USA 29-31 Chile (19-14 HT, 51-52 agg)
Santiago Videla’s late penalty saw Chile beat The USA in a thrilling second leg to qualify for the Rugby World Cup, becoming the first new qualifier of the tournament since Russia in 2011.
The USA raced into a 19-0 lead as Martin Iosefo scored a brace, before AJ MacGinty, who had already added two conversions, gave his team a third try.
But a yellow card to the USA’s Nick Civetta changed the game as Chile roared back, Marcelo Torrealba darting through, Matias Garafulic scoring in the corner to make it 19-14.
Joe Taufete’e’s try put the USA back in charge, but Videla and Matias Dittus scored for Chile either side of an MacGinty penalty to bring them back within a score.
And they then took the lead for the first time on the night as Videla’s decisive long-ranged three-pointer five minutes from time sealed an extraordinary result that sets up Chile’s World Cup debut next year.
Chile might have held hope of the fact they could yet go through, having lost the first leg (22-21) by the exact same margin as they had to Canada in the previous round.
But although they had won that second leg comfortably, they now had to go away from home for this second part of the tie, and they got off to a nightmare start.
The USA’s first try was a thing of beauty, a lovely chip from Iosefo collected by scrum-half Ruben de Haas, who showed exceptional awareness to brilliantly collect the ball before feeding it back to his teammate as his feet danced towards the dead ball line, and Iosefo given an easy finish in the end.
Iosefo doubled his tally as the hosts rounded off a tremendously well-built ten phase attack, and inside half an hour the visitors were 19-0 down as MacGinty stretched over as the ball went wide from a dominant scrum.
He can’t have imagined that failing to convert the routine kick that followed the try would be so damaging in the final scoreline, but within three minutes the Chileans had responded.
Civetta saw yellow for a high hit that could have been given as a red, and after going to the corner with the resulting penalty Chile were soon over as Torrealba sniped through under the sticks.
With a minute remaining in the half, the USA might have assumed they would head in with a still comfortable advantage, but a powerful 20-yard break from prop Salvador Lues got Chile into the States’ half, and the hosts could only resist for a single phase following the break, Garafulic bursting down the wing before beating US fullback Marcel Brache to score out wide.
Normal order seemed to be restored after the break when the Eagles, back to a full compliment, scored again with Taufeteʻe breaking from a stagnant maul, before MacGinty added the extras from the corner.
That order barely lasted less than 30 seconds though, as Chile’s exciting fly-half Rodrigo Fernandez stepped through as the US cleared their lines, and found Videla who produced a quality finish in the corner before a conversion that was arguably of even higher quality.
MacGinty took his side to a two-score lead again off the tee, but there was no sign of Chile letting up or losing their composure, and fine phase play that mirrored that of the States for their second try got them another, scored in an almost identical spot to MacGinty’s third try for the USA, but this time by Chilean sub prop Dittus and, crucially, was followed by a successful conversion.
It looked as if the USA would squeeze home, but Chile showed their forwards could do the job just as well as their backs had all game as they drove back a scrum on the hosts feed to win a penalty on the ten metre line, 15 metres in from the touchline.
They pointed to the posts and Videla, who had only missed a solitary kick all game, made no mistake with the opportunity to give the visitors the lead.
And that would be it, Videla fittingly providing the final touch as he booted the ball into the stand to spark wild celebrations on the Chilean bench and their travelling support, and leave the hosts stunned.
The USA still have hope of qualification, they will play Portugal, Kenya and the loser of Saturday’s game between Tonga and Hong Kong in the Final Qualification Tournament to decide the final place in next year’s tournament, but US coach Gary Gold was lost for words with the disappointment of the result.
“I’m just devastated. It’s just heartbreaking,” he said.
“I just feel so bad for the boys who tried so hard and it’s just the cruelty of sport and it’s just devastating. I’m not sure what else to say.”
