It was the first time in 16 years that Uruguay was on the winning side as they pulled off a historic 30-27 victory over Fiji in Kamaishi.
When the sides faced last year the South Americans were beaten 68-7 by the Fijians. The shock victory leaves Fiji staring down an early exit after two losses in the Pool so far
Rugby is a sport where the established order heavily prevails. We all saw it this year, with the frustrating discussion about a possible World Nations League, and the opposition of several members of the Six Nations to change the status quo.
Rugby is also a very logical sport. It is almost impossible for a tier-one country to lose to a tier-two nation. Or that a country at the top end of tier two, such as Fiji, lose to one at the bottom end, such as Uruguay.
Fiji’s pack weighed 891kg, Uruguay’s 817. Impossible to compete, right? Not on Wednesday afternoon in Kamaishi. Because Los Teros clung to their fighting spirit to achieve one of the most incredible victories at a World Cup, measured by the differences between teams. Undoubtedly, it’s the most important result in the history of Uruguayan rugby.
Ten months ago, in Hartpury and in front of only 800 people, well away from the spotlight of the autumn internationals, Fiji crushed Uruguay 68-7. They controlled the game with astonishing ease and made everyone believe the World Cup game would be another beating.
However, that game was central for Los Teros. It was the only thing similar to a Test match against a tier-one team that Uruguay had in the last four years. To grow you have to compete against the best, but for countries such as Uruguay – with a tiny base of 4,500 players – it is extremely difficult to get the opportunity to play those fixtures.
After that loss, the main goal for Uruguay became Fiji in the first match of the tournament. They knew everything that was needed to cut distances – physically, technically, mentally.
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Source – The Guardian
