European Games – Men’s 7s
Portugal finished the European Games (Krakow) in fourth place and failed to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Written by: Nuno Madeira do O
Portugal was placed in Group C, along with the teams from Great Britain, Lithuania, and Romania. The Lobos had performed well in the first stage (Algarve) of the Rugby Europe Championship (REC), finishing in fifth place. These European Games had the particularity of granting access to the Paris Olympic Games (2024): the winners would have direct entry, while the second and third-placed teams would have access to the Olympic repechage tournament.
Group Stage
Portugal vs Lithuania
The first game of the group stage put Portugal against Lithuania, a team that the Lobos had defeated in the first stage of the REC with a score of 29-0. However, the game started with an early try conceded due to a defensive lapse by the Lobos (0-7 at 40 seconds). Lithuania continued to dominate the game and scored again in the following minute. However, it was Portugal that managed to respond: Rodrigo Freudenthal prevented a try with a great tackle, and José Paiva dos Santos scored on the right wing (7-7). Lithuania did not lose morale and took the lead again after several phases of play in the Portuguese half (7-12). However, the Lobos quickly answered back, with captain Rodrigo Freudenthal scoring the second Portuguese try.
Manuel Marta converted the try, putting the Lobos in the lead with 5 seconds left to play. With time running out, Portugal took the lead through Manuel Marta (19-12 at halftime). The second half started with a yellow card for Lithuania, which made Portugal’s task easier. Manuel Marta scored two more times, extending the score to 31-12, and in the final moments of the game, Frederico Couto scored the last try. Manuel Vareiro converted the try, setting the final score at 38-12.
Portugal vs Romania
Romania had lost their first match against Great Britain and needed a victory to keep their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals alive. However, within 30 seconds of the game, they received a yellow card, making an already difficult task almost impossible. In the subsequent play, Manuel Marta made an excellent move, evading four (!) opponents, and scored the first try of the match. One minute later, Frederico Couto scored his first try of the game and would go on to score again with 2 minutes and 20 seconds left to play. It took until the last minute of the first half to see Romania launch their first attack, which ended with another Portuguese try. Rodrigo Freudenthal made a great kick, and Manuel Marta scored between the posts.
In the second half, Portugal slowed down the pace of the game but would score again with four minutes left to play through João Afra Rosa. Until the end, there was time for a Romanian “honorary” try, as well as two more Portuguese tries, resulting in a final score of 45-7. With this victory, Portugal secured a spot in the quarterfinals and would compete for first place in the group the next day against Great Britain (who also had already secured their spot).
Portugal vs Great Britain
In Portugal’s first game of the second day of the competition, it was the Great Britain team that had more possession of the ball. However, the Portuguese team defended well and did not let the opponent leave their half. The national resistance lasted about three minutes, where, following a scrum and a good British attacking line, they scored a try between the posts (0-7). The Portuguese response was swift: the first time Portugal had the ball in their hands, Frederico Couto made an excellent break, and José Paiva dos Santos scored on the right wing (5-7).
From then on, it was mostly Great Britain’s dominance, as they scored two more times before halftime (5-19). Portugal seemed anxious, committing some uncharacteristic and costly errors against an excellent team. Until the end of the match, two more conceded tries increased the final score to 5 for Portugal and 31 for Great Britain.
Portugal vs Georgia (Quarterfinals)
The most important game of the day for Portugal’s aspirations pitted the Lobos against the Georgian team. The winner would advance to the semifinals and be one step closer to securing at least a spot in the Olympic repechage tournament. It was an almost perfect game for Portugal: a try scored from the kickoff (João Vaz Antunes), a try scored from the restart (Frederico Couto), and a score of 14-0 within a minute of play. From there, the pace slowed down, and Portugal had to wait until the fifth minute of the first half to score again: Rodrigo Freudenthal made an excellent grubber kick, and Manuel Marta scored without opposition.
Portugal controlled the game, and their task became easier when one of the Georgian players received a yellow card in the sixth minute of the first half. Before halftime, Portugal scored another try, leading 26-0 at the break. Due to the advantage obtained, the second half lacked much excitement. Each team scored one try, with Portugal managing the game as they had their sights set on the third and final day of the competition. The final score was 31-5.
Portugal vs Ireland (Semifinals)
Ireland was the favorite for the match and entered the game wanting to prove their status. However, Portugal defended well and did not give any space. With three minutes left to play in the first half, Portugal failed to secure an offensive lineout, and it was the Irish team that scored the first try of the match (0-7). The Irish players were strong in the rucks, causing many difficulties for Portugal. Before halftime, after disorganizing the Portuguese defense in one of those situations, Ireland scored again, making it 0-14 at halftime. With the lead, the Lobos tried to score but ended up conceding a third try with about five minutes to play.
Until the end, there was also time for a yellow card for José Paiva dos Santos and another Irish try, resulting in a final score of 0-24. With this defeat, Portugal said goodbye to direct qualification for the Olympic Games but still had the opportunity to win the Bronze medal in the competition and secure a ticket to the Olympic repechage tournament. To do so, they had to defeat Spain, who had lost their semifinal against Great Britain.
Portugal vs Spain (Bronze Final)
It was a do-or-die game for both teams, and it showed in the way the game started: very intense, with neither side allowing the other to breathe. Portugal had a slight advantage and played in the opponent’s half, but it was Spain who scored with about five minutes to play (0-7). From the restart, Spain recovered the ball, and another Spanish try followed (0-14). With some disarray from the two conceded tries, Portugal struggled in their tackles, and Spain, lethal, capitalized on it. Two more tries were scored before halftime, and the Lobos went into the break trailing 0-28.
The second half began with Portugal attacking but unable to score. As in the first half, the Spanish team scored again (0-35). With the game lost, Portugal tried to score an honorary try, but it was Spain who took advantage of Portugal’s offensive imbalance and sealed the final score at 0-42.
With this defeat, Portugal finished the European Games in fourth place, with Spain taking the Bronze medal. In the final, Ireland defeated Great Britain, claiming the gold medal and securing a spot in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
