Chile Clinches Home Advantage in Sudamerica 2025
By Priscilla Jepchumba
Chile's impressive 36-10 win over Brazil at Estadio Municipal de La Pintana on Sunday earned them the privilege of hosting the Sudamerica 2025 semi-finals. Ranked 22nd in the World Rugby rankings, Chile is the third-highest-ranked team in South America, trailing behind Argentina and Uruguay, while Brazil holds the fourth position in the region.
The upcoming semi-final is set to reignite their historic 73-year-old rivalry as Chile once again basks in the support of their passionate home crowd. Sudamerica 2025 serves as the platform to determine the final qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup 2027, with Chile and Brazil poised to join Uruguay and the victor of the play-off between Paraguay and Colombia in the prestigious line-up.
The champion of Sudamerica 2025 will secure an automatic berth at the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, while the runner-up and third-placed team will also have additional opportunities to qualify.
Notably, Chile faced formidable opposition during the Brazil game without key players such as Rodrigo Fernández, Iñaki Ayarza, and Diego Escobar. Carlos Mignot, the promising talent of the Tupis, was unavailable as he had commitments to his club, Biarritz.
After 14 minutes, Chile broke through the Brazilian defense, with wing Nicolas Garafulic expertly maneuvering past the opposition to score the match's first try. After 20 minutes, Brazil forced another penalty out of Chile and, thanks to Lucas Tranquez's boot, scored its first points of the game.
At the end of the first half, Chile intensified their attack and kept Brazil pinned within their 22-meter line. This strategy paid off when captain Martín Sigren scored the game's second try. Santiago Videla successfully converted, giving Chile a nine-point lead.
Multiple cards were shown in a chaotic 19-minute period, resulting in a temporary 12 vs. 14 situation. Chile took advantage of its numerical superiority in the final 10 minutes, extending its lead with two more converted tries. Brazil managed to score a consolation try but eventually lost to Chile.
