European Men’s Games: What happened and what’s to come
Written by: Team
Let’s start with the end result: 4th place out of 12 teams, with the 1st place (Ireland) qualifying directly for the Olympics, and the 2nd (Great Britain) and 3rd (Spain) qualifying for a World Qualification Tournament that will determine one more team for Paris 2024.
Now, let’s get to the important part!
Contrary to the negativity often seen among Portuguese whenever a fellow countryman achieves success abroad, we believe that Portugal’s performance deserves special attention and congratulations to Coach Frederico Sousa, assisted by Pedro Leal, and to all the players involved in the team’s preparation (a true team, not just the selected players). Looking at the two tournaments held so far (Algarve 7s and Krakow 7s), we can conclude that Sevens is a cruel game and the competitive model is as well. The quarter-final match decides whether a team advances to the semi-finals or is condemned to finish between 5th and 8th place.
Based on this, some general considerations are in order: We played better rugby in Algarve and finished 5th, and we were more effective in the games that mattered in Krakow, resulting in a better placement. This shows that in Sevens, it’s not only about playing well but also being effective in decisive games. It didn’t happen in Algarve, but it did in the last weekend.
Frederico Sousa’s team did an excellent job, and it is evident to the observant that they execute the coach’s plan, play as a cohesive unit, and adjust their strategy to the opponents and their own limitations, which has proven to be effective. This demonstrates the immense sacrifice, dedication, and determination of this young team. They achieve this with fewer resources, players, coaches, managers, analysts, and training hours!
However, it became clear that the team has some natural weaknesses when playing against superior opponents, especially in the area of play on the ground. Against 100% professional teams like Ireland, Spain, and Great Britain, we lost due to our struggles in the ruck. The Irish stole 2 or 3 balls from us by contesting the ruck, which, in a game where ball possession is crucial, turned into points. The Spanish tried to do the same. Long ball possessions, without errors, well-supported, and not giving our valiant defense much chance to regain the ball. In Sevens, this often means efficiency.
It’s worth mentioning that this strategy was what we applied against the Georgians, resulting in our best game in these two tournaments. But if it were easy…
It is worth considering, and it’s not news to those who closely follow, what these players can achieve with better conditions. And the idea also remains that this tournament may have disappointed some with a 4th place finish, but let me tell you, that is NOT true. It might be for those sitting on the couch, not having to compete against professional teams and then still having to study or work. Our only mistake was creating (legitimate) expectations of securing an Olympic spot. Expectations built by Frederico Sousa and the players, not considering the reality of the gap between us and Ireland, Great Britain, Spain, and even Germany.
All the players performed well: José Paiva dos Santos, Manuel Marta, Rodrigo Freudenthal, João Afra Rosa, Diogo Coutinho, Frederico Couto, João Vaz Antunes, and the reinforcements Manuel Fati, Manuel Vareiro, Vasco Câmara, Vasco Leite, and Vasco Correia. It seems that the reinforcements had a greater impact, but as they almost all entered simultaneously, they needed more minutes to compete against the physical demands of the last days.
Let’s leave the criticism and corrections to Frederico Sousa, who has done an excellent job in evolving this team, and to those on the field. There were two excellent performances, and the third will be too. A huge thank you for the performances that greatly dignified Portugal. For the first time in recent years, with a team that may be considered less individually skilled, we surpassed expectations. Let’s focus on that, and hopefully, we’ll have to rewrite this article to praise you even more.
For those who follow us, we would like to remind everyone to keep their comments constructive, adapted to the reality of our teams, and always, always, to create a positive environment around Portuguese rugby!
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER.
