Paraguay welcome Colombia to Asunción on Saturday for a Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifying match that also doubles as a Sudamérica Rugby repechage match.

The winner will continue on the road to Japan 2019 and will also play in next year’s Sudamérica Rugby A Championship alongside Uruguay, Chile and Brazil.

This match forms part of an historic weekend for South American rugby with six of its 14 member unions will be playing international matches, both at home and in Europe.

Chile will finish their two-test series with Korea in Santiago, while Brazil will play their first-ever international in Europe when they tackle Germany in Heidelberg, Uruguay will be in Málaga to play Spain and Argentina need to return to winning ways against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Paraguay head coach Eduardo Acosta fully understands the significance of the game against Colombia at the Héroes de Curupaytí Stadium on the outskirts of the capital city. 

“Having finished fourth in the South American Championship, this is the game in which we salvage the season, we stay in the A Division and we continue on the road to Rugby World Cup,” he said.

Unlike the Colombians who will be playing their fifth test of the year, all of them on the road to Japan 2019, the Yacarés have not played internationally since the South American Championship in April.

Future ambitions

“We’ve been working with 30 very committed players. Rugby is amateur in this country and players find commitment very difficult and I normally train with 20, 22 players. This is the first time I’ve been able to work with so many players.”

Acosta, a former Argentine age grade player and Portuguese international who missed RWC 2007 by only a few days on eligibility grounds, has been coaching Paraguay since April 2015, a month before the stadium was inaugurated. 

“Having our own home has been very helpful as we can work without needing to ask for favours,” he continued. “In the recent past we have worked very hard on skills and fitness. My players have a lot to work on but we are getting there.”

Acosta admits the Yacarés will try to move the ball around and tire the big Colombian forwards. “They are a strong team, very big and with certain skill frailties. They are very similar to us in their weaknesses.”

Having only just launched a revised strategic plan, Acosts admits “the goal is to reach Rugby World Cup 2023. To do so, we must stay in the A section so that we can keep our sponsors and work from the grassroots up. Our focus is long-term so it is important to leave the Yacarés in a good place this year.”

Confident and calmness

Colombia coach David Jaramillo has already seen his side win the B Division and then overcome Mexico, the Rugby Americas North champions, last month to earn this tie against Paraguay and arrived in Asunción with a team hoping to spring a surprise.

“We are in a very good mood ahead of the game. We’ve had a very good preparation and that generates confidence and calmness. We’ve made minor adjustments to the team that beat Mexico and we are ready.”

These teams have not met since 2013, when Paraguay won 25-15 – easily the closest match in their history – so this game will also show each side’s individual progress in the past 36 months. 

“It is very important for us to test ourselves against a team in the South American A championship,” admitted Jaramillo. 

“Promotion would be a dream come true, aided by the fact that we will continue playing RWC qualifying games. We would love nothing more than to stay on this road as long as possible.”