Uruguay 28-16 Chile: Los Teros in touching distance of fourth consecutive World Cup qualification

Uruguay secured a 28-16 victory over Chile in Santiago to put themselves within touching distance of a fourth consecutive World Cup.

The visitors rode their luck at times, giving away three yellow cards, but showed a clinical edge by outscoring their opponents by four tries to one.

Uruguay started strongly and took the lead after seven minutes when centre Felipe Arcos Pérez powered over from close range, with Felipe Etcheverry adding the conversion.

One of the game’s key plot lines ahead of kick-off was the scrum, with Chile sensing they had the upper hand and so it proved.

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Match Action

Their dominance began to yield penalties and Santiago Videla was able to cut the deficit after 23 minutes had gone.

If Chile were looking to make use of their dominant scrum, Uruguay showed a willingness to respond in kind through their maul, which proved to be a thorn in the host’s side throughout the game.

Uruguay hooker Germán Kessler took advantage by grabbing his team’s second try, with Etcheverry once again adding the extras.

With half an hour played, Uruguay seemed firmly in control, but Chile’s scrum allowed them a way back into the game when Uruguay prop Mateo Sanguinetti was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements. A second Videla penalty made sure the opposition paid for his mistake.

Chile sensed they were in the ascendency and took full advantage by scoring a well worked try through Matías Garafulic.

The outside centre powered through one tackle and, when he was eventually brought down, showed great initiative to release the ball before reclaiming it and stretching to reach the line. Videla’s conversion meant that Chile trailed by a single point at the break.

Second Half

The hosts began the second half as they had ended the first by putting Uruguay firmly on the back foot and forcing more penalties. Videla cooly slotted a third penalty to put his side ahead for the first time after 47 minutes.

In front of more than 5000 fans, Chile looked as though they could be on course for a major victory, but Uruguay deserve huge credit for wrestling back control of the game, despite missing influential back rower Manuel Diana, who was not selected after his partner gave birth to their child earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, the experience of returning scrum half Santiago Arata, playing his first game for the side since the 2023 World Cup, proved crucial.

It was Arata who restored Uruguay’s lead after another impressive rolling maul from his forwards. The visitors immediately hit Chile with a fourth try from replacement Ignacio Álvarez, who charged over out wide after good work in the build-up from Etcheverry, who slotted another conversion to extend the lead to 12 points.

It was all too familiar for Chile, who enjoyed periods of success in the game, but were far less accurate in the opposition 22′ than their opponents.

Chile head coach Pablo Lemoine will be frustrated that his side couldn’t cut the deficit in the final quarter, during which Uruguay suffered two further yellow cards but defended heroically, with second row Felipe Aliaga and others putting in huge efforts.

Chile head to Montevideo with the unenviable task of overturning a 12-point deficit if they wish to secure their place in Australia and avoid having to repeat their 2022 qualification heroics.

For Uruguay, the chance to seal a spot at a tournament where they increasingly feel they belong, against a regional rival, in front of their home fans will be a significant motivation.

By Joe Santamaria