The High School All Americans edged Uruguay U19s 23-22 in the second match between the two.

Head Coach Salty Thompson made 13 changes from game three, which Uruguay won 17-15.

He was forced into another change just before kickoff, when impressive flanker Nick Gadbaw got sick. With Gadbaw down, England-based flanker Matteo Salvalaggio stepped in and had a superb game.

Meanwhile Thompson picked a new scrumhalf for the first time on tour, with Isaiah Chinen of the Kona Bulls in Hawaii stepping in for Michael Reid. Chinen played very well, but had to leave at halftime due to a swollen eye - he was in the process of touching down a try (which was later called back for an earlier knock-on), and when he got back to his feet collided with a Uruguayan knee. Eventually the swelling got so bad he couldn't see and told the coaches he needed to come out.

It was a young backline that stepped on the field, with Gonzaga sophomore Ben Cima at flyhalf, and young teammates from United in Utah, Zach Webber and Calvin Whiting, both underclassmen, in the centers.

Before the game, Thompson said, "it could be a stretch for this young team to match up with the Uruguay U19s, but most of them played in Game 2 against Chile and played very well. We learned some valuable lessons four days ago and this is a unique opportunity to test ourselves against a good age grade team."



The Americans started quickly, trading kicks after the kickoff and then mounting a counter-attack that saw Salvalaggio make a huge break. The flanker linked up with Cathedral Royal Irish fullback Greg Wood, and the future Arkansas State Red Wolf finished it off. Cima's conversion made it 7-0. 

More HSAA pressure put them ahead 10-0 after Cima slotted a goal. The young Gonzaga flyhalf's kicking was a crucial part of the effort. Meanwhile the tourists had to contend with constant penalty issues. No.8 Tama Paogofie was sin-binned at 10 minutes, and that was just the start.

Uruguay battled back, using their maul to push the Americans backward.

"They really hurt us on the mauls from lineouts," Thompson told RUGBYMag.com. "Looking back, we left our two forwards who were most accomplished at sacking the jumper on the bench - they'd played a lot and needed the rest. Our guys know the sack the jumper and get someone on the ball quickly. But we weren't as adept as we could have been, and Uruguay did a really good job of holding their guy up longer."

That mauling led to a Teritos try at 16 minutes to make it 10-7. 

Then the High School All Americans pulled further away. Chinen charged down a kick and Salvalaggio was, like a good flanker, quick to pounce on the ball and score. Cima's kicking was again on the mark and the tourists led 17-7.

Uruguay kicked a penalty, and the first half ended 17-10. The tourists ended the half without lock Stuart Harr, who broke his collarbone when someone landed on him.

In the second half, Uruguay scored again off the maul, although the Americans argued they had snaked a couple of bodies under the ball. Try good, said the ref, and it was 17-15 and all to play for.

Cima slotted a penalty to make it 20-15, but then another maul produced another Uruguay try. Conversion good and 20-22 the hosts led.

At this point the HSAA team was again short-handed, as flanker and captain Zach Bonte of Back Bay in California was sin-binned. While he was out, the HSAA team did manage a rare second-half foray into the Uruguay half. It was enough - penalty to the Americans, and Cima calmly smacked it over from 40 meters, showing plenty of poise to give his team the 23-22 lead.

Still down a man, the High School All Americans were soon down two. Flanker Vili Toluta'u came on as a sub, and one minute later was off again, accused of using the boot (he says he was trying to extricate himself from clutching arms). The Americans held on, though.

"Our backline defense was very strong, especially for such a young group," said Thompson. "We just had to hold on and we did. Uruguay finished very strong. They play well together and they got really good go-forward and kept moving it on us. At this age, almost all of these elite players are living around Montevideo and they assemble about 40 times a year. So they play really well together. Our guys needed a lot of heart and toughness to hold them off."

The HS All Americans almost scored at the end, but the try was disallowed. They won by one point, and would certainly thank the kicking efforts of Ben Cima, who was clutch.

"We wanted to stick to the basics," said Chinen. "We talked a lot about not forcing anything and being more patient, and we did that."

"I think over the course of the game, we got used to how they were mauling and adapted well," said Harr, who couldn't finish the game due to his injury. "They are really good rugby players and they don't give up, ever."

The HS All Americans finish their tour on Saturday. Thursday is an early rise and a ferry trip across the Rio de la Plata to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. There they will recover and train in preparation for perhaps their toughest match, against the Argentine U18s.

Already, however, this has been a remarkably successful tour, with the High School All Americans 3-1, and having lost just the one game by two points.

HSAA 23
Tries: Wood, Salvalaggio
Convs: Cima 2
Pens: Cima 3

Uruguay U19s 22 

USA HSAAs v Uruguay u19s Wednesday July 25th 2012