[RWC2023] Wales vs Portugal (16/09/2023)

[BenniMarco]

Back us to win by 15-20 with this team. Irritating to hear so many doing Portugal down. Really hope they can prove people wrong, but also we get a bonus point win and a strong performance of course!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby-w...ore-of-an-attacking-spectacle--not-a-kickfest

"Well pot, ya black **** ya!"

 

[Tooting Carmen]

After watching how much of a scare Uruguay gave to France's 2nd string, a small but significant part of me is concerned now.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Eh Portugal should be a 70 point win for tier 1s. Uruguay is a really solid team with guys in France the rest playing together in SAR.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Eh Portugal should be a 70 point win for tier 1s. Uruguay is a really solid team with guys in France the rest playing together in SAR.

Yes, but France are a far better team with far more strength-in-depth than Wales, and yet they still struggled.

 

[Which Tyler]

France were complacent, and seemed to be strangers to each other.
And yes, Uruguay were under-rated

 

[Tooting Carmen]

France were complacent, and seemed to be strangers to each other.

Well that's the point - that'll be the case with this Wales team too.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Eh Portugal should be a 70 point win for tier 1s. Uruguay is a really solid team with guys in France the rest playing together in SAR.

70 point is a bit generous especially for our second team (which is debatable whether we're tier 1) but I'm expecting 30-40 points.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Portugal: 15 Nuno Sousa Guedes, 14 Vincent Pinto, 13 Jose Lima, 12 Tomas Appleton (c), 11 Rodrigo Marta, 10 Jeronimo Portela, 9 Samuel Marques, 8 Rafael Simoes, 7 Nicolas Martins, 6 Joao Granate, 5 Steevy Cerqueira, 4 José Madeira, 3 Anthony Alves, 2 Mike Tadjer, 1 Francisco Fernandes

Replacements: 16 Raffaele Storti, 17 Joris Moura, 18 Pedro Lucas, 19 David Wallis, 20 Martim Belo, 21 Diogo Hasse Ferreira, 22 Lionel Campergue, 23 David Costa

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Portugal's 11-15 are significantly better than Uruguay's (as a comparison). Their half backs are overrated in my opinion and their pack is limited. As I've said elsewhere, the pace of the Welsh wingers could really nullify Portugal's attack.

Halfpenny being selected may limit Wales as an attacking force but Gatland has them in a decent place. Whatever the circumstances in the Fiji match, beating that Fiji team in hot conditions was a very good result, even if they were missing Muntz.

Definitely one for any curious neutral to tune in for.

Wales 37 - 15 Portugal

 

[BenniMarco]

Eh Portugal should be a 70 point win for tier 1s. Uruguay is a really solid team with guys in France the rest playing together in SAR.

Where do you get this from?!

Look at recent results and see that Portugal and Uruguay have quite similar recent results.

Portugal also got within 7 points of Italy recently and close to beating Georgia. Both who best Wales. Wales now playing an inexperienced 2nd team, what could go wrong eh?! Hahah

I'm predicting something like 38-17 Wales. If we score over 50 it'll be impressive. It's not like we are particularly good atm haha.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Where do you get this from?!

Look at recent results and see that Portugal and Uruguay have quite similar recent results.

Portugal also got within 7 points of Italy recently and close to beating Georgia. Both who best Wales. Wales now playing an inexperienced 2nd team, what could go wrong eh?! Hahah

I'm predicting something like 38-17 Wales. If we score over 50 it'll be impressive. It's not like we are particularly good atm haha.

Just checked the World Rankings - Portugal are 16th, one place above Uruguay. While obviously a Portuguese victory is very unlikely, all the same no one should expect a walkover.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Where do you get this from?!

Look at recent results and see that Portugal and Uruguay have quite similar recent results.

Portugal also got within 7 points of Italy recently and close to beating Georgia. Both who best Wales. Wales now playing an inexperienced 2nd team, what could go wrong eh?! Hahah

I'm predicting something like 38-17 Wales. If we score over 50 it'll be impressive. It's not like we are particularly good atm haha.

1. SAR is a stronger competition than RESC.

2. Portugal mainly qualified through Spain's disqualification. They drew against the United States at a time when the US was losing by those big margins to England and Ireland.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

1. SAR is a stronger competition than RESC.

2. Portugal mainly qualified through Spain's disqualification. They drew against the United States at a time when the US was losing by those big margins to England and Ireland.

1. What makes you say that?

2. But they still played remarkably well e.g. against Australia A.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

1. What makes you say that?

2. But they still played remarkably well e.g. against Australia A.

SAR is full time professionals while RESC has squads that aren't.

Sure, but we'll see how this plays out.

 

[Verde-Rubro]

Prying that we do not lose to wales by 100 points, I know we improved since 2007 but this is wales 6 nations team we are coming up against. Really hope we have a really good game keep the score down and show the world we can play rugby

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Prying that we do not lose to wales by 100 points, I know we improved since 2007 but this is wales 6 nations team we are coming up against. Really hope we have a really good game keep the score down and show the world we can play rugby

Wales have undergone significant decline themselves and are not the force of even four-five years ago. While a Portuguese victory is indeed rather unlikely, nevertheless I really doubt it would be a cricket score massacre by any means.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Prying that we do not lose to wales by 100 points, I know we improved since 2007 but this is wales 6 nations team we are coming up against. Really hope we have a really good game keep the score down and show the world we can play rugby

I hate it when opposition fans wish their opponents fans good luck as I hope Wales win but I really hope you give a good account of yourselves and give us a good run for our money and try and keep it within a score or 2. That would be a massive result.

 

[Verde-Rubro]

I hate it when opposition fans wish their opponents fans good luck as I hope Wales win but I really hope you give a good account of yourselves and give us a good run for our money and try and keep it within a score or 2. That would be a massive result.

That's really what I'm hoping for and with a bonus a first time win in the world stage against Georgia as we have had close games in the past.

 

[DonnaT]

I have 2 cat 1 tickets if anyone is interested, if you're in Nice anyway for other games £100 for both tickets, half original cost, just been released to me from official resale site.