Nicolas Martins, Portugal flanker, dives against Wales in Nice Photo: AFP/Christophe Simon
Rugby union, like any other another sport becomes richer and more interesting when observers can distinguish between different styles of play. And the World Cup should be a showcase of that diversity.
For that reason, Portugal's return to the top table after losing 28-8 to Wales on Saturday was both exciting and refreshing. Nicholas Martins, their outstanding flanker, subsequently explained that it was a case of Os Lobos simply staying true to themselves.
«It's in our DNA to play like this,» he said. “We are not strong, but we are fast and we can handle it. This is our identity; we can do something different. I think this kind of game can give us new opportunities.”
Sixteen years after the opening of the club of World Cup goalscorers for the Portuguese national team, another member has appeared. Back in 2007, they went over the line once in each of their four group stage defeats to Scotland, New Zealand, Italy and Romania.
They did so again during defeat to Wales at the weekend, courtesy of the excellent Martins. The well-judged try epitomized the side's fearless and skilful performance, and David Gerard, their forwards coach, was praised for his incisive pre-match analysis.
«It's a weakness we saw on film,» Martins explained. “The coach prepared this squad, and we already had it in reserve. We made moves and I saw that the guy was alone. Normally we should have made a maul, but I saw that this guy was alone, so I went in and was really happy to score.”
“It was our first match at the World Cup,” he added. “I pray there will be more.”
The evidence suggests Portugal will indeed be able to score further tries in their remaining matches against Georgia, Australia and Fiji.
Martins' strike came early in the second quarter. Carl Dixon has just penalized Wales for offside and Samuel Marquez turns for a corner…
…before pushing towards touch:
Gerard, a former player for Toulon, Toulouse and Northampton Saints, among others, won one cap. for France, appears to signal a planned ploy:
Portugal coach change
Picking up the ball and preparing to throw it into the lineout, hooker Mike Tajer smiles:
Portugal players are encouraged by a rousing crowd and at this stage the volume increases:
Portugal fans
Now it's worth considering the standard game. Portugal lined up a six-man lineout with Joao Granate at receiver. That setup often heralds a trip.
Martins, 6-foot-5 and a springy jumper, stands in front. Christ Chiunza is already pointing at him, clearly marking him as a target for a throw.
Wales forward Corey Domachowski is a key defender:
Subtle moves in the lineouts can make all the difference, and Martins' dive makes a big difference:
Dummy Jump, Portugal
He finishes the play outside the lineout. Meanwhile, Diogo Hasse Ferreira passes him to lift Rafael Simões:
Tajer's throw finds its man…< /p> 
…and even that turn of Simões at the top of the jump was part of the plan. This is another detail that sells Wales in an attempt to force Domachowski to bury himself in the counter:
< p>Of course he it does. And at the perfect time, without even looking at his teammate, Simões finds Martins with a quick pass instead of dropping and passing the ball to Granata:
Portugal pass
Portugal are clearly shying away from the arm-wrestling style of throwing themselves into space like a boxer, bouncing, twisting and using their jab to keep their opponents at bay.
Martens, who plays for Soyo Angoulême in France's second division, was in the center of other highlights for Portugal. He jumped and intercepted this lineout in the second period:
Martins intercepts
Long before that, at the beginning of the first half, he provoked a flowing attack, cutting an angle close to the breakdown and passing to Simões, who in turn , knocked the ball out of the contact zone with Granate:
Portugal unloading the back rowers
Less than 48 hours before Portugal's exploits in Nice, Uruguay infuriated France with another heartfelt performance that was underpinned by tenacity but also marked by intuitive movement of the ball into space.
Nicolas Freitas scored with a chip from Felipe Echeverri…
….before Balthazar Amaya circled Arthur Vincent to complete a pure phase play:
Martins said Portugal were inspired by Los Teros, who lost 27-12 in Lille.
“Uruguay competed with France; who may have thought they were stronger than them,” he said. “Now I think all the big countries will be a little scared of small countries that can do something flashy and fast. I think this will benefit the future of competition.”
Tier 2 countries need more opportunities
Innovation and precision help these so-called “tier two” parties survive. What they need after this tournament is more opportunities to level the playing field so they can thrive. Andy Robinson, the former head coach of Romania, told Telegraph Sport in 2022 that a Six Nations relegation play-off would be desirable even if it would take the European rugby champions a decade to win one match and secure promotion. He believes the motivation generated will be key.
Martins cited last year's game against Italy, which Portugal lost 38-31, as an example of more encouraging defiance. In the short term, Patrice Lajiske's side will have to confront Georgia's faltering strength and hope to correct the fragility that damaged them against Wales. Additionally, more regular encounters with elite opposition should take them to greater heights.
“In our Six Nations Two [European Rugby Championship] competition we play against Poland or Belgium,” Martins said. “It’s not nice to say this, but they are weaker than us. If we want to compete with higher level teams, with bigger countries.
“Our next goal is to win. We think we can beat Georgia. We showed a lot in that game [against Wales]; bad things, but also good things. We need to prepare well for this game [in Georgia] because it will be difficult.”
RWC Promo Book
Свежие комментарии