Portugal held the USA to a nail-biting draw in Dubai on Friday night to become the 20th team to book their place at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Portugal needed a draw at The Sevens Stadium to advance to a second Rugby World Cup, thanks to their superior points difference, and scrumhalf Samuel Marques secured a 16-16 stalemate with the last kick of the match.
It means Portugal will take their place in Pool C at RWC 2023, alongside Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia.
The kick that sends @PortugalRugby to France #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/HWs8UHjMDb
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) November 18, 2022
“It’s hard to explain, it’s one of the best feelings in the world,” Portugal captain Tomás Appleton told World Rugby. “For the rugby community this is amazing, we’ve been missing [from Rugby World Cup] for quite some time and we need a new generation to inspire the kids.”
USA had only failed to qualify for one previous Rugby World Cup, in South Africa in 1995, and they took the lead in Dubai as AJ MacGinty sent a third-minute penalty through the uprights.
They soon lost winger Nate Augsperger to the sin-bin, though, and Portugal responded to score the opening try of the match.
Winger Raffaele Storti took a pass from Nuno Sousa Guedes wide on the right and cut back inside to exploit the space created by Augsperger’s absence and sprint over the line. Marques added the conversion to give Os Lobos a four-point lead.
That is the way the score remained until Portugal centre José Lima was shown a yellow card in the 21st minute and MacGinty was successful with the resulting penalty.
Uncharacteristically, the Bristol Bears flyhalf failed with an effort from the tee that would have given his side the lead on the half-hour mark.
MacGinty rediscovered his range on the stroke of half-time, however, responding to an earlier successful Marques penalty to make the score 10-9 in Os Lobos’ favour at the break.
Marques restored Portugal’s four-point lead 10 minutes into the second half, although it came in between two missed kicks that would have stretched their advantage further.
And Portugal were made to pay for that profligacy as Kapeli Pifeleti Jr. burrowed over from close range on the hour mark.
The try gave USA the lead for the first time since the eighth minute and MacGinty extended it to 16-13 with a routine conversion.
After an attempted drop goal richoted off the uprights, Portugal were awarded a penalty and Marques stepped up to deliver it with the final kick of the match.
Earlier on Friday, Hong Kong mounted a second-half comeback to beat Kenya 22-18 and claim third place in the standings.
Photo: Twitter/@selecaoportugal
