Rugby Europe Trophy 7s
Portugal finished 4th in the Budapest stage of the Rugby Europe Trophy 7s and secured the promotion to the Rugby Europe Championship as well as a place in the World Cup Qualifiers.
Written by: Nuno Madeira do O
The second stage of the Rugby Europe Trophy 7s was played on the 17th and 18th June and those who followed both stages certainly felt some déjà vu. Portugal won all three games during the group stage and, this time, the “victims” were Moldova, Hungary, and Sweden.
In the first match, Portugal beat Moldova (36-0) very easily with the opponents showing a lot of issues in defence and never really causing any problems for the players under the command of João Moura. Mariana Santos (3), Leonor Amaral (2), and Vera Simões scored the Portuguese tries.
Against the host nation, Portugal conceded the first points of the tournament (7) but, on the other hand scored… 43. The tries were scored by Mariana Marques (2), Vera Simões (2), Adelina Costa, Raquel Costa, and Matilde Goes. Another match full of personality in which the winner was never in doubt.
The last match of the group stage put again Sweden against Portugal. Last weekend, in Zagreb, Portugal had beaten Sweden twice: first on the group stage and then on the match that gave the Portuguese team the bronze medal. This time, even though the final score was a lot tighter, Portugal won 19-12 (Mariana Marques (2) and Inês Spínola).
By topping the group, and similarly to what had happened in Zagreb, Portugal booked a place in the quarter-finals against Georgia. Last weekend, the game was fought until the very end but this time things were very different. Full of personality and with a game full of supporting lines that allowed Portugal to find plenty of gaps in the Georgian defence, Portugal scored 33 points against none. This score meant that the goal of reaching the top-4 was achieved and with it, the promotion to next year’s Rugby Europe Championship.
In the semi-finals, Portugal (like in Zagreb) faced Italy and didn’t manage, again, to win. This time, the azzurri won 29-17 and Portugal was forced to play for Bronze where, for the 4th time in two weeks, they were going to face a Swedish team that lost their semi-final against England.
Portugal started the game on top and things looked poised for another victory. However, there were some tired legs on the pitch and Portugal couldn’t stop the physicality of the Swedish team. The final score reflected that: 22-7, Sweden.
Despite this loss, Portugal secured the promotion and a place in the World Cup Qualifiers.
Linha de Ensaio spoke with Mariana Marques about the tournament:
Third place, promotion to the Rugby Europe Championship and a place in the World Cup Qualifiers. What are your thoughts on the tournament?
We entered this competition with very well-defined objectives, with everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. We trusted the process and the wonderful work carried out by our amazing staff and, therefore, we had high expectations! We felt, from the beginning that we were going to do it.
What are your expectations for the Qualifiers?
We are going to have a lot more visibility and the whole experience will be next level. We were in last year’s final in Seville which opened our minds to what we could, one day, achieve and now, I am sure that we are going to fight for this, tootth and nail, and we promise to give our best.
What is your personal opinion on the tournament?
Personally, this was definitely a highlight. Play in the Championship, experience Rugby Europe’s highest level, then get relegated was tough but we knew that we didn’t belong here. That made us have a bigger drive this year so we could be back where we belong. What we achieved, made me very proud of everyone.
