The Webb Ellis Cup will make two crucial visits in the next couple of weeks as silent witness to the final two matches of the long qualifying road that will lead to Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.

It has already arrived for the first time in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo for the South American leg of a play-off between Uruguay and Romania to determine who becomes the 20th and final qualifier for RWC 2011. A visit to Bucharest for the 27 November return leg than awaits.

This home and away play-off represents the last two matches of a qualification process that began in Grand Cayman on 20 April 2008 and has already seen Canada, Samoa, USA, Namibia, Georgia, Russia and Japan emerge from it to book their tickets to New Zealand.

A total of 184 matches will have been played in total, involving 80 nations across five continents. The European process involved the most with 31 nations playing in 95, while Oceania – the last region to get underway – only had five teams playing a total of five matches.

The end is near and after the two matches between Los Teros and The Oaks, the team with the highest aggregate score will secure a place in Pool B alongside Argentina, England, Scotland and Georgia.

The first match, to take place at the Charrúa Stadium in the leafy suburb of Carrasco on Saturday, will be played exactly 300 days from the start of what promises to be a wonderful tournament on the back of RWC 2007, which was the most successful Rugby World Cup to date, becoming the world's third-biggest sporting event and reaching a global TV audience of four billion.

Proud home record

“I am very aware of how important it is to be involved in a Rugby World Cup, and Romania is really keen on ensuring they are there,” said former captain and current coach Romeo Gontineac. A veteran of four RWCs as player – 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007 – he adds that “it is very important for our youth, our Union plans and the future that we are there.”

Gontineac has brought with him to South America – Romania spent four days in Buenos Aires before crossing the River Plate – a powerful and experienced squad. His forwards’ coach is none other than Steve McDowall, who propped the All Blacks scrum in the first ever Rugby World Cup as New Zealand were crowned the first champions.

Uruguay, though, hope to bank on their home advantage. Only three players in the match-day 22 have been to a Rugby World Cup before. Pablo Lemoine and Nicolás Brignoni were instrumental in 1999 and 2003, while Emiliano Caffera was a scrum half in the latter. Lemoine and Caffera will be used from the bench on Saturday.

“We are coming to the end of a very enjoyable and busy year,” explained Uruguay head coach Gonzalo Camardón, a former Puma back who played for Argentina in the 1991 and 1999 tournaments, missing 1995 through injury.

“We have played 14 games taking into account a Cross-Border tournament, the South American Championship, the Churchill Cup, the previous Repechage round [against Kazakhstan] and friendlies. We are match ready and very anxious.”

Camardón, who moved to Uruguay after a long stint in Italian rugby, was asked to help Los Teros and is doing it ad honorem. “It is a real challenge,” he admitted.

Best memory ever

Captain Carlos Arboleya acknowledges that the arrival of Camardón has been very positive for his side. “He is very clear with his message; we are playing modern rugby and we are ready. We have pressure on our backs because we are playing at home.”

Arboleya was unaware of the great RWC home record of his nation. “We’ve only lost three times in Uruguay? I’ll use that to motivate the team,” he said after finding out that Los Teros’ only losses in RWC qualifying games on home soil were to Argentina (1993) and USA (2006 & 2009).

The two sides have met only twice before with Romania emerging victorious on both occasions, but by slight margins. Both games were at the IRB Nations Cup in Bucharest – 10-6 in 2008 and 17-11 last year.

“I don’t want to be in the team that does not qualify for a Rugby World Cup; I’ve been telling the younger players that going to one is the best memory they will ever have,” insists his Romania counterpart Sorin Socol, the 33-year-old who is hoping to play in his third tournament.

“We have worked very hard. Made many sacrifices and we want to qualify.”

Both teams acknowledge that it is one game at a time and that they are ready for the challenge. Rugby World Cup 2011 is 160 minutes away from knowing who the final participant will be.