Portugal take five point lead to Lisbon
Portugal take five point lead to Lisbon
20 JANUARY 2007, c/o IRB
Portugal overcame Morocco 10-5 in front of a partisan Casablanca crowd at the Stade du COC to take the honours in the first leg of their crucial Rugby World Cup repechage tie.
In a tight match, in which all the points were scored in the first half, Cardozo Pinto scored a penalty, a try and a conversion for Portugal to Morocco's try scored by number eight Boutaty.
With a five-point advantage ahead of their home leg in Lisbon on 27 January, Tomaz Morais' men are now favourites to proceed through to the next round against Uruguay.
Portugal were under pressure from the home side for much of the match but led through Pinto's boot after 31 minutes.
Pinto's try on 35 minutes looked to have given Morais' men a strong half time lead, before Boutaty's effort in the fifth minute of added time brought the deficit back to five points at the break.
Morocco mounted a concerted effort in the second half but Portugal's organised defence stood firm.
In the other half of the repechage draw Tonga play Korea in Auckland on 10 February, the winner qualifying directly to take their place in Pool A with England, South Africa, Samoa and USA.
Portugal beat Morocco in World Cup qualifier
Sunday, January 21, 2007, c/o Rugby Heaven
Portugal 10 Morocco 5
Portugal beat Morocco 10-5 in a World Cup qualifier in Casablanca on Saturday.
It was the first game of a European repechage double-header for the right to face Uruguay for a place in the 2007 World Cup.
The second tie will be played in Lisbon on January 27.
AFP
RWC 2007: Portugal defeat Morocco to book Repechage place
RWC 2007: Portugal defeat Morocco to book Repechage place
c/o IRB
27 JANUARY 2007
Portugal’s hopes of qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2007 in France are still alive after recording a 16-15 victory over Morocco in Lisbon on Saturday in the decisive play-off match in Lisbon on Saturday.
The narrow victory means that Tomaz Morais’ side win the two-legged qualifier 26-20 on aggregate and now proceed through to the final Rugby World Cup qualifying Repechage round against Uruguay.
In a tight match Portugal’s five point advantage gained in the opening leg in Casablanca was to prove important as a determined Morocco fought back strongly from a 10-3 deficit at half time to close the deficit to just a single point as the match entered extra time.
Morocco had taken an early lead with a penalty kick by Gyziar in the 16th minute but the remainder of the first half was all one way traffic as Portugal, spurred on by vociferous home support at the University of Lisbon, took the game to the visitors.
Portugal got back on level terms after Cardoso Pinto kicked a long range penalty in the 34th minute before a rare breach of the Moroccan defence led to the opening try of the match by number eight Vasco Uva on the stroke of half time. Pinto’s conversion gave Portugal a 10-3 advantage at the interval.
Morocco were not finished and started the second half in determined fashion, squeezing the Portugal scrum and gaining the upper hand in the forward exchanges. Two early penalty chances were missed, but it took the visitors just two minutes to score their first try through winger Chadid to close the gap to 10-8.
With just six points separating the sides on aggregate as the match entered stoppage time, Morocco threw everything at Portugal in a last attempt to score the converted try that would secure victory in the match and on aggregate. However Portugal encouraged by home support held on for victory and a place in the final round of Rugby World Cup qualifying.
The dates for the two-legged Repechage 1 qualifying matches between Uruguay and Portugal will be announced shortly. The winner over the two matches on aggregate will advance to Rugby World Cup 2007 to join New Zealand, Scotland, Italy and Romania in Pool C.
