Russia will take a slender one-point advantage into their 2015 Rugby World Cup final qualifier second leg in Montevideo next month after beating Uruguay 22-21 in the first leg in Krasnoiarsk on Saturday.
The Russians, aiming to qualify for the competition for only the second time, led 16-12 at the break with loose-head prop Grigory Tsobiladze scoring the game's only try.
"We need to improve our discipline. We had two yellow cards today that cost us a lot. In the second half we had too many penalties against. It is why they came back into the game," said Russia coach Raphael Saint-Andre.
"So with a bit more discipline, we have got a chance in Montevideo. Today their kicker was on fire and maybe it won't be the same in two weeks."
Uruguay fly-half Felipe Berchesi kicked all of his team's points and the South Americans were even ahead at 21-19 with 14 minutes left before opposite number Yuri Kushnarev knocked over the decisive penalty in the 73rd minute.
Berchesi had a chance to win the match in the dying moments but he saw his well-struck penalty from 35 metres out sail just wide of the post.
"It was a close game. We made some mistakes when we had two more players on the field which probably cost us the game," said Uruguay coach Pablo Lemoine.
"It was a classic game between the sides ranked 19th and 20th in the IRB rankings."
The winners of the tie will have the dubious honour of lining up in Group A in next year's finals, alongside hosts England, Australia, Wales and Fiji.
The second leg is in the Uruguayan capital on October 11.
