Uruguay beat Russia to claim final World Cup spot
Uruguay beat Russia 36-27 in Montevideo on Saturday to snatch the last qualification spot for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
Uruguay beat Russia 36-27 in Montevideo on Saturday to snatch the last qualification spot for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
Although they lost the first leg in Moscow 22-21, the South Americans got the result they needed to qualify for their first RWC since 2003.
Uruguay, who dispatched Hong Kong earlier in the repêchage qualification process, will now line up in a daunting Pool A alongside the hosts, Australia, Wales and Fiji.
This is a huge day in our rugby history and one we must enjoy knowing that from now on the hard work will be with a clear goal – to enjoy the World Cup
“We qualified for the World Cup because we wanted it more,” said Uruguay coach Pablo Lemoine. “We deserve it for all the hard work we put in over the last four years and because on the day we managed to understand what was required to win.
“This is a huge day in our rugby history and one that we must enjoy knowing that from now on the hard work will be with a clear goal – to enjoy the World Cup.”
Although the winning margin against Russia seemed comfortable, it was anything but as Uruguay went into the break trailing 17-12.
Fly-halves Felipe Berchesi and Iurii Kushnarev traded penalties as every time one team closed in on their opponents’ try-line, the other side infringed.