Portugal v Ireland: Visitors score four early tries in Lisbon

BBC News

2 days ago

Update:
Date: 19:17 BST
Title: Post
Content: Portugal 0-28 Ireland
Credit to Portugal as they win a penalty in the Irish 22 for an offside. They kick into the corner and are five metres from the line.
Update:
Date: 19:13 BST
Title: Converted Try Portugal 0-28 Ireland
Content: Shayne Bolton (con Crowley)
This is getting ugly... It's another Connacht debut try as the winger breaks the line and sprints away. 14 minutes gone and Ireland have four converted tries in the bag.
You feel for the hosts already but Ireland have been so dominant and clinical early on.
Update:
Date: 19:11 BST
Title: Converted Try Portugal 0-21 Ireland
Content: Tommy O'Brien (con Crowley)
I can barely keep up here! The O'Brien brothers scythe their way through the red shirts as full back Jimmy makes space for his brother who sears away down the right wing and over for a try that Crowley converts.
Update:
Date: 19:09 BST
Title: Converted try - Portugal 0-14 Ireland
Content: Hugh Gavin (con Crowley)
A debut try for the Connacht man! Ireland go to the corner and from the lineout, the centre punctures a hole in the Portuguese defence to go over for a seven-pointer!
Update:
Date: 19:08 BST
Title: Post
Content: Portugal 0-7 Ireland
Portugal respond well with some good running from full back Nuno Guedes causing Ireland trouble. Cian Prendergast makes a big line break but debutant Alex Kendellen forces a pass that is intercepted by Manuel Pinto.
Seven minutes gone and Ireland win a ruck penalty in midfield.
Update:
Date: 19:01 BST
Title: Converted try - Portugal 0-7 Ireland
Content: Stuart McCloskey (con Crowley)
What a start as the Ulster man is over in the corner! A perfect kick from the side line from Jack Crowley too.
Jimmy O'Brien makes a break off the kick-off and they work it wide left and the big centre is over in the corner after less than a minute.
Update:
Date: 19:00 BST
Title: Kick-off
Content: Portugal 0-0 Ireland
Jack Crowley get us underway kicking left to right on English referee Adam Leal's whistle!
Update:
Date: 19:00 BST
Title: Starting soon
Content: Portugal v Ireland (19:00 BST)
The teams are out and the anthems have been belted out at a rather sparsely-populated Estadio Nacional do Jamor!
This is the first ever test between these two and the 21st new side Ireland have awarded caps against. The last new side Ireland faced was Russia in Siberia way back in 2002!
The conditions here are certainly not Siberia-esque as it is a hot sunny night in the Portuguese capital. Similar temperatures to home with the mercury in the low 20s.
Much different to the pouring rain in Tbilisi last week!
Update:
Date: 18:55 BST
Title: 'Endless competition' at Leinster driving McCarthy
Content: Portugal v Ireland (19:00 BST)
Ireland hooker Gus McCarthy believes competition for places at Leinster is helping him develop as a player as he prepares for his sixth cap in Lisbon tonight.
The 21-year-old also started his side's 34-5 win over Georgia in Tbilisi last week having made his debut against Fiji in November.
With British and Irish Lions Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher ahead of him in the pecking order at Leinster, McCarthy played just three times for his province between the end of the Six Nations and conclusion of the domestic season in June.
"I haven't played a huge amount. I didn't really get involved in the URC knock-out matches or the latter end of the Champions Cup," said McCarthy.
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'Endless competition' at Leinster driving McCarthy
Update:
Date: 18:50 BST
Title: Portugal Test 'to be taken very seriously' - Tucker
Content: Portugal v Ireland (19:00 BST)
Ireland interim forwards coach Cullie Tucker says tonight's Test match is one that will provide a "significant" challenge for his side.
While pleased with their performance in the victory in Tbilisi last week, Tucker believes Portugal - under former Racing 92 and Munster assistant Simon Mannix - will provide another stern test.
"They're a very good rugby team and it is a game that needs to be taken very seriously," he said.
"We're here to win two games and they're going to provide a different challenge to Georgia and a significant one with the heat on top of that.
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Portugal Test 'to be taken very seriously' - Tucker
Update:
Date: 18:45 BST
Title: Crowley can follow 'excellent' Prendergast display
