Game 2 - Club Athletico Rosario

So it’s time for the proper Rugby to properly begin. Last night we dropped the students off at the Rugby club to taken back to their new hosts for the evening. There were a lot of nervous smiles and anxious questions, but finally the last student was picked up. 

We met them back at the club the following day to begin match day preparations, in glorious sunshine. 

As usual for an RGS team the away support was plentiful, making deepest South America seem like an Autumn day in South Croydon. 

The Rosario players lined up on the half way line arm in arm. I think they may have been expecting a Hake, but we just huddled up for the start. 

The game started at a good pace with Rosario stringing together attack after attack, and eventually camping on our line, but at no point did it look like breaking. We eventually exited with class, and finished with a penalty 10 m out and in front of the posts. Ben Tope stepped up to settle the away teams nerves and slotted an unconventional penalty for a 3 nil lead. 

We then capitalised immediately from the kick off with Matt Gallagher going over for a well worked and flowing team try. Tope converts. 

The home side regathered themselves and struck with an excellent attack of their own, but the 10 failed a very hard kick. To make it 5-10. They then scored again, after some dogged RGS defending, and Avi Sohi turning over breakdown after breakdown. 

Archie Benson-Gaunt had decided enough was enough and with a few surging runs out us right back into the game with another excellent team try. 

Into the second half and RGS had found their rhythm and were just not letting a good Rosario team into the game. Ollie Stonehouse had entered the game at 10 and was playing with such confidence, he put up a cross field kick, about 15 from the opposition try line for Archie to gather and dive over for the 3rd try and Stonehouse converts with ease from some distance. 

Finally Cam Edgar finished the final try with a bull dozing run, refusing to go down and crashed in under the posts, for Stonehouse to convert. 

A final score of 17-31. Stunning displays from a number of players need to be mentioned. Max Jankiewicz at number 8 captained the side with confidence and excellent front foot carrying that set the tone. This was backed by Toko Avialani on the flank and Tim Wraight as replacement fullback, showing his dancing feet and low centre of gravity. Nick Moss in defence and attack and 

A very dogged and classy display from this debutant 2nd team, with many positives going forward and few negatives or injury worries. 

The 1st team started the game at break neck speed. Scott Masson and Henry  Chilcott with some slick distribution and kicking , and Jack Burniston, kicking down the wing, chasing and eventually scoring. Efan Morris and James Tunney we’re straight up to pace and were terrorising the defence to set up the next try. 

Callum Saganowski took at stud to the chin and had to go for some running repairs, as did Efan Morris, but both are confirmed for for tomorrows game. 

Sam Mark followed in for the next try, the Matvey Boguslavsky opened his try scoring tour account. 

James Tunney was substituted to allow the opportunity a chance for a breath and Captain Chilcott stepped up to score the next. 

Sam Mark and Jack Burniston both scored again before the game ended.  

The following day took in a guided tour of Rosario, some bowling and arcade action and the teachers managed to find a steak worth of Argentina.