Sunday’s matches postponed due to rain
This weekend saw two Argentine Open matches played on Saturday. The action began on Saturday 27 November with La Irenita vs Alegria Fish Creek, La Irenita’s Tito Ruiz Guiñazu replaced by Santiago Cernadas, but this did not affect their performance and the input of Cubi Toccalino combined with the penalty conversion accuracy of Isidro Strada mean that La Irenita secured their first win of the tournament, 14-11. The result means that La Irenita have enough points to qualify for the 2022 Triple Crown or will have to go to a playoff with the winner of The Cámara de Diputados Cup, while Alegria Fish Creek will play in the qualification tournament.
The second match of the day was possibly the most anticipated of the weekend, with the Argentine powerhouses of La Dolfina Saudi and Ellerstina facing each other for the first time in a league match since 2004. The results of this match were momentous; if La Dolfina Saudi lost then they would be disqualified from the tournament, but if they won then it would be Ellerstina facing elimination, only able to secure a place in the Final if La Dolfina lost their match against La Irenita on Thursday 2 December – so there was everything to play for. With the pressure at an all-time high, La Dolfina Saudi rose to the occasion and seized control from the fourth chukka onwards to secure their merciless 16-14 victory against Ellerstina. The action was scheduled to continue on Sunday 28 November with La Natividad vs Alegria and RS Murus Sanctus vs La Dolfina Brava, however Sunday’s matches were postponed due to rain, with the new date to be announced once conditions improve.
Photograph: La Dolfina put in their strongest performance of the tournament to defeat Ellerstina. By Matias Callejo