With barely a handful of their World Cup starters on show availability issues, injuries, retirements and a desire to test a new crop - Portugal ran a more than decent Romanian team ragged with six tries, all of them sumptuous efforts that belong on the sevens field. Portugal are rugby's 'bazball' team and when it works lookout.
The pyrotechnics earned them a home semi-final against Spain in Lisbon next month, the big showpiece game they have wanted since the World Cup when they can start to build on that legacy.
Their performance yesterday was doubly admirable given that their young side arrived under considerable pressure. After a shock defeat in Belgium in round one, this was a must-win game on the road for Portugal. Defeat could have seen them miss out on the semi-finals.
This story is from the February 18, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the February 18, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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