By Nick Powell, Online Editor
Australia……………………………………34
Tries: Arnold 19, Porecki 21, Bell 26, McReight 47, Koroibete 74
Conversions: Donaldson 20, 21, 27
Penalties: Donaldson 4
Portugal……………………………………….14
Tries: Bettencourt 12, Simões 70
Conversions: Marques 13, 71
Australia produced a solid showing as they battled past Portugal in their final pool game in Saint-Étienne.
As well as the victory, Australia got the bonus point they needed to go ahead of Fiji in Pool C in only 47 minutes, and now need to hope Portugal can beat the Pacific Island nation by eight points next Sunday to set the Wallabies up for a quarter-final with England.
Australia will take encouragement from the fact they were much-improved on their defeat against Wales seven days ago, and will also be boosted by the quality Portugal showed in periods which they will pray can be translated into an 80-minute display in seven days time.
It was that quality, and stunning accuracy, in their attacking phases which helped them score a beautifully worked opener through Pedro Bettencourt, but the same player going to the sin-bin for a high tackle ended their challenge in the contest, despite Bettencourt avoiding an upgrade to a red in the TMO bunker.
Australia capitalised superbly while he was off the field with Rob Valentini feeding Richard Arnold for their first try, retaking the lead having got on the scoreboard first through the boot of Ben Donaldson.
Donaldson knocked over the conversion, and then put in a stunning kick to the corner from his own half right up to the Portuguese five metre line, before Dave Porecki finished at the back of a maul.
The lively Angus Bell got their third of the yellow card period, after an excellent break up the field by Izaia Perese, and Portugal were denied a route back into the game on the stroke of half-time as Nicolas Martins missed a good chance after being tackled into touch by Andrew Kellaway.
Portugal continued to compete well after the break, as they had done all half when they had 15 on the field, but sustained Australian pressure eventually saw Mark Nawaqanitawase set up Fraser McReight for the bonus point score seven minutes into the second-half.
Jerónimo Portela responded for Portugal by producing a touch finder of the quality of Donaldson’s in the first period, but McReight twice turned over in defence for the Wallabies and Portugal had missed their last realistic opportunities to keep their victory ambitions alive.
They continued to battle on, and were helped by yellow cards for Wallabies Matt Faessler for collapsing a maul – with a potential try from the same drive denied by a knock-on over the line by Portugal hooker Mike Tadjer – and substitute Samu Kerevi for an elbow to the face of Portuguese skipper Tomás Appleton.
But in the face of some excellent Australian last-ditch defence, Portugal continued to miss a bundle of chances before finally crossing after nearly 15 minutes of pressure as Rafael Simões dotted down from the base of a powerful scrum.
Any idea of a late comeback was nipped in the bud when Marika Koroibete picked and scored from close range to extend the gap to 20, and although the game entered an 85th minute as both sides went in search of a final try, that’s how it remained as the Wallabies claimed their second win of the tournament.
Australia: Kellaway; Nawaqanitawase, Perese, Foketi, Koroibete; Donaldson, McDermott; Bell, Porecki (capt), Slipper; Frost, Arnold; Hooper, McReight, Valentini.
Replacements: Faessler, Schoupp, Fa’amausili, Leota, Kemeny, Fines-Leleiwasa, Kerevi, Vunivalu.
Portugal: Guedes; Storti, Bettencourt, Appleton (capt), Marta; Portela, Marques; Costa, Tadjer, Ferreira; Madeira; Belo, Wallis, Martins, De Freitas.
Replacements: Fernandes, Diniz, Bruno, Cerqueira, Simoes; Belo, Moura, Cardoso Pinto.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
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