Uruguay XV down Chile in Santiago thriller

The Uruguay XV downed Chile in a thriller this evening in Santiago. The visitors were 39-32 winners in the final fixture of the opening round of the 2019 Sudamérica 6 Naciones A.

The match was played at Old Grangonians Club, a club which was to play against Montevideo’s Old Christian Club in 1972. The team never arrived due to the famous accident which saw the chartered  plane crashing in the Andes. Of the 45 on board there were 16 survivors.

The match between Chile, and the Uruguay XV today one to continue the great rivalry between the South American countries.

Leading the way for the home side was Santiago Videla. The fly half would score all 10 of Los Cóndores’ first half points. He would kick and penalty as well as converting his own try.

Videla’s points would be seven fewer than those scored by the Uruguay XV. The visitors went over for two opening half tries, doing so via players well placed to be starting for Los Teros in RWC 2019. Hooker Germán Kessler and left winger Nicolás Freitas went over in the 2nd and 6th minutes.

Right winger Federico Favaro was on target with both conversions, and he would also land a penalty. With it the Uruguay XV were leading 17-10 late in the first half, a fair reflection of the opening 40 minutes.

The second half started well for Los Cóndores. 5 minutes in and winger Julio Blanc was over. His try cut the deficit to two points but with the conversion off target the Uruguay XV would remain in front.

A Favaro penalty eight minutes later put the Uruguay XV 20-15 up though Chile would again strike back. Scoring his second try was Blanc and with Videla’s conversion successful Chile were now leading 22-20.

The back-and-forth contest continued as the Uruguay XV reclaimed the lead. They did so with Favaro converting a try scored by second-rower Juan Garese.

The crucial score came next with scrum-half Tomás Inciarte putting the Uruguay XV 12 points in the lead. Favaro would again convert to continue his excellent match which saw him landing six from six.

Chile would cancel out Inciarte’s try though Juan Pablo Larenas. The veteran outside center’s try was converted by Videla to bring it back to a 7-point ball game.

The Uruguay XV, though, would seal the result as Agustín Della Corte went over for a try unconverted by replacement back José Iruleguy.

Time was up but Chile had the ball in play. This saw three minutes of overtime taking place with Los Cóndores ultimately scoring their fifth try. With it they matched the total scored by the Uruguay XV which meant it was the goal-kicking of Favaro which proved the difference between the teams.

For round two of the Sudamérica 6 Naciones A both the Uruguay XV and Chile are to play on the road. The Uruguay XV will travel to São Paulo to face Brazil while Chile will cross the Andes to face the Argentina XV in Tucumán.

 

SCORING

CHILE 32
Tries – S. Videla 2 (16’, 80’), J. Blanc 2 (44’, 56’), J.P. Larenas (70’)
Cons – S. Videla 2/4 (17’, 57’), F. Urroz 0/1
Pens – S. Videla 1/1 (40’)
Red cards – J.I. Larenas (32’)

URUGUAY XV 39
Tries – G. Kessler (2’), N. Freitas (7’), J. Garese (60’), T. Inciarte (65’), A Della Corte (77’)
Cons – F. Favaro 4/4 (3’, 8’, 61’, 66’), J. Iruleguy 0/1
Pens – F. Favaro 2/2 (30’, 52’)
Yellow cards – M. Blengio (32’)

 

TEAMS

CHILE
1 Javier Carrasco (17 Marcelo Huerta 67’), 2 Tomás Dussaillant (16 Augusto Böhme 62’), 3 Matías Dittus (18 Nicolás Ovalle 67’), 4 Pablo Huete (21 Francisco Garrido 17’-21’), 5 Javier Eissmann (21 Francisco Garrido 67’), 6 Martín Sigren (capt.), 7 Nicolás Garafulic (20 Thomas Orchard 71’), 8 Ignacio Silva (19 Clemente Saavedra 76’), 9 Beltrán Vergara (22 Juan Pablo Larenas 67’), 10 Santiago Videla, 11 Julio Blanc, 12 Iñaki Ayarza (23 Francisco Urroz 71’), 13 José Ignacio Larenas, 14 Germán Herrera, 15 Christian Huerta

URUGUAY XV
1 Santiago Bonasso (16 Joaquín Jaunsolo 43’), 2 Germán Kessler (17 Guillermo Pujadas 68’), 3 Juan Pedro Rombys (18 Faustino Etchegorry 71’), 4 Gonzalo Soto Mera, 5 Juanjuan Garese, 6 Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt.), 7 Leandro Segredo (20 Santiago Civetta 48’), 8 Manuel Diana (19 Maxime Sonneveld 78’), 9 Tomás Inciarte (21 Tomás Ubilla 76’), 10 Matías D’Avanzo, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Agustín Della Corte, 13 Alfonso Costa, 14 Federico Favaro (22 Juan Pablo Costabile 76’), 15 Manuel Blengio (23 José Iruleguy 60’)

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Pali Deluca (UAR)