Win At 2023 Rugby World Cup Is Landmark Moment For Portuguese Rugby
Win At 2023 Rugby World Cup Is Landmark Moment For Portuguese Rugby
Portugal celebrates a historic win. Revisit the excitement of Portugal's first Rugby World Cup victory, a win over Fiji in pool play.
Two of the feel-good stories at the 2023 Rugby World Cup collided Sunday, as Fiji and Portugal met in Toulouse for the final pool match of the tournament.
Coming into the fixture, the Fijians knew that just a single match point would see them through to the quarterfinals.
Portugal, on the other hand, was in search of what would be the country's first Rugby World Cup victory, having come up agonizingly short against Georgia in an 18-all draw in Round 3.
Portugal appeared to be on course for further heartache in what was a seesaw affair against Fiji.
Having taken a commanding lead, Portugal struggled to manage proceedings, as Fiji came right back into the picture, taking a six-point lead with four minutes to play.
Despite seemingly being down and out, Portugal never gave up the fight.
Potent Finishers
Launching one final attack, the Portuguese wingers exposed the Fijian down the right-hand touchline.
Raffaele Storti, as star of the tournament, broke through the Fijian defense; his teammate Rodrigo Marta was on his shoulder.
Storti then completed a well-timed pass, and Marta sprinted towards the post in a bid to make the conversion easier.
With the two youngsters having done their work, all of the pressure was on 34-year-old scrumhalf Samuel Marques to land the kick.
Lining up initially near the touchline, Marques was given the all-clear by referee Luke Pearce, who then signaled the kicker to be closer to the posts.
The rest, as they say, is history, as Marques slotted the points and, with it, sealed a famous victory.
Du beau jeu et du cœur : vous pouvez être fiers de votre #RWC2023 @PortugalRugby 🇵🇹
— Rugby World Cup France 2023 (@France2023) October 8, 2023
---
Great play and unbelievable heart: you can be proud of your Rugby World Cup 2023 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/fVFNmovBpa
On the other hand, Fiji will be furious that it let a golden opportunity to secure another win slip.
Nevertheless, the Pacific Island team will progress to the quarterfinals, where they will face an England team who, too, are not in the best shape.
Related Content
- International Rugby Fixtures, News And World Rugby Rankings - Oct. 10
Oct 11, 2024
- Rugby's Pre-Match Challenges: All About The Haka, Other Traditional Dances
Aug 25, 2024
- International Rugby Fixtures 2024 On FloRugby
Aug 9, 2024
- Magnificent France Secures Olympic Sevens Gold, As Antoine Dupont Dominates
Jul 27, 2024
- Highlights: South Africa vs Portugal | 2024 Summer Internationals July 20
Jul 22, 2024
- Springboks See Off Potent Portugal In A 13-Try Bloemfontein Thriller
Jul 20, 2024
- Replay: South Africa vs Portugal | Jul 20 @ 3 PM
Jul 20, 2024
- Replay: Australia vs Georgia | Jul 20 @ 6 AM
Jul 20, 2024
- South Africa Springboks Vs. Portugal Lineups, Kickoff Time
Jul 19, 2024