All the pressure's on us - Cockerill

That is the size of the task that confronts Portugal in Paris tonight as they prepare to take on the sixtime defending champions, whose last defeat came at the hands of Romania in March 2017.
Portugal were outplayed in the 2023 final, losing 3811. However, since then they have become "the darlings" of world rugby with their performances at the World Cup, which included a win against Fiji and an 18-18 draw against Georgia.
Portugal came a cropper against unfancied Belgium in their first game of the Rugby Europe Championship but since then they have got back into their running stride and have been every bit as attractive to watch as they were five months ago.
It's a scenario almost tailor-made for Georgia head coach Richard Cockerill, whose Leicester side, as a player and as a coach, loved nothing more than reminding the opposition who's boss.
Georgia have strung together an unbeaten 32-match run and Cockerill, 53, now four matches into his reign, admits the pressure is all on them.
"There is pressure on us to win; everybody expects us to win so we have to make sure we get that right," he said. "The last three times we have played Portugal we have won one and drawn two. They were the darlings of the World Cup having beaten Fiji and they should have probably beaten ourselves, so we've got a fair bit to prove.
"We'll be well prepared and we are certainly well motivated as a group. We have shown some really good parts of play and I am hoping we can bring all that together and put in a compete performance.
"We know if we don't play as well as we can they are a good enough team to beat us. They are very dangerous with the unstructured way they play."
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In

YOUNG GUNS
JACK LIGHTBOWN SALE & ENGLAND U18 TIGHTHEAD

Bordeaux winning the race for crowds, too
Peter Jackson reveals his exclusive club-by-club attendances list for the regulation season in Europe's major leagues
Seven-try England go on the rampage
Georgia U20 ....14 England U20... 43
Massie-Taylor: R360 is not a threat to us
PREMIERSHIP Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor says does not feel the proposed breakaway rugby, R360, is a threat to top-flight rugby in England.

Questions at No.3 are key for Farrell
PROP forwards of the tighthead variety were not put on this earth to be like everyone else, and by and large - extremely large in the case of the French front rower Uini Atonio, who makes the same impact on population density as he does at the scrum - they continue to do things differently.

Leinster's league win in '14 was right up there
AS A kid, I remember going into Donnybrook, as it was then, and watching Leinster playing and thinking these guys are superstars.

Russell signs on for Gloucester
GLOUCESTER have signed back three flyer Rob Russell from Leinster.
Six of the best from the Toulouse globe-trotters
IT'S happened! As predicted in this column some while ago, Toulouse now have six international full-backs who have started for Le rouge et noir this season in the 15 jersey.

Sir Billy, the man Cardiff ignored
THE Welsh Rugby Union has paid due homage to Sir Billy Boston, acclaiming the sailor’s son they somehow managed to lose more than 70 years ago as 'a trailblazer'.
Baird: I am so proud of everyone
LEINSTER second row Ryan Baird revelled in taking his side back to the top of their domestic league after a tough few years for the province.