RWC 2015 Qualification Comes Down to One Match
Uruguay trail Russia by one point with second leg to come in Montevideo
Match will be streamed live around the world at irb.com
Lapasset: “The competitiveness of world rugby continues to increase”
With just one point separating Russia and Uruguay after the first leg of the final Rugby World Cup 2015 qualifier, the last place is still very much in the balance.
Los Teros will believe that home advantage can make all the difference as they seek to overhaul that slender deficit. Russia beat them 22-21 in the Siberian rugby heartland of Krasnoyarsk on 27 September and have made the long journey to Montevideo desperate to cling on to that advantage.
So it has come to this. After three years, 203 matches involving 83 teams and around 3,000 players, it’s down to 80 more minutes of rugby for that final position at England 2015. The winner on aggregate after Saturday’s match, which kicks off at 16:00 local time (BST -3), will join Australia, England, Wales and Fiji in Pool A at rugby’s showpiece tournament next year. If the two teams finish level on aggregate, the match will go into extra time.
The match will be televised live in Uruguay and will be streamed around the world on irb.com.
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Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “It has been a fantastic qualification process. We have seen some incredible matches at all levels of the international game with every IRB member union having the opportunity to win a place in England next year.
“The first leg of this final play-off in Russia last month was so close with Russia’s flair and speed eventually proving enough to overcome Uruguay’s power and precision. But there is only one point in it so both teams will fully believe they can do it.
“Rugby World Cup is one of the world’s biggest and best-loved sports events, and with so many compelling and close matches during the global qualification process, there are tangible signs that the competitiveness of world Rugby continues to increase.”