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Lagisquet plumps for experience for Portugal's opener with Wales / Photo: © AFP/File
Lagisquet plumps for experience for Portugal's opener with Wales
Portugal coach Patrice Lagisquet named 19 survivors from the side that sealed their place at the World Cup last November in the match-day 23 to play Wales in Nice on Saturday.
Thirteen players in the starting team play club rugby in France, but hooker Mike Tadjer is the only player who plays in the Top 14, for Perpignan.
Four players in the squad -- Anthony Alves, Joris Moura, Steevy Cerqueira and Vincent Pinto -- represented France at age-grade level (U17s, U18s or U20s), with right-wing Pinto winning the World Rugby U20 Championships in 2019 with France.
Portugal, whose only other World Cup appearance was also in France, in 2007, are yet to play a match in Pool C.
Wales having saw off Fiji 32-26 in their close-run opener and Australia beat Georgia 35-15.
Portugal (15-1)
Nuno Sousa Guedes; Vincent Pinto, Jose Lima, Tomas Appleton (capt), Rodrigo Marta; Jeronimo Portela, Samuel Marques; Rafael Simoes, Nicolas Martins, Joao Granate; Steevy Cerqueira, Jose Madeira; Anthony Alves, Mike Tadjer, Francisco Fernandes
Replacements: David Costa, Lionel Campergue, Diogo Hasse Ferreira, Martim Belo, David Wallis, Pedro Lucas, Joris Moura, Raffaele Storti
Coach: Patrice Lagisquet (FRA)
W. Winogradow--BTZ
