Portugal made history as they secured their first ever World Cup win with a 24-23 victory over Fiji in Toulouse this evening.

A late try, scored by Rodrigo Marta, set up Samuel Marques with a game-defining conversion, the scrum-half seizing his opportunity as he struck the ball through the posts.

Fiji still progress to the Quarter Finals, as they picked up a losing bonus point, but this was not the result they would have been hoping for. Portugal have been brilliant throughout this tournament, and finally get their reward with this historic win.

The first half was hardly high-scoring, but it was certainly not lacking in drama. Fiji got on the scoreboard first in the ninth minute thanks to an easy penalty kick from Frank Lomani after Portugal had given away a penalty for repeated offside infringements.

Fiji looked to build some momentum from the kick, but were limited by both a defiant Portuguese side and also their own indiscipline. Nevertheless, Fiji dominated the opening 25 minutes, but were unable to turn this possession and territory into points on the board.

A huge defensive shift from Portugal in the 25^th minute changed the flow of the first half, as it was now Portugal who were in the ascendency. With Fiji looking dangerous after multiple phases, José Lima came up with a crucial turnover to win a penalty for Portugal, who could no relieve some early pressure.

Three minutes later and Portugal were well and truly firing. After a quick tap-and-go penalty from the halfway line was taken by Samuel Marques, it was evident Fiji were lacking in numbers in defence. Marques passed the ball to his captain Lima, who was unable to gather the ball and knocked it on. Had he have caught the ball, he had the electric Rafaele Storti to his right and a try looked imminent.

Fiji’s ill-discipline cost them hugely in the opening 40 minutes, as they conceded 8 penalties, mostly of their own making. Portugal defended well as a team and gave Fiji few opportunities to attack with their usual flair, but Fiji were the architects of their undoing at various moments throughout the first half. One penalty they conceded was during their own scrum, in which they lost their own set-piece for the first time in this year’s Rugby World Cup.

Portugal will rue their brilliant chance in the 37^th minute to take the lead, Rafaele Storti coming within inches of scoring what would have been a wonderful try. With Portugal camped deep in the Fijian half, Jeronimo Portela ran a brilliant line with the ball before passing to Storti.

The pass was poor, but Storti kicked the ball with his feet and chased after it. In attempting to regather, the winger knocked the ball on as he tried to scoop it up; surely he should have just dived on the ball and used his momentum to propel over the try line?

Having failed to convert a series of chances, and with a penalty right in front of the post, Samuel Marques opted to kick for three points in the 38^th minute, so that his side had something to show for their efforts. Marques easily converted the kick and the sides were level once again.

It was a brilliant half from Portugal, and one that Fiji will be in a hurry to forget. The highlight of the half has to be Mike Tadjer’s 40-metre kick from hand that was perfectly judged to perfection and went out to give his side some rest bite. Mike Tadjer is a hooker by the way.

This game was really sparked into life early in the second half. After some brilliant play from Portugal, they would cross over the try line with Rafaele Storti after an excellent chip kick from Pedro Bettencourt who spotted huge gaps in the Fijian defence.

The move started with a brilliant kick from Manuel Cardoso Pinto which was regathered by his teammate Jeronimo Portela. From the next phase, Bettecourt had ball in hand and chipped the ball through the defence. Initially it looked as if the ball was nearing the touchline, but out of nowhere, Storti emerged and dotted down the ball excellently to give Portugal the opening try of this game.

Within minutes, Fiji hit back with a bang through their talisman, Levani Botia. From the restart from Stori’s try Portugal regathered the ball and looked dangerous. However, a spilled carry from Rodrigo Marta fell nicely into the hands of Fiji’s full-back Sireli Maqala, who ran the length of the pitch and found himself on the Portuguese five metre line after a scintillating run. Two phases later, Botia picked up the ball from the base of the ruck and dotted over to level the scoring.

More drama ensued as Botia was then shown a yellow card and sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Rodrigo Marta. Portugal looked to make their man advantage count instantly as they kicked to the corner from the following penalty.

After a solid lineout from Portugal, they looked to get their driving maul rolling and it looked for a moment that Mike Tadjer would go on to score, only to be held up short. Three phases later, veteran prop Francisco Fernandes picked up the ball at the base of the ruck and squeezed his way over the try line to once again give Portugal the lead. A Samuel Marques conversion would make the score line 17-10 in Portugal’s favour with thirty minutes still to play.

Fiji responded well to the yellow card and looked to get back on level pegging, only to be undone by their own indiscipline and a huge defensive shift from a spirited Portugal. They gave away numerous penalties, lost their own lineouts and made an uncharacteristic number of handling errors.

