, 27, 33)	Referee: Ricardo Sant’Anna (CBRu)

	16 October 2016	Argentina XV	27–26	Fiji Warriors	Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
	16:00	Try: J. González (30) J. Domínguez (36) P. Ortega (80) Con: J. González 3/3 (31, 37, 80) Pen: J. González 2 (14, 66)	Report[13]	Try: L. Raiyala 3 (48, 62, 69) S. Kunaga (52) Con: A. Veitokani 2/4 (53, 70)	Referee: Joaquín Montes (URU)

See also

• 2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals
• Americas Rugby Championship
• World Rugby Pacific Challenge