Uruguay’s Rugby World Cup 2015 Qualification

Uruguay is to make it’s return to the Rugby World Cup in two months time to the day. After missing out on qualifying for Rugby World Cups 2007 and 2003 the two-time participants are to feature in Pool A of this year’s World Cup and will play matches against both host nations, England and Wales, in addition to Australia and Fiji.

The South American country is to be the only different competitor from the twenty teams that were a part of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand. Uruguay replaces Russia and does so after having eliminated the world’s largest country during the Final Place Play-Off qualifying series in 2014.

Uruguay’s previous Rugby World Cup experience including reaching the finals of Rugby World Cups 1999 and 2003. Although 1999 was Wales’ World Cup Uruguay played all matches in Scotland, the host of all Pool A matches. Uruguay played in Galashiels, Edinburgh and Glasgow against Spain, Scotland and South Africa winning the first 27-15 but losing 43-12 and 39-3 to be eliminated.

Four years later Uruguay was in Pool C of the Australian hosted World Cup. A tough match schedule saw Los Teros playing both South Africa and Samoa during the opening week in Perth only to then have thirteen days before taking-on Georgia in Sydney.

Going into the tournament the fixture was Uruguay’s most important and the players, fans and staff all jumped with joy when referee Kelvin Deaker blew full time.  The 24-12 win was followed by a match against England in Brisbane four days later which Uruguay was not prepared for. The 111-13  scoreline mattered not as the South Americans had their win.

When qualification began for Rugby World Cup 2007 Uruguay appeared well placed. Indeed Uruguay had defeated the USA during 2003 qualifying but with Argentina forced to qualify for the French hosted tournament the four-team home-and-away format which also involved Canada and Chile was scrapped.

Canada and the USA were joined by Caribbean winner Barbados in a three-match series to determine the direct North American qualifier. A crushing 56-7 victory by Canada in St. John’s saw the USA finishing second and facing Uruguay to determine who would be Americas 3.

In 2006 Todd Clever’s team proved to be a class above Uruguay in winning the home-and-away matches 42-13 and 33-7 which meant Uruguay would face the winner of Portugal v Morocco in a repechage final. The Europeans had current Pumas Head Coach Daniel Hourcade among their staff and were able to get past the Africans winning 10-5 and 16-15.

Also competing in a separate series were Tonga and South Korea with the Islanders running-out 85-3 winners to secure their Rugby World Cup 2007 birth. Uruguay thus faced Portugal with the final place at Rugby World Cup 2007 on the line. The home-and-away series started in Lisbon with the Portuguese winning 12-5. Captain Rodrigo Capó Ortega was confident in winning the return match in Montevideo and his team, indeed, did so by 18-12.

It was an overall loss on aggregate though which saw Portugal qualifying for a first, and to date only, Rugby World Cup. Uruguay’s players were devastated but were responsible for their downfall. French based Juan Carlos Bado’s ill-discipline had been decisive. The second-rower was red carded in the opening minutes of the second match leaving his team a player short for over 70 minutes.

The crushing one point aggregate loss was felt throughout the following years as Uruguay suffered from a lack of regular international competition outside of South America. When it came time to qualify for New Zealand 2011 Los Teros would do so in a different format yet again.

Uruguay began in early 2009 against Chile and against the lower ranked regional qualifiers Brazil and made light work of both teams to set-up a home-and-away series against the USA who had split a series against Canada. The USA’s 27-22 and 27-6 wins saw the North Americans booking their tickets to New Zealand  while Uruguay would enter repechage.

Following the success of a number of Tier 2 sides at Rugby World Cup 2007 an altered repechage system was established for the 2011 qualifiers. Gone for one repechage spot which meant runners-up from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe would contest the right to play in the Final Place Play-Off.

During the same period changes in European rugby had seen Georgia emerging to be the strongest team in the European Nations Cup and Portugal not able to maintain the level that saw it reach the World Cup. Also stagnating was Romania but due to issues of governance.

In 2008 and 2009 players based outside of Romania were excluded from test selection. The policy directly contributed to results including 19-28 and 21-22 home losses against Russia and Portugal. The consequence of the policy was such that Romania was well behind both Georgia and Russia heading and on the verge of missing direct qualifying.

Ultimately the experiment was a disaster which saw Georgia and Russia qualifying direct and Portugal also being better positioned. Romania recovered to finish third and face Ukraine in a home-and-away series to officially become Europe 3 and enter repechage against Africa 2. Awaiting the winner was the Final Place Play-Off series against the winner of Americas 3 v Asia 2.

Romania powered home to defeat Tunisia 56-13 to join Uruguay in the final after Los Teros toppled Kazakhstan 44-7 in Montevideo. Played in July the matches enabled the finalists four months of preparation. Uruguay, though had been troubled by off-field in-fighting relating to players of Carrasco Polo being left out. Among those missing was Capó Ortega who would not return until 2014.

Romania was the stronger team in both matches but Uruguay fought hard to snatch a 21-21 draw in Montevideo. The return match saw Romania in control winning 39-12 and with it Uruguay immediately began preparing for the 2011 qualification campaign.

The disappointment of missing out on reaching Rugby World Cups 2007 and 2011 saw greater investment to establish a High Performance Center at the acquired national Rugby stadium, Estadio Charrúa in the Uruguayan capital. Also helping the cause were relations with Argentina and the status of Argentina in the global game as despite missing out on playing in two World Cups more kids were playing the game.

With better conditions and facilities than previously Uruguay’s path to Rugby World Cup 2015 was handled far more professionally. Uruguay began in a South American Tri-Nations tournament in 2013 and came out on top against Brazil and Chile to meet the USA home-and-away.

Investment proved sound as the gap between Uruguay and the USA was reduced. Uruguay toubled the USA in competing to a 27-27 draw in Montevideo and started strongly in Atlanta, Georgia beore being overpowered 32-13 by the Eagles.

As runners-up Uruguay met Asia 2 which this time was Hong Kong. Played in August 2014 in very wet and muddy conditions Los Teros won 28-3 to compete against the winner of Europe 3 v Africa 2. Played in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia in North Asia Russia showed signs of not possessing the same caliber which had seen the team qualify for Rugby World Cup 2011, the home side had difficulty in a 23-15 performance against Zimbabwe.

Uruguay’s superior result gave the South Americans home advantage for the return repechage fixture. The result of the away match in Krasnoyarsk in September would thus serve to prove Uruguay with exactly what they needed to do at home to qualify.  Russia’s 22-21 win was treated as a loss and when the teams meet two weeks later in Montevideo home supporters were treated to a 36-27 win and with it Uruguay’s twelve year wait was over.