Content: Portugal v Ireland (19:00 BST)
Ireland interim head coach Paul O'Connell says Jack Crowley has the opportunity to "follow up" on Sam Prendergast's "excellent" performance in the win over Georgia in tonight's test against Portugal.
With Crowley having started Ireland's final Six Nations game, Prendergast shone on his return to the line-up in Tbilisi, converting all six of his kicks off the tee in a 34-5 Irish win in tough conditions.
The 22-year-old, who also had what would have been his first international try ruled out, is not included in the matchday squad for the contest at Estadio Nacional do Jamor in Lisbon.
"It's a very important position, out-half, I think more and more important in the game than it's ever been," said O'Connell.
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Crowley can follow 'excellent' Prendergast display
Update:
Date: 18:40 BST
Title: O'Brien keen to make most of Ireland chance
Content: Portugal v Ireland (19:00 BST)
Versatile back Jimmy O'Brien says he is keen to make the most of his chance with Ireland while the bulk of the squad are on British and Irish Lions duty.
O'Brien made his Test debut against South Africa in 2022, but has been in and out of the squad since, with injuries playing their part.
The 28-year-old, who can operate at full-back, centre and on either wing, has been retained for tonight's game, having played 80 minutes of last weekend's 34-5 win over Georgia in the 15 jersey.
"It's about taking the opportunity," said O'Brien, who was a key part of Leinster's 2024-25 United Rugby Championship win.
"Obviously some of the lads are away with Lions and there's a lot of lads, myself included, who have been waiting for an opportunity to play over the last couple of years.
Read more here
Update:
Date: 18:35 BST
Title: Team News
Content: Portugal v Ireland (19:00 BST)
Ireland interim head coach Paul O'Connell has included three new caps in a team showing six changes for from last week's win in Tbilisi.
Connacht wing Shayne Bolton and Munster back row Kendellen were originally named in O'Connell's line-up, while Connacht centre Hugh Gavin was promoted to the starting team after Jamie Osborne's call-up to the British and Irish Lions squad.
Munster wing Calvin Nash takes Gavin's place on the Ireland bench.
Bolton replaces Ulster wing Jacob Stockdale, who injured his shoulder in the 34-5 win over Georgia in Tbilisi last week, while Kendellen comes in at open-side flanker for Nick Timoney, who drops out of the squad.
Connacht's Cian Prendergast, who was forced to withdraw from last week's game because of illness, starts at number eight.
"I have been really pleased with the attitude of the players over the last number of weeks," said O'Connell.
"The dedication and diligence of the squad in testing conditions over in Tbilisi demonstrated the players' willingness to embrace challenges and hopefully that bodes well again this weekend."
Portugal Head Coach Simon Mannix names his first test team since a 21-7 defeat to Romania in the Rugby Europe Championship in March. The former All Black was Rob Penney's assistant at Munster from 2012-2014.
Ireland: J O'Brien; T O'Brien, H Gavin, S McCloskey, S Bolton; J Crowley, C Casey (capt); J Boyle, G McCarthy, T Clarkson; T Ahern, D Murray; R Baird, A Kendellen, C Prendergast.
Replacements: T Stewart, M Milne, T O'Toole, C Izuchukwu, M Deegan, B Murphy, C Frawley, C Nash.
Portugal: Guedes, Bento, V. Pinto, Appleton, M. Pinto, Aubry, Camacho, D. Costa, Begic, D. Ferreira, de Andrade, P. Ferreira, de Carvalho, Martins, Ruiz
Replacements: da Cunha, Lopes. Souto, G. Costa, Almeida, Baptista, Campos, Avriagnet
Update:
Date: 18:25 BST
Title: Welcome to Lisbon!
Content: Portugal v Ireland (19:00 BST)
Good evening and welcome to the Estadio Nacional do Jamor in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.
Sporting CP defeated rivals Benfica 3-1 here in the Portuguese Cup final 48 days ago with Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres scoring a goal.
But never mind the Gunners, it's Ireland's young guns who take on Portugal this evening in their second summer Test under interim head coach Paul O'Connell.
Can they build on last week's victory over Georgia in Tbilisi and give Andy Farrell some selection headaches when he returns from British and Irish Lions duty for the Autumn internationals?
Stick with us for all of the action. Glad you could join us this evening.
A general view of Estádio Nacional do Jamor ahead of the game