Patrice Lagisquet expected the meeting between his troops and Georgia to be a “big fight, a tough battle”. “It’s the team we know best and we can say to ourselves that it’s the one we can compete against the most,” explained the coach of the Portuguese XV at a press conference. Almost a final before time in this World Cup for the thumbs of group C. The former French international made no mistake. Saturday September 23, the public at the Toulouse Stadium experienced a suspenseful game, which ended in the first draw of this edition of the tournament (18-18).
This score of parity does not reflect the appearance of the meeting, which had three very distinct sequences. New Zealander Paul Williams has just whistled the start of the match when Akaki Tabutsadze opens the scoring for the Georgians; his essay is transformed by Tedo Abzhandadze. Barely two minutes into the game and the Portuguese are already down 7-0. Dominated, cornered, they see the gap widening on the scoreboard. This announces 13-0 when Raffaele Costa Storti delivers a superb solo rush to allow his team to get back into the game (34th, 5-0). The conversion of scrum half Samuel Marques hits the post. No matter: the Lusitanians have regained color and the hopes of witnessing the “tough battle” promised by Patrice Lagisquet seem to have been revived.
But three minutes later, the Wolves were disillusioned. After a shoulder-to-head collision between Francisco Fernandes and hooker Shalva Mamukashvili (37th), Mr. Williams crosses his arms above his head: yellow card for the pillar, sent to the bunker pending the final verdict. Reduced to fourteen at the end of the first period and at the start of the second – Fernandes’ card not having turned red – the Portuguese held on.
Portugal had the match point
In the 53rd minute of play, they came back to within two points of their opponents. The Georgians, who feel the breath of their rivals on their necks, multiply their errors and approximations. Shortly after, Raffaele Costa Storti – him again – reverses the course of the match: his try allows the Wolves to take the lead for the first time since the start of this World Cup (57th, 13-16). This time, Samuel Marques transforms the try. The stadium is jubilant.
The Lusitanians have not beaten the Lelos since 2005, eighteen matches (15 defeats, 3 draws). Will they do it twice and achieve their first World Cup success at their expense? This is without taking into account the tenacity of their opponents. A ball carried 5 meters from the Portuguese goal benefits the Georgians. The scene that follows is confusing, but the video refereeing confirms it, the hooker Tengiz Zamtaradze flattened the ball well behind the line. Luka Matkava’s conversion goes to the right of the posts: 18-18 in the 78th. Then, the Lelos are penalized in their 22 meters on the return. The Stadium is in apnea… But Nuno Guedes misses the match point in the final seconds. The matter remains there.
For their entry into the tournament, the Portuguese were not unworthy against the XV du Poireau, before giving in at the end of the game (28-8). To the point of causing some fear in their coach: “I was a little worried that the players, following the very positive comments after the match against Wales, would start to say to themselves: “We are better than we are really are.” », had told the press by Patrice Lagisquet before Saturday’s meeting. Against Georgia, the Wolves proved that they still had the fangs.
They will meet Australia on October 1 at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, in Saint-Etienne, for their third match of the group stage. The Lelos will face Fiji the day before at Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux.