Uruguay confirmed their place at the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2015 in Portugal after beating Chile 22-12 in the South American Junior Championship title decider in Montevideo on Saturday.
Los Teritos never looked back after racing to a 22-7 lead by half-time with tries from number 8 Manuel Diana, full back Felipe Etcheverry and a double by flanker Diego Ardao.
The JWRT 2008 winners, who finished fourth in the 2014 edition in Hong Kong, went through the regional tournament unbeaten on home soil to also earn the opportunity to face the region’s top team Argentina in the CONSUR Cup on 11 October.
Uruguay proved too strong for Paraguay – winning 64-0 with Diana and Ardao both scoring a brace – and Brazil (40-5) en route to the expected title decider with Chile, the only other South American side to have played in the Junior World Rugby Trophy.
Chile had also beaten the two sides, but less convincingly – 18-0 over Brazil and 12-11 over Paraguay. They had no answer to Uruguay at the Charrua Stadium, the venue for the final match in the Rugby World Cup 2015 qualification process when Los Teros face Russia on 11 October.
Brazil bounced back from two defeats to finish on a high with a 28-22 victory over Paraguay.
In being crowned South American champions Uruguay join hosts Portugal, Oceania representatives Tonga, African champions Namibia and Fiji, the side relegated from the IRB Junior World Championship 2014, as the teams already confirmed in the Trophy draw in 2015.
The other three places will be taken by the regional qualifiers from Asia, North America and Europe, all of which are set to take place over the coming months.
South American Junior Championship 2014
14/09/14 – Brazil 0-18 Chile
14/09/14 – Uruguay 64-0 Paraguay
17/09/14 – Chile 12-11 Paraguay
17/09/14 – Uruguay 40-5 Brazil
20/09/14 – Brazil 28-22 Paraguay
20/09/14 – Uruguay 22-12 Chile
