Santiago Videla: “We want to be the best Chilean rugby team in history”

Santiago Videla (23) is one of the Cóndores’ key men. Much of the success of the Chilean rugby team depends on their good punch. Today against Canada, at Elías Figueroa de Playa Ancha, the national team will be looking for something historic against the North Americans. The one-point defeat (22-21) at Langford, where the player contributed with three penalties and a conversion, fundamental to leaving the series open, the winner of which will be at a stage of the 2023 World Cup in France. by greater difference, will face the loser of the key between the United States and Uruguay (the North Americans have the advantage), for the World Cup quota.

How are the feelings after the first match?

The feelings are of union, as a team we feel more union than ever. The objectives and the conviction that we had before the first game have not changed. They remain the same and we are very convinced of what we are doing and with great security.

A close result was obtained to define at home, but a historic victory was dropped. How did you take it?

Yes, it would have been a historic victory, but at the beginning it was clear that there were two 80-minute halves at the end, and now we only lose a point at half time. Thus, winning by two points or losing by one are very similar results.

How do you deal with precedent anxiety?

With the band, it’s something we’ve been working on a lot lately. Anxiety goes away in training, it goes away in studying yourself. As you get to game day, you are already mentally and individually preparing yourself to be the best you can be, and that anxiety goes away when the game starts.

What’s the secret to hitting so well?

There is no secret. It’s just practice. Train and nothing more: train, train and train.

Do you know that a historical ranking can get out of your feet?

Yes, I am aware. It’s not something you think about all day either; but I am aware, as I have been in the other matches where I kick, that the points of my kicks are very important and I must continue with this mentality, no more.

Do you think Canada will change anything that was shown in the first leg?

We continue to see the Canadian team the same way we saw it before the first leg. It’s a very strong team with great experiences in the World Cup. We continue to look at them the same way. They continue with their sense of the game and their identity.

To what extent can the conditions in Valparaíso and the presence of the public influence you?

I think it’s more about local audience attendance than conditions, as they’re not too extreme to affect one person more than another. You have to find the motivation there.

But the porteño wind is complex.

In the Elías Figueroa there is usually a lot of wind, but there it plays the same way and we both have to adapt in the same way.

Martín Sigren said the goal was to be the best Chilean rugby team of all time. Do you share this opinion?

One hundred percent. In the group it’s clear: we want to be the best Chilean rugby team in history and to achieve that we have to qualify for the World Cup, so there’s no doubt about it.

Personally, how did you experience this whole transition?

It’s the most important thing in my career, what we live with this group and it’s what I focused on the most. I trained for this and the goal of being the best team in history is the biggest goal I have had individually and as a group.

How close do you see the World Cup?

Is near. We have to beat Canada and that’s where it’s going to get closer and closer.

You say it’s a world final. How do they do it?

We talk about it, it’s our end of the world. Here we lose and we go home. We think to work the game and come out with the victory.

How are they emotionally reinforced?

We greatly reinforce the sense of belonging and unity of the team; our trajectory, everything that we have grown over the past three or four years, regardless of the conditions and the adversities suffered as a team, which we have all been able to overcome, and this is where we grasp an internal motivation, that we have grown over the past three years. We are not pulling motivation out of nowhere for this week. This week is something we’ve been working on for the past three years and everything that’s happened in that process: the losses, the wins have brought us here.

What are the strengths of the team?

Our strengths are our mentality, our attitude and our perseverance. We got it right.

What was the hardest part of this process?

The most difficult thing was first to adapt to the conditions of the country; like a team from a country where it’s hard to be an athlete. To the conditions, resources and all that is necessary to train. Having to adapt to these conditions, assume them, assimilate them and make them ours; make them work for us, rather than against us, and take them as motivation.

Apart from rugby, he also has another activity…

I study commercial engineering at the University of Chile. The teachers have been very patient, both the university, as an institution, and the teachers, as individuals, have supported me in all my competitions and my training. I’ve never had a problem with that, I’ve been able to combine rugby and studies in a very good way, I’m already in my fifth year. I’m a semester behind, but it’s worth it, and I’m not burning my head over it.