Australia smothered a ferocious comeback by Portugal to win their gripping first matchup 34-14 in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.
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The bonus-point victory kept alive the Wallabies’ faint quarterfinal hopes.
Their final Pool C match moved them into second place and the second quarterfinal spot, and they will have to stay in France for another week without another game guaranteed to wait to see if Fiji overtakes them.
Fiji is one point behind, and needs to take only one point against Portugal next Sunday in Toulouse to advance and send Australia home.
Portugal couldn’t put Australia out of its misery on Sunday but it warmed the hearts in a packed Stade Geoffroy-Guichard with its daring and style.
Os Lobos scored two tries and had two others ruled out. But, crucially, when Australia was reduced to 14 and 13 men after an hour, the Portuguese couldn’t finish numerous chances.
The Wallabies’ scramble defense stopped a lineout maul and forced two knock ons. Portugal finally earned a converted try from replacement No. 8 Rafael Simoes with 10 minutes to go but the effort exhausted them.
Australia showed its experience and clinical edge when Samu Kerevi came out of the sin-bin and his surge up the middle was finished by the enigmatic Marika Koroibete. Australia’s fifth try capped the scoring.
The Wallabies started the second half in control on the scoreboard at 24-7 and needed only minutes to bag the bonus-point fourth try to Fraser McReight.
At 29-7 down with the benches clearing, Portugal owned the next 20 minutes.
The pressure would send replacement hooker Matt Faessler to the sin-bin after repeated warnings against the Wallabies, followed soon after by Kerevi for forearming tackler Tomas Appleton in the head.
But Portugal couldn’t get its lineout maul to work, blowing three chances in four minutes.
They should have given the ball to the backs.
The Os Lobos underdogs had rewarded the crowd’s overwhelming favor by landing the first big punch in the 12th minute. Their scrum shoved the Australians back, Appleton straightened the attack and got back in line to throw a double miss-out pass to center partner Pedro Bettencourt to score untouched.
Samuel Marques hit the sideline conversion for another double cheer, but the match turned moments later.
Bettencourt was sin-binned for an upright head tackle on opposite Izaia Perese, and the Wallabies were ruthless with the man advantage.
Smashing carries by Angus Bell and Rob Valetini set up Richard Arnold to score beside the posts. Bell then won a scrum penalty, Ben Donaldson reeled off a 50-meter touch-finder and a lineout maul drove captain Dave Porecki across. A counterattack released Lalakai Foketi on the right wing and Koroibete and Bell charged over off ruck ball.
Three converted tries in six minutes rushed Australia from 7-3 behind to 24-7 in front.
A 50-meter break by Perese was spoiled by obstruction in a maul, then Portugal had a try rubbed off near halftime when fullback Andrew Kellaway tackled Nicolas Martins’ leg over the touchline before he touched down.
That scoring dropped off after the break but the second half was no less frantic.
(AP)
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