Odd stacked against spirited Uruguay
The Old Christians team, that provides several players for this year's World Cup squad, was on the doomed flight. Many died straight away. Sixteen survivors waited for two months before they were found.
Three mountains also block the South Americans route in their third appearance at the World Cup after 1999 and 2003. They were dumped in Pool A against two-time winners Australia, 2003 champions England, 2011 semifinalists Wales and the talented and unpredictable Fijians.
However, Pablo Lemoine, their 48-times capped prop and now national coach, says the small country has constantly succeeded in punching above its weight.
Uruguay have the scalps of Georgia and Spain under their belts from previous appearances at the finals. Lemoine says they have a die-hard spirit which the largely amateur squad will require if they are to prevent a repeat of the 13-111 thrashing by England in the 2003 edition.
"Some countries have much better players, they are bigger and they have more money," Lemoine told Wales Online in June after they had beaten Russia in a playoff to reach the finals.
"But we have beaten them because we are stronger inside. We feel that connection to our country and we have had to fight for everything."
Lemoine, the first Uruguayan to sign professional forms when he joined English side Bristol in 1998, says that his squad can take heart from the example set by their footballing counterparts who reached the 2010 World Cup semifinals and won the following year's Copa America.
"Football is the same in Uruguay. Unlike in Europe, we have a poor league, the facilities are limited and players start with nothing," said the 40-year-old, who after Bristol played for French side Stade Francais winning two titles with them.
"And yet they can compete at the World Cup and the players like Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan are at some of the biggest clubs in the world.
"That’s because they play with their hearts and work so hard to represent their families and country. Rugby is the same and the people of Uruguay identify with that."
Nevertheless the brutal facts are that Uruguay – unlike their Argentinian counterparts – have only four players plying their trade in Europe including flyhalf Felipe Berchesi and scrumhalf Agustin Ormaechea, who are at Carcassonne and Mont-de-Marsan respectively.
Berchesi is an effective place kicker, able to land penalties from all distances, which could hurt the sometimes slip shod Fijians, and has formed a classy partnership with Ormaechea.
"He [Ormaechea] knows when I'm going to kick or keep the ball and he throws me the ball in space," Berchesi told Rugby World.
"We have a good connection as a No.9 and No.10."
However, the South Americans are probably going to be relying more on Berchesi's booming boot clearing their lines than launching attacks and with this pool being anointed the eponymous pool of death they look set to be die by a thousand cuts.
AFP
