C.U.B.A shines against OBU in the February sunshine

Touring Argentinian club side Club Universidad de Buenos Aires (C.U.B.A.) defeated Old Boys University nine tries to three in a special international club rugby pre-season fixture at Prince of Wales Park this afternoon.

The match was divided into four 20-minute quarters and featured rolling substitutions without conversions.

At the end of the third quarter the tourists held a narrow 15-10 lead, but the floodgates opened in the final quarter as OBU mistakes piled up and the visitors’ confidence grew.

Sequi Pisani was outstanding for C.U.B.A. scoring three tries, including two from past halfway.

The most dramatic and heart-breaking moment of the match was in the third quarter when Reece Plumtree scored a brilliant chip and chase try over 30-metres with apparently little on. After touching down Plumtree grimaced and grasped at his knee. He was taken to hospital with a suspected ACL injury. It's a cruel blow for the Wellington Under-18 rep.

Lock Joe Beech had a top game for OBU and galloped away for the first try and openside Naera Tipoki out of Gisborne Boys' High School showed he will be a valuable acquisition for the students.

Teams from both clubs’ second fifteens played the curtain-raiser, with the C.U.B.A back-up side defeating the OBU Premier Reserves squad.

C.U.B.A. are on their second tour to New Zealand. They previously visited these shores in 1985 and have brought 35 former players from that trip with them. The most notable in the 'logistics support' party is former Puma Joaquin Uriarte whose son Santiago played today's game.

C.U.B.A. compete in the Top 14 Buenos Aires club competition and won the senior championship as recently as 2013, having won 14 times overall since 1931. They were a big and generally precise unit with effervescent supporters.

Their touring squad included Facundo Bosch, who played six Super Rugby matches for the Jaguares last year and has also played two Tests. Bosch, a hooker, is carrying an injury and didn’t play against OBU.

C.U.B.A. visit Tauranga this week for training before their tour concludes with a fixture against Auckland University next Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a second touring side from Argentina, Club Newman, are also touring New Zealand and they play Petone next weekend. Newman also plays in the in the Buenos Aires Top 14 competition. They boast Felipe Contepomi  as a famous player.