The 2019 Rugby World Cup continues to offer us matches high in intensity and emotion. In Pool C, two teams, Portugal and Georgia, faced each other in a match full of twists and turns.
The Portuguese, who are participating in their second Rugby World Cup, were looking for their first victory in the competition. Facing them, the Georgians, a solid and experienced team, who had won their first match against Tonga.
The match took place in Toulouse, in front of a passionate audience. From the start, both teams showed their determination to gain the upper hand. The Georgians took advantage of their dominant pack to take the lead by scoring a try in the first half.
However, the Portuguese did not give up and reacted in the second half. Thanks to a good try from their winger Raffaele Storti, they took the lead. We then felt a certain tension in the Georgian ranks, aware that victory was slipping away from them.
The last minutes of the match were particularly intense. The Georgians managed to equalize thanks to a strong try from their pack, two minutes before the end of the match. But Portugal’s real opportunity came in the 79th minute, with a penalty that could have given them victory. Unfortunately, full-back Nuno Sousa Guedes’ kick went wide to the left of the posts.
It was therefore with a score of 18-18 that the match ended, leaving the two teams in a draw. The Portuguese can be proud of this performance, even if they remain hungry for narrowly missing out on victory. They showed solid play, great phases of play and unwavering determination.
For the Georgians, this draw is a relief, because they avoided a defeat which could have compromised their chances of qualifying for the final stages.
This once again shows the intensity of this Rugby World Cup, where each team fights until the end to achieve victory. We can’t wait to see the rest of the matches and follow the exploits of these passionate players.
In the meantime, we can salute Portugal and Georgia for their performance and commitment on the ground. They offered the spectators a great show and proudly represented their country in this international competition. Rugby is truly a sport that unites nations and that thrills us at every meeting.