Portugal captain Tomas Appleton and fullback Manuel Cardoso Pinto are relishing the “dream” opportunity of facing the world champion Springboks in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Os Lobos have emerged as a surprise package in world rugby, fuelled by their remarkable showing at the 2023 Rugby World Cup – the draw against Georgia, when Os Lobos claimed their first tournament point in World Cup history, and then a stunning 24-23 win against Fiji.
Their historic clash against the Boks in Bloemfontein promises to be a defining moment, as they seek to cement a place among the second-tier contenders, and Appleton addressed the significance of this match in a wide-ranging interview with Rugby365.
“It’s massive, playing against double world champions,” he told Rugby365. “It’s so big for us as a developing union. For some of us players, we are playing against guys that we are used to seeing on the television.
“They are the guys that influence our game style and the way we want to play.
“You don’t want to put them on a pedestal, as we are conscious that we want to show the world that we are taking this very seriously.
“And we want to shock the world every time we step onto the pitch.”
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Appleton’s sentiments were echoed by Pinto, who addressed the formidable challenge posed by a new-look Bok lineup this week.
Rassie Erasmus named an overhauled matchday squad captained for the first time by Salmaan Moerat and featuring seven debutants for Saturday’s Test at Free State Stadium.
“South Africa has a lot of options. Even if it is not their first-choice team, it will be a difficult challenge for Portugal,” Pinto was quoted by Netwerk24.
“Sometimes it’s more difficult to play against the second team, because the players want to prove something. They will want to show they can be considered for the preferred team.
“It’s the biggest challenge of my life to play against the No. 1 team in the world. It’s like a dream. I’ve watched some of these players on television since I was a kid.”
Photo: Antonio Borga/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
