Aussies keep RWC hopes alive with Portugal victory

Australia has eked out a 34-14 win against Portugal in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday, keeping their dimming Rugby World Cup quarter-finals aspirations flickering.

Despite a performance that lacked convincing dominance, tries from Richie Arnold, David Porecki, Angus Bell, Fraser McReight, and Marika Koroibete were enough to hand Australia a crucial bonus point and a lifeline in Pool C.

Portugal offered a resilient response with Pedro Bettencourt and Rafael Simoes putting points on the board, reflecting a commendable effort from the underdogs.

“It was good, the boys dug deep knowing it could be our last game and credit to Portugal, they are a very solid team,” Australian No. 8 Rob Valetini said.

“A lot of things we did at training transferred over to the field, we knew the game was going to be won by the forwards.”

The game marked a milestone for veteran Wallaby prop James Slipper, who set a national record with the most caps at a Rugby World Cup.

In the wake of the defeat, Portugal’s captain Tomas Appleton expressed mixed feelings: “I think we are really proud of what we gave, but it is a loss. I am proud, but not happy to be honest. We still have one more shot to show what we can do next week, but we are a bit disappointed.”

The game kicked off with Portugal showing no signs of intimidation, boldly running the ball even from deep within their territory. A well-executed backs move saw Bettencourt diving over in the corner, putting Portugal ahead despite an early penalty from Australia’s Ben Donaldson.

However, the momentum tilted when Bettencourt was penalized for a high tackle and sin-binned. Australia capitalized on the numerical advantage, with Arnold scoring next to the posts following an offload from Valetini. Subsequent lapses from Portugal allowed Porecki and Bell to add to Australia’s tally, bringing the score to 24-7 at halftime.

The second half witnessed Australia securing an attacking bonus point after Nawaqanitawase set up McReight for a try, seven minutes into the period. Despite facing a commanding Australian side, Portugal continued to display flair and determination. Although they were close to adding to their score, a knock-on during grounding ruled out what would have been a well-deserved try for hooker Mike Tadjer.

In a match that saw its share of cards, Australian replacement hooker Matt Faessler received a yellow, and centre Samu Kerevi was sin-binned for a forearm smash. Nevertheless, Portugal couldn’t capitalize on their two-man advantage.

The persistent Portuguese side eventually found success with Rafael Simoes touching down after a scrum. However, it was Australia who had the final say, with Koroibete scoring late, marking their fifth try of the contest. The result leaves Australia with a glimmer of hope for advancement, contingent on Fiji’s performance against Portugal in the upcoming week.

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