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The big game is finally here. On Friday, one of the USA or Portugal will qualify as the 20th and final participant at Rugby World Cup 2023. For months the anticipation has grown for what most considered the inevitable decider of the Repechage. Both teams have proven their mettle but only one will taste victory and earn their place in France.
In historical terms there is little to fall back on between the two sides. The Eagles have won both previous meetings, but it’s been over a decade since the last one in 2010. Portugal are now ahead of the USA in the World Rankings but by a number so miniscule they could be considered dead even.
The results of the Repechage also offer little to separate the two. While the Lobos ran up the score against Kenya last week, it was a weaker Simbas roster who played much of the game with only 14 men. There was no meaningful difference in the scores against Hong Kong.
USA coach Gary Gold has stuck with a near-identical lineup to the one that faced the Dragons last week. The only change to the starting lineup sees Bryce Campbell coming in at outside center, with Marcel Brache ruled out due to a calf injury suffered in training.
Siaosi Mahoni is another injury absence leaving the Eagles without a specialist second row reserve, though Ben Bonasso did spent time there with New York during the Major League Rugby season. Tavite Lopeti and Chris Mattina make their first appearances of the series. Mattina could make his test debut, the utility back preferred over Ryan Rees which leaves starting winger Nate Augspurger as the backup to scrumhalf Ruben de Haas.
Portugal mixed things up against Kenya and have reverted to the team that faced Hong Kong. There is one notable change as flanker David Wallis is ruled out with a broken cheekbone. Rafael Simões moves to the side of the scrum with Thibault de Freitas starting at No8.
Conditions at game time are expected to be hot, somewhere around 30-32°C (85-90°F). The humidity won’t be as high as it has been but it will still be energy-sapping for the men up front. It’s in the pack where the USA will target Os Lobos, using their bigger forwards and superior scrum to starve their opponents of possession.
The concern for Eagles fans will be if Portugal can get their lethal backline into space. They have both creative flair and searing pace that the Eagles simply cannot match man-for-man. If the USA opt for a tactical game they must do so with caution. One stray kick could cost them seven points from the likes of Raffaele Storti and Nuno Sousa Guedes.
It’s a compelling clash of styles and the stakes are enormous. The USA has only once before failed to qualify for a World Cup, back in 1995. For Portugal, this is their opportunity to return to the tournament for just the second time – the first was in 2007. Give the Eagles a slight advantage in big game experience but Os Lobos are very much capable of making history.
Kickoff is set for 7:30pm local time, 10:30am Eastern, 7:30am Pacific. Viewers in Canada can watch live on The Rugby Network. Those located elsewhere can access a live stream on the Rugby World Cup website.
USA
1 David Ainu’u, 2 Kapeli Pifeleti, 3 Paul Mullen, 4 Greg Peterson, 5 Cam Dolan, 6 Vili Helu, 7 Cory Daniel, 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 AJ MacGinty (capt.), 11 Nate Augspurger, 12 Paul Lasike, 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Christian Dyer, 15 Mitch Wilson
Replacements: 16 Mikey Sosene-Feagai, 17 Jack Iscaro, 18 Nathan Sylvia, 19 Benjamín Bonasso, 20 Moni Tonga’uiha, 21 Chris Mattina, 22 Luke Carty, 23 Tavite Lopeti
PORTUGAL
1 Francisco Fernandes, 2 Mike Tadjer, 3 Diogo Ferreira, 4 Steevy Cerqueira, 5 José Madeira, 6 João Granate, 7 Rafael Simões, 8 Thibault de Freitas, 9 Samuel Marques, 10 Jerónimo Portela, 11 Rodrigo Marta, 12 Tomás Appleton (capt.), 13 José Lima, 14 Raffaele Storti, 15 Nuno Sousa Guedes
Replacements: 16 David Costa, 17 Lionel Campergue, 18 António Prim, 19 José Rebelo de Andrade, 20 Nicolás Martíns, 21 Pedro Lucas, 22 Vincent Pinto, 23 Simão Bento
Date: Friday, November 18
Venue: Sevens Stadium, Dubai
Kickoff: 19:30 local (07:30 Pacific, 10:30 Eastern)
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistants: Damián Schneider (Argentina) & AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
TMO: Chris Hart (New Zealand)
Broadcasts: The Rugby Network (Canada/USA), World Rugby
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2010-11-13 – Portugal 17, USA 22 (Lisbon)
1998-04-08 – Portugal 5, USA 61 (Lisbon)
