Argentina 7s vs Uruguay 7s

Uruguay struck first and struck early. Joaquin Fresnedo went over in the second minute to give Los Teros a 5–0 lead. Francisco Landauer added a second try in the fourth minute, and Uruguay led 10–0 inside the opening four minutes.

Argentina needed a response before the break, and Moneta provided it. With two minutes left in the first half, the Olympic gold medallist broke through multiple Uruguay defenders to dot down and cut the lead to 10–5 at half-time.

The momentum carried into the second half. Luciano Gonzalez levelled the scores in the 8th minute with a try that swung the psychological balance firmly Argentina's way. Moneta then took over, scoring twice more — in the 9th minute and again in the 12th minute — to complete his hat-trick. Argentina converted three of their four tries to build a commanding 26–10 lead.

Uruguay had the final word. Fresnedo crossed for his second try with the clock at zero, and Landauer converted to produce a flattering 26–17 final scoreline.

Uruguay's 10–0 lead inside four minutes was no fluke — they controlled the opening exchanges through efficient territory management and clinical finishing. The turning point came when Moneta's first try, a solo effort that beat three defenders in the final minutes of the first half, cut the deficit and gave Argentina belief. They carried that momentum into the break and never trailed again.

Marcos Moneta (Argentina) — Player of the Match. Three tries, each one a demonstration of the footwork and finishing ability that makes him one of the most dangerous attackers in world sevens. His hat-trick dragged Argentina from 10–0 down to comfortable winners.

Joaquín Fresnedo (Uruguay) — Two well-taken tries, including the opener and the last play of the match. He was Uruguay's most consistent attacking threat and kept his side in the contest longer than the scoreboard suggested.

Santiago Vera Feld (Argentina) — The playmaker distributed 43 passes — the most of any player on the pitch — and kept Uruguay's defence honest with quick, accurate ball movement. He also converted one of Argentina's tries.

The raw possession split (Uruguay 53%, Argentina 47%) might suggest an even contest, but the attacking metres tell the real story: Argentina gained 363 metres to Uruguay's 288, a gap that widened as the game wore on. The 19 defenders beaten by Argentina against Uruguay's 9 reflects Moneta's individual brilliance and Argentina's superior footwork in broken field.

Argentina's 10 offloads to Uruguay's 1 illustrates a key stylistic difference — Los Pumas kept the ball alive in contact while Uruguay rarely found the second pass. Argentina's 75% conversion rate (3/4) was markedly better than Uruguay's 33% (1/3), an eight-point swing that proved decisive in what was otherwise a four-tries-to-three contest.

Argentina advance to the 9th Place Final against Germany on Sunday 7 June. For a programme that finished fifth in the overall HSBC SVNS World Championship standings, this is below their usual standard, but Moneta's form offers a positive note to end the tournament.

Uruguay drop to the 11th Place Final against Kenya on Sunday. After a bright opening that hinted at an upset, they will rue the 10-minute spell either side of half-time where the game slipped away.

Moneta's hat-trick rescued Argentina from a sluggish start and papered over an uneven team performance. Uruguay will feel they let a winning position slip, but individual quality — especially the finishing of Moneta — proved the decisive difference in a South American derby that swung firmly on two minutes of first-half chaos.