Brazil Complete Significant Win over Belgium

Brazil completed a significant win over Belgium on Saturday. Os Tupis were 47-25 winners in a match-up between two sides eyeing potential debuts at the expanded Rugby World Cup.

Played at the Estádio Nicolau Alayon in São Paulo, Brazil and Belgium ended their respective July Internationals. Brazil was beaten at the death by Hong Kong in their prior match while Belgium was outplayed by Chile and completed a solid win over Paraguay.

The Brazil v Belgium clash proved to be entertaining. Eight tries were scored with Brazil running in five of them. Fullback Lucas Tranquez put on an impressive goal-kicking display with 22 points.

Hugo De Francq scored 10 points for Belgium. He opened the scoring with an early penalty. Tranquez responded with a leveler. Brazil then went ahead with the opening try of the game. From an attacking maul, hooker Endy Willian Pinheiro scored. He went from hero to villain quickly, however, as he was yellow carded.

With a one man advantage, Belgium hit back with a try of their own. The game continued to swing in the first-half as Lorenzo Massari Temer scored Brazil’s second try only for the Diables Noirs / Zwarte Duivells (Black Devils) to also score their second with Matthéo van Holsbeke going over from fullback.

Brazil extended their half-time lead, of 20-18, with Rafael Teixeira scoring Brazil’s third. Tranquez converted and followed it up with a penalty. The Diables Noirs / Zwarte Duivells then had a numerical advantage again; this time Teixeira was yellow carded. 

Once again, Belgium made good use of Brazil’s yellow card. A rolling maul finished with replacement Nestór Jendrain scoring his team’s third try. Before Brazil was back to 15 men on the field, Os Tupis scored again. Rookie center Carlo Mignot scored his second in as many weeks while Ariel Rodrigues also scored for Brazil.

The 47-25 win will give Brazil plenty of confidence ahead of the all-importance Rugby World Cup 2027 qualifiers. Brazil begin their campaign at home against Paraguay on August 18.

SCORING

BRAZIL (47)
Try –  EW Pinheiro, L Massari Temer, R Teixeira, C Mignot, A Rodrigues
Con – L Tranquez (5)
Pen – L Tranquez (4)

BELGIUM (25)
Try – L Rassinfosse, M van Holsbeke, N Jendrain
Con – De Francq (2)
Pen – De Francq (2)

LINEUPS

BRAZIL
1 João Lucas Marino, 2 Endy Willian Pinheiro, 3 Matheus Rocha, 4 Ben Donald, 5 Gabriel Oliveira, 6 Cleber Días (capt.), 7 Adrio de Melo, 8 André Arruda, 9 Felipe Gonçalves, 10 João Amaral, 11 Ariel Rodrigues, 12 Lorenzo Massari Temer, 13 Carlo Mignot, 14 Robert Tenório, 15 Lucas Tranquez

Replacements: 16 David Muller, 17 Wilton Rebolo, 18 Leonel Moreno, 19 Gabriel Paganini, 20 Matheus Cláudio, 21 Rafael Teixeira, 22 Lucas Spago, 23 Moisés Duque

BELGIUM
1 Rémi de Wolf, 2 Alexandre Raynier, 3 Samuel Opsomer, 4 Maurice Fromont, 5 Maximilien Henderickx, 6 William van Bost, 7 Jérémie Brasseur, 8 Lucas Rasssinfosse 9 Julien Berger, 10 Hugo de Franco, 11 Lucas Michiels, 12 Jens Torfs, 13 Viktor Pazgrat, 14 Thomas Wallraf, 15 Matthéo Van Holsbeke

Replacements: 16 Lucas Sotteau, 17 Alexis Cuffolo, 18 Arno Smets, 19 Toon Deceuninck, 20 Paul Gerard, 21 Nestór Jendrain, 22 Timothé Rifon, 23 Florian Remue

MATCH VIDEO

On youtube

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Tómas Bertazza (Argentina)
Assistants: Juan López (Argentina); Sergio Alvarenga (Paraguay)
TMO: Victor Hugo Barboza (BR)