Rugby Europe Super Cup 2022: Sixth Round
The Lusitanos beat the Dutch team Delta and guaranteed the top spot in the Western Conference of this year’s Rugby Europe Super Cup.
Written by: Nuno Madeira do O
The best part:
– A great rugby match, packed with action, where the Delta, despite being behind the whole match, never gave up.
– Three debuts in the Lusitanos side: António Maltez, Fábio Conceição, and Francisco Galveias. Great news for Portuguese rugby that has been using this development team in the best way possible: debuting players, giving them game time knowing that, sooner or later, they’ll be part of the national team.
The not-so-good part:
– Duarte Diniz left the pitch injured with only 10 mins of play. With just one week left until the beginning of the World Cup Qualification, any injury can become problematic. We hope it’s nothing serious.
– The Lusitanos had some difficulties in the scrum, giving away some penalties. Despite Delta not being able to capitalise on those, the teams from the Eastern Conference will. That’s how the Lusitanos lost last year’s final against Black Lion: scrum penalty-kick to the corner-line out-maul.
Player of the match: There were several players that performed at a very high level. Xavier Cerejo scored a brace and was very active, both in the breakdown and carrying the ball forward. Boaventura Almeida showed that he is a very hard man to put down, with several metres gained, after being tackled. Frederico Simões played 70 minutes and was very accurate in the line-outs. Domingos Cabral was a constant headache for the Dutch defence and Jerónimo Portela, besides his accuracy from the tee, scored a try and created others.
However, the player of the match was Pedro Lucas. The scrum-half was the ultimate maestro, managing the game from the ruck with either fast balls or long passes, so that his attack could regain shape. He scored an amazing try, assisted for others and ran the team’s offence for the whole match. Great news for the Lusitanos and for the Lobos.
Friday night, floodlights on, first minute of play and first Lusitanos’ try: Martim Belo gained territory, passed to Boaventura Almeida that carried on pushing the team forward, offload to Pedro Lucas, long pass to the right wing and Xavier Cerejo with the try.
Good evening and welcome to another Lusitanos match.
This is how the last Lusitanos’ pool stage match started, in the 2022/2023 edition of the Rugby Europe Super Cup.
Opposing them, a very gritty Delta team, that never let go. After the first try, the Dutch controlled the match and scored their first try with 5 minutes of play. Scrum penalty won, constant pick and go’s and Max Wierda with the try. Conversion not successful, 7-5 on the board, and all to play for.
The first 20 mins of the match were like this: constant changes in possession, penalties from both sides (with neither team scoring) and what was, probably, the worst news of the evening with the Duarte Diniz leaving the pitch, injured, with only 10 mins played.
With a new hooker on the pitch (Frederico Simões), the Lusitanos won the line-out and António Prim almost scored. However, what the tighthead couldn’t do, the winger could: Pedro Lucas put the ball on the right wing where Fábio Conceição was. The debutant got rid of a defender and scored his first try for the Portuguese franchise. Portela slotted the conversion and the Lusitanos were 14-5 ahead.
The game carried on in with a lively rhythm and the Lusitanos carries on making penalties. Delta’s tactic was easy: kick to the corner, line-out and a powerful driving maul. However, despite their indiscipline, their defence was on top shape and the away team didn’t manage to score.
With 37mins played, the best try of the evening: Domingos Cabral gained about 40m, opening several gaps in the Dutch defence, passed to Portela that in a second passed to Pedro Lucas. The scrum-half ran for about 15m and scored unopposed. 21-5 on the scoreboard and great end to the first half of the match.
Delta returned to the pitch wanting to changing things and almost scored. After (yet) anther maul, the Dutch crossed the try line but the referee considered that the ball was held up. However, after watching several replays, we think that he made a mistake and that the Dutch team deserved that try.
Those who don’t score are destined to suffer and that was exactly what happened five minutes later. After several offensive phases, the ball ended up in Xavier Cerejo that got rid of two defenders and scored his second try of the match – good game from the blindside.
However, Delta was determined to score and they managed to do so at the 58th minute. However, that try left a bit of a bittersweet taste with Noels Roelfsema seeing the yellow card after charging Portela after the ball was grounded. Ugly from the Dutch second row that left his team down to 14 men.
With one extra player on the pitch, the Lusitanos scored again, this time by Frederico Simões. Ball from side to side with Pedro Lucas increasing the pace of the match until the ball reached the young hooker that, from 10m out, scored (35-10).
With the scoreboard showing 42-10 for the home, there was still time for Jerónimo Portela to score, following a great grubber by Domingos Cabral.
With the final score of 47-10 and since the Iberians only beat the Brussels Devils by 29-10, it is very likely that that this year’s semi-final will be a re-match from last year’s edition, with the Lusitanos hosting Tel-Aviv Heat and the Spanish side travelling to Georgia to face the current champions, Black Lion.
