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While many fans in the UK concentrate on club early-season fortunes or debate upcoming autumn internationals, the contest for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification continues at full pace.

Chile's Remarkable Achievement

Chile earned their back-to-back spot at the competition with a sensational qualifying win over Samoa last month, leaving only one remaining spot to be claimed for Australia in two years. Meanwhile, Paraguay stunned Brazil by twenty points in the first leg of their qualifying series.

The second leg is scheduled this Saturday in the Brazilian city, near São Paulo, as Brazil's squad attempts to emulate their women's success and qualify for the first time.

Upcoming Qualification Clash

Regardless of Paraguay completes a shock overall victory, or Brazil bounces back after manager Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the participants for next month's Dubai qualification tournament will then be finalized. Namibia, Belgium, and the Samoan side have already secured spots for the Dubai-based competition from November 8th to 18th.

Global Qualification Updates

Many additional teams have also earned their spots. Hong Kong China achieved first-time qualification following beating Korea by a large margin in July, and the Zimbabwean squad will return to the sport's premier tournament for the first occasion since 1991 by virtue of winning the Rugby Africa Cup.

Chile's Growing Profile

The knock-on effect of Chile's playoff success means that Los Condores will face Italy for the first occasion next month during the autumn internationals, taking the place of Samoa who are obligated to participate in Dubai.

The global governing body's CEO described Chile an "exciting and rapidly rising power" in confirming the upcoming fixture in Genoa. As domestic rugby promotional efforts aim for increased attendance, rugby in Chile is thriving. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 saw the qualifying win in the coastal city, and head coach the national coach has led the team on an upward trajectory since his appointment in 2018.

Manager's Impressive Legacy

The fifty-year-old ex- Uruguay international prop has been making an impact for decades: signed by the English club in the 1990s, he famously ran straight through England defensive line to score at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

His influence as head coach has been equally significant: Chile have climbed to 17th, their best ranking. At the previous tournament in Europe, they were defeated in all matches, conceding over two hundred points and registering twenty-seven, featuring a heavy loss against England.

Nevertheless, they proudly found the positives, and after the tournament draw in Sydney on 3 December, Lemoine can begin planning in earnest. They faced Scotland last year, defeated 52-11 in front of twenty-four thousand supporters, and while they were beaten over both matches by Uruguay in the first 2027 playoff, they managed a narrow away victory in Montevideo.

Samoa's Qualification Struggle

The Samoan team, in contrast, have participated in all Rugby World Cup for decades, but are currently languishing in 16th place in the men's rankings. They were winless in this year's regional tournament, resulting in playoff misery against Chile, and the need to face teams like Belgium adds additional challenge for the rugby-loving country.

Competition Format Changes

Apart from individual nations' fortunes, it is worth noting how different the larger tournament will appear in 2027. For the first occasion, there will be a knockout stage with six groups of four teams rather than four pools of five teams. Group phase risk is much lower because the top four third-place sides will also qualify.

Hosts and Standings Consequences

The organizers, the Australian team, are now ranked seventh in the global rankings, which means they would fall short on top seeding and could meet either the Springboks, the All Blacks, the Irish, the French, England, or the Pumas in their group. They could rise into the top six during a packed autumn schedule, however: the English team, the Italian side, the Irish squad, and France are their fixtures, with a game versus the Japanese team in Tokyo additionally scheduled for October 25th.

The Welsh team, on the other hand, are balanced in 12th, with Japan below, and the consequences of dropping to thirteenth and into pot three are potentially significant.

Americas Presence and Upcoming Events

Another new dimension for 2027 is the participation of five nations from the Americas: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, USA, Canada, and Chile – with Paraguay or Brazil possibly making it six. From the governing body's perspective, engagement from the Americas is beneficial, particularly with the 2031 World Cup set to be staged by the United States, and the selection process for the 2035 edition was initiated recently.

Current Priority

For now, however. The second installment of Brazil v Paraguay sets up a four-way Dubai shootout, combined with a possible standings change throughout Europe in the coming month. No matter how things pan out, Chile's successful qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has already made them as a resounding triumphant example.