Flyhalf Felipe Berchesi kicked the South Americans’ only points from a penalty midway through the first half of the Pool A match at Villa Park but opted to kick for territory from other penalties.
Their hunt for a try was nearly rewarded in a sustained spell of pressure in the dying stages of the 11-try mauling but their efforts were thwarted by Australia's resolute defence.
“We really wanted to score a try and we tried from lineouts, mauls, scrums. But it was very difficult against Australia, who are number two in the rankings,” captain Santiago Vilaseca said.
“We are disappointed we couldn’t. We still have to work in our last two games to see if we can score a try.”
That could prove difficult in such a tough group -- their remaining games are against Fiji and England -- but the ambition is certainly there.
“We committed ourselves to come and play and not simply be a part of the show; to demonstrate what we’re capable of,” Vilaseca said.
He added that it was an incredible feeling to hear so much cheering from Uruguayan fans during the match, especially in the closing minutes as they pressed for that elusive try.
Coach Lemoine was full of praise for his team's valiant attempt.
“I’m really proud of how the team played, we tried all match to score a try but at times it's difficult to play for 80 minutes at the same level," Lemoine said, adding that the Uruguay rugby is continuing the improvement achieved during the 12 years since they last appeared at a World Cup.
“There’s a natural progress in the evolution of a country if there is a good programme,” he said. “We have to keep working and respecting the programme so that with the passing of time we improve our performance.”
(This story corrects score in first para)
(Editing by David Goodman)
Share
