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'All of the players want to show they deserve to be at this World Cup'

By PA
Patrice Lagisquet, Head Coach of Portugal, poses for a portrait during the Portugal Rugby World Cup 2023 Squad photocall on September 05, 2023 in Perpignan, France. (Photo by Alex Livesey - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Portugal will carry degrees of optimism and realism with them when they return to the Rugby World Cup stage on Saturday.

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Their first World Cup appearance for 16 years sees a testing opener against Wales at Stade de Nice.

Wales are fresh from a bonus-point victory over Pool C rivals Fiji, and they know that another five-pointer would strengthen their quarter-final ambitions.

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The countries’ one previous meeting saw Wales win a 1995 World Cup qualifier 102-11 in Lisbon when they scored 16 tries.

Portugal, though, have improved considerably since then, beating the United States 46-20 last month as part of their tournament preparations after finishing top of the repechage qualifying competition in Dubai.

“Everybody is not expecting Portugal to qualify for the quarter-final,” Portugal head coach and former France wing Patrice Lagisquet said.

“But all of the players want to show they deserve to be at this World Cup and that they can play good rugby.

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“I just want to help the players give their best in their World Cup. I can’t compare to when I was a player – they weren’t born, they don’t care about that.”

Asked if Portugal could topple Wales, Lasgisquet added: “I don’t have a crystal ball. We have to try to play our best and show that we have improved in the key areas of the game.

“We try to have no weakness, but it is really difficult when you play a team like Wales who played in the semi-final of the last World Cup.”

Portugal captain Tomas Appleton, meanwhile, said: “We want to inspire young kids to play and grow rugby in Portugal.

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“Every young kid, every young generation needs a team to look up to and a team that wins and gets results.

“To be present at a Rugby World Cup is the best result we could get.

“It is a long way for us to go to be at their (Wales’) level. We are confident we are going to show our best rugby, but we know the reality.”

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I cracked up when Wheeler and Donald disparaged the northern competitions quality, a very pertinent point in this regards. But it only really matters if NZR have improved on their policies, with a sabbatical no longer meaning what it does/did, after the likes of Ardiea Savea last year and others before him showing that allowing someone to come straight back into the team after a lack of quality rugby is just too detrimental to AB performances. AB’s on sabbatical should need to do more than the incumbents (than they would have) back at home in Super Rugby, and currently Jordie is not doing that.


I would also bring him straight back into the team and give him the best possible opportunity as the 23 though. With Leinsters management of him and star studded team it sounds like he’s pretty fresh. His form, and fitness, over the next 6 or so weeks could change that either way. On previous protocol however, he is straight back in as the starting 12 against France.


Form and fitness at home will also play a factor, as will Razor’s past stubbornness to play anyone else in midfield. Of that group there is only ALB that could be considered as the other option to start in the jersey, but at least he’s one to have started the season in good form, though that it had been at center and more recently has been injured. Their are two other performers have shown much more of a case for having that jersey. but they would be brand new selections, while Havili has still not shown any improvement from past good seasons to suggest he can do more than ALB. It would take an extraordinary return to his first couple of breakout seasons to change that picture.


AJ Lam and Timico Tavatavanawai have been the hot 2nd five options so far this season and you can’t really see their contributions changing as seasoned pros by now, through the 2nd half of Super Rugby. Both are of course uncapped (I believe) All Blacks, so while not without precedent of Lam being chosen to start the season there, certainly Big Jim as a first season midfielder is a very long shot to be given the jersey. Also in that category would be any other other ABXV players and hopefuls from last year, Higgins now has 5-7 games to show his case, will Poihipi, McLeod, or even the form Umaga-Jensen brothers (now that others are fit and firing and infront of them) get that same chance too? Higgins looked like the layoff wasn’t going to stop him showing his best, he just has too much class on his pass for that to happen, I have him in a four horse race at home to see if someone deserves to make Jordie earn his jersey back.

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