2023-10-09 00:26:51
We almost pity this poor table, victim of the enthusiasm of the Portuguese staff. It is 10:50 p.m. when Portugal coach Patrice Lagisquet and his staff shift into another dimension, that of happiness without moderation. The coach can measure the scope of what he and his men have just accomplished. For its first participation in the World Cup, Portugal overthrew the Fiji Islands after a fight of rare intensity (24-23).
“It’s incredible and unthinkable. Players have found unexpected resources. The way they scored their points is exceptional. Even though we have worked a lot to be able to achieve things like this, the boys still surprise me after four years. The team is talented. I also appreciated the support of the supporters,” Lagisquet was jubilant after the match.
“I think this is the best moment of my entire life”
Another one who is unlikely to forget this major evening is Nicolas Martins. The Soyaux-Angoulême third row was voted man of the match. Although it is the Lusitanian collective that emerges from this victory, the self-sacrifice of Martins set the tone. “I don’t have the words. It’s historic. I am so happy. I think this is the best moment of my entire life. We are a group of friends,” said the person concerned.
Nicolas Martins was elected man of the match (Charly Triballeau / AFP) AFP or licensors
The content of the Portuguese performance is all the more appreciable as the team does not only include professional players. “Some players are amateurs in Portugal, even if others play professionally in France,” explained Mike Tadjer, one of the veterans of the selection (34 years old). For his latest outing, the player couldn’t have asked for better: “Of course, I can die tomorrow. It will remain an incredible day for me. I’m retiring on this, it’s incredible for me. »
Massed in an ultra-crowded Stadium (Toulouse), the Portuguese supporters were vocal throughout the entire game, aware of the event taking place before their eyes. The strong presence of a Portuguese community in Toulouse explained this enthusiasm. “The entire public was committed to our cause,” analyzes Martins.
This success rewards a team which has never descended into ridicule since entering the fray. Compared to the losses suffered by Romania, Uruguay or Namibia, the Lusitanians avoided too big defeats against the big guys (28-8 against the Welsh and 34-14 against Australia).
While there has been much criticism about the heterogeneous level of this World Cup, the Portuguese success has a particular resonance. Ask the Namibians, still orphans of success in 7 World Cups, if a victory is not savored despite certain elimination. Portugal won’t see the quarters, but that doesn’t matter. Lagisquet’s men showed that they were not stooges. Their enthusiasm, as much as their play, will have marked this World Cup.
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