The Portuguese rugby team is seeking its first victory in a World Championship on Saturday, against Georgia, a theoretically more accessible rival in Group C of França2023, but which the Portuguese have not defeated for 18 years.
Portugal’s last victory over the team of the former Soviet republic dates back to February 2005, in Lisbon, still during qualification for the 2007 World Cup, but since then, the best the ‘wolves’ have achieved are three draws.
The last of them took place last year (25-25), in Tbilisi, for qualification for 2023, but then Portugal again lost the two games played, the last one, in March, by 38-11, in the final of Euro 2023, in Badajoz.
Of all the rivals that Portugal faces in the competition, Lelos is, by far, the one with the longest history of confrontations, but has only managed to beat them four times in 25 meetings.
However, the proximity of the two teams in the World Rugby ranking, in which Georgia currently occupies 13th place and Portugal 16th, makes them the target for the Portuguese team to shoot in the competition, after debuting with a defeat. (28-8) against Wales.
Portugal has one European Championship title in its history in 2004, the top European level after the exclusive Six Nations tournament, but Georgia has won 15 of the 21 editions played since 2000, including 11 of the last 12.
The Portuguese team, which before 2023 only participated in one World Cup in 2007, was the last of the 20 teams present at the 2023 World Cup in France to qualify.
They did so in a play-off tournament, in November 2022, in Dubai, after drawing 16-16 with the United States, benefiting from the best difference in points scored and conceded in relation to the Americans, thanks to the triumphs over Hong Kong ( 42 -14) and Kenya (85-0).
Georgia, which is in its sixth participation, all consecutively, since 2003, qualified directly in first place in the European classification, made up of the overall Euro Cup in 2021 and 2022, in which it only failed to win the eliminatory against Portugal. , in 2022.
Portugal and Georgia compete in Group C of the France 2023 Rugby World Cup, along with Wales, Australia and Fiji.
The two teams have only played one match in the two rounds already played, in which the Georgians lost to Australia, 35-15, in the first round, and the Portuguese lost to Wales, 28-8.
Thus, Portugal and Georgia are the only two teams that have only played one match and have not yet scored in the group, which is led by Wales, with 10 points, followed by Fiji and Australia, both with six points.
Portugal competes in Group C with Wales (28-8 loss), Georgia (September 23), Australia (October 1) and Fiji (October 8).
The 2023 World Cup in France will be held from September 8 to October 28.
Source: TSF
