Rugby World Cup: winner takes it all as USA and Portugal face final shoot-out for France 2023 spot
- In a battle of contrasting styles, it is almost impossible to predict whose journey will come to a juddering halt
- Both sides have looked on top of their games at times in Dubai, although neither have been really stretched in final qualifying tournament
The journey to next year’s Rugby World Cup will come to a juddering halt for either the USA or Portugal on Friday night, and in a battle of contrasting styles it is almost impossible to predict who it will be.
In the red, white, and blue corner are Gary Gold’s Eagles, and opposite them Patrice Lagisquet’s Os Lobos, and while it might be cliched to suggest the two sides reflect their coaches, it does not make it any less true.
Both sides have looked on top of their games at times in Dubai, although neither have been really stretched in a final qualifying tournament where only the winner can go on to France in 2023.
A Portuguese team of attacking élan that befits a coach who played 46 times for France, and as Gold acknowledged has “pace for fun”, has sliced through the rather porous defences of Hong Kong and Kenya in their previous two games, scoring 127 points in the process.
The South African’s side, meanwhile, take a more pragmatic approach, and while they too were more than a match for the other sides in the tournament, there was a harder-nosed edge to the victories, with forward power very much to the fore.
Lagisquet though has bristled at any suggestion his side has a soft underbelly, despite the try Hong Kong scored from a rolling maul in the opening game, where Portuguese defenders were spat out at will.
The Frenchman’s defence, of his defence, is they were disorganised on that occasion and are normally no easy pushovers.
“I think in the last four-five games, since Italy, the teams that we’ve played against just scored once on the maul,” he said. “It was the first game against Hong Kong here in Dubai and it’s because we made a mistake in our organisation.
“Before that, Georgia couldn’t score on the maul, Argentina XV also, Kenya it’s not their best strength. We think we have the capacity to defend on the mauls.”
Certainly Lagisquet isn’t expecting anything too complicated from the Americans, whose solid pack provides the perfect foundation for fly half AJ MacGinty to direct proceedings for a group of backs who are no slouches themselves.
The US then are expected to target the breakdown and work to frustrate scrum half Samuel Marques by denying the Portuguese the quick ball they so need to thrive.
“I think from seeing their games the last two weeks, their back three are very threatening and their two centres are good ball carriers as well,” MacGinty said. “I think that back line is highlighted over the competition. Their pack is gonna be another step and the collisions will be a massive one, the ability to slow down their ball and not give them as much space as they’ve enjoyed over the last two weeks.”
So, with a forward battle brewing, Lagisquet said it was “important for us to not show any weakness for this game”.
“I think they [the US] will play with their qualities, a solid scrum, good mauls, strong players in midfield,” he said. “That’s the way they’ve played in previous games. I think we beat their strategy, but maybe they will have some surprises for us.”
