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While many supporters in the UK concentrate on club season-opening performances or debate upcoming autumn internationals, the contest for World Cup 2027 qualification rages on at full pace.

Chile's Remarkable Achievement

Chile earned their second consecutive appearance at the tournament with a sensational playoff victory against Samoa last month, leaving only a single place left up for grabs for Australia by 2027. At the same time, the Paraguayan side surprised Brazil 39-19 in the opening match of their playoff.

The return match takes place on Saturday in the Brazilian city, close to São Paulo, as Brazil's squad attempts to emulate their women's achievement and qualify for the first occasion.

Upcoming Qualifying Clash

Whether Paraguay completes a shock overall win, or Brazil recovers after head coach Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the lineup for next month's Dubai qualification tournament will be confirmed. The Namibian team, the Belgian squad, and the Samoan side have already secured spots for the Dubai-based showdown from November 8th to 18th.

Global Qualification Updates

Many additional teams have also earned their spots. The Hong Kong China team achieved first-time World Cup entry after beating Korea by a large margin in July, and Zimbabwe will make a comeback to the sport's most prestigious stage for the first time since 1991 after winning the African championship.

Chile's Growing Profile

The consequence of Chile's playoff success means that Los Condores will play against Italy for the first occasion in November during the fall test series, replacing Samoa who must participate in the Dubai tournament.

World Rugby's chief executive described Chile an "exciting and rapidly rising power" in announcing the upcoming fixture in Genoa. As domestic rugby markets aim for larger crowds, rugby in Chile is buoyant. A sell-out audience of more than twenty thousand saw the qualifying win in Viña del Mar, and head coach the national coach has led the team on an improving path since taking over in 2018.

Manager's Notable Career

The fifty-year-old ex- Uruguay international forward has been influencing the game for decades: recruited by the English club in the 1990s, he memorably broke through the English defensive line to score at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

His influence as national coach has been equally powerful: Chile have risen to seventeenth place, their highest-ever ranking. At the last World Cup in France, they were defeated in all matches, allowing over two hundred points and registering twenty-seven, including a 71-0 defeat against the English team.

However, they confidently took the positives, and after the 2027 draw in Australia on December 3rd, Lemoine can begin planning in earnest. They hosted Scotland previously, losing by a significant margin before 24,000 fans, and although they were defeated across both matches by Uruguay in the first qualifying round, they achieved a 21-18 win on the road in Montevideo.

Samoa's Qualification Struggle

The Samoan team, in contrast, have participated in every World Cup for decades, but are presently sitting in 16th place in the men's rankings. They were without a victory in this year's Pacific Nations Cup, leading to qualifying disappointment against Chile, and the need to face teams like Belgium adds additional difficulty for the proud rugby nation.

Competition Format Changes

Beyond specific teams' fortunes, it is worth noting how changed the larger competition will look in the next edition. For the first occasion, there will be a round of 16 with six groups of four instead of four groups of five. Pool-stage jeopardy is much lower because the four best third-placed teams will also advance.

Hosts and Rankings Consequences

The organizers, Australia, are currently ranked seventh in the global rankings, which means they would fall short on a top seed and could face one of the Springboks, New Zealand, the Irish, France, the English, or Argentina in their group. They could rise into the top six during a packed autumn schedule, though: England, the Italian side, Ireland, and France are their fixtures, with a game versus the Japanese team in the capital also scheduled for October 25th.

Wales, on the other hand, are balanced in 12th, with Japan behind, and the consequences of falling to 13th and into pot three are potentially severe.

American Presence and Upcoming Events

Another fresh aspect for the next World Cup is the participation of five teams from the American continent: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, USA, Canada, and Chile – with Paraguay or Brazil potentially making it six. From the governing body's viewpoint, American interest is beneficial, especially with the 2031 World Cup set to be hosted by the United States, and the selection process for the 2035 edition was launched last month.

Immediate Focus

First things first, though. The second installment of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-way Dubai shootout, combined with a potential standings change across Europe in the coming month. Regardless of the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a clear success story.