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Uruguay call on pros for a lift

Agustin Ormaechea and Felipe Berchesi play for French clubs Stade Montois and Carcasonne, respectively.

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Mario Sagario and Gaston Mieres play for Massy in France and Valpolicella in Italy.

The four aim to bring the experience gained outside Uruguay to defeat Wales – a difficult task with the partisan home fans firmly behind the Red Dragons.

The South Americans return to the World Cup stage after a 12-year absence.

It's hard to over-emphasise their inexperience as every one of the match-day 23 will be making their World Cup debuts.

Uruguay beat the Basque Country 41-19 at the beginning of the month after losing twice to Japan in their warm-up matches prior to the World Cup.

In other matches this year, Los Teros lost 30-22 and 42-22 to Fiji in May, 19-10 against Georgia, 33-7 to Emerging Ireland and 23-13 to Italy A in the Tibilisi Cup in June.

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But in August they beat neighbours Argentina XV 30-2.

Their World Cup track record includes two wins, 24-12 against Georgia in 2003, and 27-15 over Spain in 1999.

However World Cup 2015 offers them little chance of repeating that feat after being drawn in Pool A, the so-called 'group of death'.

Uruguay and Wales meet fro the first time on Sunday, and the South Americans have acknowledged the great opportunity it offers them.

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It will be a learning curve, as well as being a dream come true for many of the players, despite their slim chances of winning.

Wales captain Sam Warburton has acknowledged that Uruguay will not be an easy game.

"We have to show respect to Uruguay," said Warburton.

"They’ve had a month together so they will be more organised.

"No one knows what a good score is until a couple of teams play. It’s quite a tricky situation."

Santiago Vilaseca, who works in a bank, will head up Uruguay as captain.

Veteran hooker Carlos Arboleya is amongst the inexperienced starting XV  – he will chalk up 51 test matches when he takes to the pitch at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.

Source: @WorldRugby

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