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Saturday’s match between Chile and Uruguay was marred by a second-half scuffle. Tension boiled over following a reckless tackle from Uruguayan hooker Joaquín Myska on Chilean prop Emilio Shea. The Uruguayan was red carded and then ugly scenes unfolded.
Played at CAP in Talcahuano, Chile, the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) match was this year’s one meeting between Rugby World Cup 2027 (and 2023) teams Chile and Uruguay. The teams were heavily made-up of players who know each other from Super Rugby Americas.
The conditions in Talcahuano were challenging for both teams but the tackle in question was reckless and dangerous. It happened in the 52nd minute with Myszka tackling Shea without the ball and in a no-arms tackle around the Chilean player’s knees.
The tackle ended Shea’s match. He was visibly in agonizing pain with injury to his right knee. Referee Federico Longobardi called Myszka and captains Lucas Bianchi (Uruguay) and Clemente Saavedra (Chile) and sent-off the Uruguayan hooker.
Immediately following the expulsion of Myszka, veteran Uruguayan second-rower Ignacio Dotti approached Saavedra making chest on chest contact. What followed was Pandemonium with angry players from both teams involved.
Longobardi summoned Bianchi and Saavedra, whose jersey was torn heavily, and both captains insulted each other. Longobardi then red carded both captains after telling them:
“What you both just did is not acceptable. We talked before the match; if I cannot ask the two of you for conduct, then I cannot ask anybody.”
Chile won the ARC match comfortably. It was not a day of celebrations, however, as those who were in attendance witnessed the aforementioned incident.
The fallout of the match came in confirmation of the seriousness of Emilio Shea’s injury. The Chilean suffered a high-grade ligament injury of the right knee, preliminarily consistent with a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament.
An injury involving both a complete tear of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) is a 10 to 12 month recovery. This means Myszka may have ended Shea’s chances of playing for Chile at Rugby World Cup 2027.
