Namibia squandered 14 and 11-point advantages, missing out on their first-ever Rugby World Cup triumph, as a resolute Uruguay mounted a comeback. Despite trailing at halftime, the South American team rallied to secure a thrilling 36-26 victory in a captivating Pool A clash held in Lyon. The match featured a wealth of tries and cards, making it an eventful encounter that leaves Uruguay with a slim possibility of advancing to the quarter-finals.
Namibia’s wait for a first Rugby World Cup goes on after they blew a half-time lead to lose 36-26 in an eventful Pool A clash with Uruguay.
The Africans kicked off the contest in Lyon hoping to finally end their dreadful tournament record of 25 defeats in 25 games.
Their prospects looked good at the break after converted tries from Gerswin Mouton and JC Greyling and a couple of penalties off the boot of Tian Swanepoel helped them go in with a 20-12 lead, Baltazar Amaya and German Kessler crossing for Uruguay.
Namibia extended their lead to 11 points after the break, but things subsequently unravelled as Amaya scored his second try before further scores from Santiago Arata and Bautista Basso.
Discipline was a major issue in the second half as Johan Coetzee and Tijuee Uanivi were both sin-binned for Namibia before Desiderius Sethie was shown a red card for a high tackle.
Uruguay’s Eric Dosantos also saw yellow, but with four minutes left on the clock and with his side holding a 10-point lead.
“It’s a first victory for us so job done, I’m proud of the team. Thanks to the Uruguay fans, they have come to all of the games and this victory is for them,” scrum-half Santiago Arata said on ITV.
“The next game is a tough game against the All Blacks, we cannot rest and need to focus for the next game.”
The result completes Namibia’s involvement at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, finishing on zero points and with a -218 points difference.
Uruguay currently holds the fourth position in Pool A, and while their path to the quarter-finals remains mathematical, it’s undoubtedly a challenging one. To qualify, they must secure a victory in their upcoming match against New Zealand next Thursday, earning a bonus point in the process. Additionally, they need to conclude with the same 10-point tally as Italy and the All Blacks, while also witnessing a significant swing in points difference that favors their qualification.