Paraguay sneak home against Chile XV

Paraguay completed a hard-fought win over the Chile XV on Wednesday. Played in Asunción, the uncapped match was won in the final minutes by the home side. Paraguay now have the opportunity of wining the 2023 South American Four Nations title.

The match opened with the Chile XV hot on attack. Deep in the 22 in the opening minute, the Chileans went left with Pablo Casas getting close to the line. Referee Juan Manuel López ruled advantage and the Chile XV kicked for the corner.

The lineout to maul move proved successful. Los Cóndores‘ forwards drove forward and Hooker Tomás Dussaillant came away with the score. Fullback Felipe Méndez missed the conversion from a wide angle.

What the Chile XV could do so too could Paraguay. The home side also scored from their opening possession of the match. Paraguay kicked deep from the restart from which the Chile XV kicked into touch just outside their own 22. Inn a majestic move the ball was spun wide from the lineout with Argentine Arturo López scoring.

The Chile XV scored next. It came late in the opening quarter. Again it was a penalty on attack which saw the Chileans kicking for an attacking lineout. Dussaillant threw to the tail of a lineout and the maul formed. Paraguay had no way of stopping it. Méndez converted for a 12-5 lead.

Paraguay hit-back in the 30th minute. It came from a loose ball which Juan González picked up and ran down the left. He was stopped but quick play saw Diego Miño taking a tackle and providing an assist try for Sebastián Urbieta. The Paraguayan center was too good for Méndez.

The scores were tied at 12-12; notwithstanding, Paraguay took the lead just before half-time. Urbieta slotted a penalty for a three point lead at the interval.

The Chile XV reclaimed the lead quickly. A break from Méndez took them within inches. The ball then went wide with Augusto Sarmiento hitting the line with force to score. The conversion made it 19-15 lead.

A mixture of Paraguay’s determination and the Chile XV’s complacency returned to the fray. Los Yakares won a penalty following the restart which Urbieta slotted. The game was back to 19-18 in the Chile XV’s favor.

Urbieta landed another in the 52nd minute. Paraguay were in the lead and looking good. The small things continued to be a factor in the match; however, as an aimless Paraguayan kick was regathered by Benjamín Videla. The fly half counter-attacked and passed to Tomás Orchard who scored off a 45 meter run.

Paraguay again found their response. With just over ten minutes remaining, the forwards pieced together a rolling maul on the Chilean try zone. Hooker Lucas Otaño went over for the try. Urbieta missed the conversion and with it the Chile XV held a 27-26 lead.

Paraguay made up for the miss with a match-defining penalty. Replacement Hector Gayoso slotted a 75th minute kick for the lead. Paraguay controlled play from the restart .They got into the opposition half and stayed there. They did what they needed to in order to hold on to the lead and celebrated their victory.

Paraguay and the Chile XV will both play again on Sunday. In the final round of the 2023 South American Four Nations the Chile XV face Colombia while Paraguay take-on Brazil. The Chile XV and Colombia will battle-it-out to avoid the wooden spoon while the winner of Paraguay vs Brazil will be crowned champions.

SCORING

PARAGUAY (29)
Try – A López (5′); S Urbieta (30′); L Otaño, (69′)
Con – S Urbieta 1/3 (31′)
Pen – S Urbieta 3/3 (40′, 44′, 52′); H Gayoso (75′)

CHILE XV (27)
Try – T Dussaillant 2 (3′, 17′); A Sarmiento (43′); T Orchard (58′)
Con – F Méndez 3/4 (18′, 44′, 59′)

TEAMS

PARAGUAY
1 Matías Benítez 2 Lucas Otaño, 3 Luís Enrique Quinteros, 4 Ignacio Martínez, 5 Mariano Garcete (capt.), 6 Carlos Plate, 7 Ariel Nuñez, 8 Lautaro Britez, 9 Diego Miño, 10 Joaquín Mussi, 11 Juan González, 12 Sebastián Urbieta, 13 Tomás Mussi, 14 Gianfranco Parodi, 15 Arturo López

Replacements: 16 Diego Caballero, 17 Camilo Blasco, 18 Rolando Portillo, 19 Juan José Heisecke, 20 Adrian Leon, 21 Juan Chilavert, 22 Hector Gayoso, 23 Marcos Jesus Romañach

CHILE XV
1 Vittorio Lastra, 2 Tomás Dussaillant, 3 Lucas Bordigoni, 4 Tomás Orchard, 5 Augusto Sarmiento, 6 Andrés Kuzmanic, 7 Ernesto Tchimino, 8 Into Ubeda, 9 Nicolás Herreros, 10 Benjamín Videla, 11 Luca Strabucchi, 12 Pablo Casas, 13 Clemente Armstrong, 14 Gaspar Moltedo, 15 Felipe Méndez

Replacements: 16 Jorge Delgado, 17 Simón Donoso, 18 Marco López, 19 Bruno Sáez, 20 Diego Warnken, 21 Santiago Edwards, 22 Cristobal Game, 23 Joaquín Milesi

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Juan Manuel López (Argentina)
Assistant Referees: Lucas Saccomanno (Brazil); María del Carmen Martínez (Paraguay)
TMO: Victor Silvero (Paraguay)