VPC Andorra Routed 38-14 by Club Rugby Alcalá in Promotion Opener
Andorran side VPC Andorra suffered a heavy defeat in their División de Honor Elit promotion debut, undone by Alcalá's clinical finishing, set-piece.
Key Points
- Alcalá led 23-7 at halftime with tries from Molina (2), Torres; VPC responded with tries from Calvet, Aguiar.
- VPC's Arnau Granyena red-carded at 55', allowing Alcalá to add penalty and Arias try for 38-14 final.
- Match at Estadi Luisón Abad; VPC without Arasanz, Llata but with returning Aguiar.
- VPC (2nd in Honor B) enters 9-team promotion phase; top-4 for final Elit spot.
VPC Andorra lost 38-14 to Club Rugby Alcalá in their División de Honor Elit promotion opener at Estadi Municipal Luisón Abad in Madrid on Saturday.
The Andorran team, led by coach Dani Raya, stayed competitive for much of the match but faltered due to Alcalá's sharp finishing near the try line, strong set-piece work, defensive lapses, and a second-half red card. Alcalá struck first in the third minute with a try by Gonzalo "Pilladita" Molina after a long run, though captain Mateo Podestá missed the conversion. Podestá soon added a penalty for an 8-0 lead.
VPC hit back in the 23rd minute through Galdric Jean Maurice Calvet's try, converted by Gaston Ezequiel Gonzalez to make it 8-7. Before the break, however, Alcalá extended their advantage with a try from Curro Torres, converted by Agustín Isola, another Podestá penalty, and a second Molina try, reaching 23-7 at halftime.
The second half began with Lauti scoring for Alcalá, converted by Isola, pushing the score to 30-7. VPC captain Federico Aguiar replied at the 52nd minute with a try, again converted by Gonzalez, closing the gap to 30-14 (some reports note 25-14 at that stage). The momentum shifted decisively at the 55th minute when Arnau Granyena Pujal was sent off with a straight red for aggression. Alcalá then added an Isola penalty and a final try by Fran Arias to seal the win.
The defeat occurred without Pep Arasanz and Hugo Llata but with Aguiar returning from a tibia injury and new addition Valentí Hoxha. Raya called it "a tough match as I had warned," adding it was "one of our worst games of the year."
VPC, who ended second in the División de Honor B regular season, now enter a single-round mini-league against top teams from other groups: home fixtures versus Getxo, CAR Sevilla, Soto del Real, and Guipúscoa; away games at Universitario Bilbao Rugby (round 3), CAU València, and CN Poblenou. With nine teams in the phase, they have a bye next week and host Bilbao on March 21 or 22. A top-four finish earns a spot in the final four, where the sole Elit promotion place is at stake.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: