Chile forward power defeats Brazil in World Cup Qualifier

Brazil and Chile met in a Rugby World Cup 2023 qualifier today in Montevideo. Both teams were up for the contest; it was a fixture deserved of the billing. Chile’s game plan got them the 23-13 win. Scrums, lineouts and mauls saw the forwards powering Chile to victory.

Early field position gave Brazil an opportunity. The forwards worked together deep in the Chilean 22. They were unable to breach the try zone though did come away with the opening points. It came from an opportunistic error. Josh Reeves lost a pass back from which Daniel Sancery took a drop-goal. It was not the smoothest strike but it was over. Brazil were on top leading 3-0 after 10 minutes.

Chile turn down shot at goal to kick for corner. Short phases through the forwards saw slow progress towards the try zone. It saw Chile winning an important battle; Brazil’s Gabriel Paganini was yellow carded. Chile immediately capitalized as prop Matias Dittus scored on a pick-and-drive immediately after the driving maul was collapsed.

Chile were on the verge of scoring another. This time, though, No8 Alfonso Escobar mishandled the ball from the base of a 5 meter attacking scrum. Brazil made Chile pay. On the stoke of half-time Reeves put in a neat cross-kick for Daniel Lima. The winger gathered and was too fast for Nicolás Garafulic. The score put Brazil 10-8 up at the interval.

Francisco Urroz and Moisés Duque exchanged penalties early in the second-half. Urroz then responded to restore bring the scores back to level.

In a rare break from the backs, Chile looked to run from the deep. Rodrigo Fernández passed with Lucas Spago tackling him by performing a back-body-drop. The no-arms tackle was deemed only a penalty; a decision different to others from the weekend.

Play resumed with a scrum. Chile were again able to get the better of Os Tupis. The forwards worked towards the try line and came away with their second, Augusto Böhme the scorer. The hooker went low to charge over and dot the ball down in the try zone.

Urroz added a penalty to extend the lead to 10. Los Cóndores then went out finishing the game while maintaining their lead. Their strategy served them well; Chile are one step closer to advancing in the RWC 2023 qualifiers. Brazil now must upset Uruguay to remain in with a chance of qualifying for France 2023.

 

SCORING

BRAZIL 13
Tries – D. Lima (39′)
Cons – M. Duque 1/1 (40′)
Pens – M. Duque 1/1 (48′)
DG – D. Sancery 1/1 (9′)
YC – G. Paganini (20′)

CHILE 23
Tries – M. Dittus (22′), A. Böhme (60′)
Cons – F. Urroz 2/2 (23′, 61′)
Pens – F. Urroz 3/3 (45′, 50′, 70′)

 

TEAMS

BRAZIL
1 Lucas Abud (23 Yan Rosetti 42′), 2 Wilton Rebolo (17 Leonel Moreno 61′), 3 Matheus Rocha (18 Jardel Vettorato 45′), 4 Cléber Dias, 5 Gabriel Paganini (19 Matteo Dell’Acqua 58′), 6 Adrio de Melo (20 Arthur Bergo 71′), 7 Matheus Cláudio, 8 André Arruda, 9 Felipe Cunha (21 Douglas Rauth 64′), 10 Josh Reeves (22 Lucas Spago 57′), 11 Daniel Lima, 12 Moisés Duque, 13 Felipe Sancery (capt.), 14 Lorenzo Massari, 15 Daniel Sancery

Not used: 16 Leonardo de Souza

CHILE
1 Javier Carrasco (17 Iñaki Gurruchaga 72′), 2 Augusto Böhme (16 Tomás Dussaillant 66′), 3 Matías Dittus, 4 Clemente Saavedra (19 Nikola Bursic 55′), 5 Javier Eissmann (20 Augusto Sarmiento 61′), 6 Martín Sigren (capt.), 7 Ignacio Silva, 8 Alfonso Escobar, 9 Marcelo Torrealba (22 Nicolás Herreros 72′), 10 Francisco Urroz (23 Santiago Videla 72′), 11 Franco Velarde, 12 Matías Garafulic, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 14 Nicolás Garafulic, 15 Rodrigo Fernández

Not used: 18 Salvador Lues, 21 Thomas Orchard

 

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Gianlucca Gnacchi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Andrea Piardi (Italy) & Gonzalo De Achaval (Argentina)