Uruguay’s confidence gets a boost at the Rugby World Cup after a spirited display against France
France's Sekou Macalou, top right, jumps for the ball during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between France and Uruguay at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, near Lille, France, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Thibault Camus]
LILLE, France (AP) — Reflecting on his team’s best ever performance against a top-tier side, Uruguay captain Andres Vilaseca was full of praise for the “extraordinary work” of his teammates. And full of hope their strong display against France is just the beginning of a great Rugby World Cup adventure. Ranked 17th in the world, Uruguay fought toe to toe with France and lost the match 27-12, but only after an unexpectedly fierce battle. Although France made 12 changes to the team that beat New Zealand last week, the level of performance achieved by Los Teros bodes well for the future. At some point, Uruguay came back within just one point of the French. After stunning Fiji at the 2019 World Cup, Uruguay now wants to achieve two wins in pool A this year, against Italy and Namibia.
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