Fiji would finally get the score they were chasing, as substitute prop Mesake Doge powered over from short range to bring Fiji closer to a Quarter Final. Fiji won a penalty in the Portuguese half and opted for another lineout.

This time, they were able to make the catch stick and they drove toward the try line. Despite being held up short, Fiji went again from the following rucks and gave the ball to their big forwards. Doge found himself with the ball at the back of the ruck, and with the support of his teammates, powered over the try line to bring Fiji level, as Lomani kicked the conversion.

Frank Lomani had his kicking boots on tonight, as he converted a crucial penalty kick from 30 metres to give his side the lead of this game for the first time since the 36^th minute. You could hear the Portuguese energy leave the stadium with this score, as their hopes of a first ever World Cup win started to slip away.

Another penalty, this time from near the halfway line, would extend Fiji’s lead to six points, and what a kick it was. It looked as if Portugal were dead, but then out of nothing Rafeaele Storti worked a bit of magic.

Picking the ball up at the base of a ruck just across the halfway line Storti ran to the blind side and broke through a scattered Fijian defence. With just one man to beat, Storti found his winger who was running a perfect support line, Rodrigo Marta crossing the whitewash to bring Portugal within a singular point of Fiji with a conversion to come. Sameul Marques, the ever-reliable kicker, stepped up to take the kick and converted it! Portugal lead 24-23 with just one minute to play.

Portugal secured the restart and then kicked the ball out with the clock in the red. Portugal have won their first ever World Cup game, and did so in style!

Fiji still progress to the Quarter Finals, but it’s Portugal who steal the headlines tonight!

In Toulouse tonight, Japan gave their hopes of making the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals for a second successive tournament a major boost by defeating fourteen-man Samoa.

In an encounter not lacking in incident, Pieter Labuschagne, Michael Leitch, and captain Kazuki Himeno all crossed for the Brave Blossoms.  Whilst Sheilala Lam, Duncan Paia’aua and Christian Leali’ifano got over for Samoa with two yellow and one red cards also dished out in a feisty affair.

Within two minutes, Samoa went straight for the sticks, centre, Alai D’Angelo Leuila walloping a penalty attempt in from inside his own half, the audacious attempt falling just short.

Trying to maintain hopes of quarterfinal qualification, early attacks on both sides were skittish, laced with potential but undone by a botched pass at the last, both Japan and Samoa going full throttle from the first whistle in Toulouse.

Japan were beginning to set the pace though and were rewarded with the opening score, Pieter Labuschagne the man to finish in the corner from relentless carrying, Lomano Lemeki brilliantly weaving an overlap, Rikiya Matsuda maintaining his fine form off the tee for a 7-0 lead.

Samoan scrum dominance eventually earned some scoreboard pressure midway through the half, Leuila striking a penalty over, having replaced Christian Leali’ifano on kicking duties.

The four-point deficit was wiped out immediately though, Matsuda making it 10-3 just before the half hour with another crisply struck strike.

In a match where momentum swung either way, Japan capitalised on another lightning Lemeki break, from where Samoa were stretched chaotically, defensive deficiencies fully exploited as Michael Leitch was found wide left in space and the flanker cantered in.

Salt rubbed in Samoan wounds by a masterful Matsuda conversion and a yellow card dished out to scrum half, Jonathan Taumateine by referee, Jaco Peyper.

Quickly, it became fourteen v fourteen as Japan hooker, Shota Horie was sin binned for an ill-timed head-to-head collision.

That gave Samoa an almighty gasp of fresh air, mauling rampantly to reduce the gap as their hooker, Sheilala Lam burst free to dot down, making it 17-8 as the conversion drifted wide.

Just as both sides were restored to their full complement, shortly into the second half, did Samoa find themselves a man down once again, Ben Lam yellow carded for a high tackle.

Sensing their opportunity, Japan swiftly scored their third, Horie throwing in an accurate lineout from which a maul rumbled menacingly, captain Kazuki Himeno awarded the try as they went 22-8 ahead.

More woe followed for Samoa with Lam’s yellow card upgraded to red by the TMO bunker.

Matsuda gave his team a seventeen-point buffer with his second penalty before the hour, Samoa again paying the price for ill-discipline in the face of Japan’s attacking intensity.

Winger Kotaro Matsushima was denied the bonus-point try due to an earlier knock on, the speedy back again a thorn in the side of Samoa, having scored against them in this fixture four years ago.

Though Samoa weren’t going quietly and got their second try fifteen minutes from time, Theo McFarland muscling up near the line and full-back Duncan Paia’aua diving over for his second try of the tournament, Leali’ifano’s extra two points bringing the score to 25-15.

Matsuda took his tally to thirteen with his third penalty as Japan took the sting from Samoa’s comeback efforts entering the closing minutes.

However, Leali’ifano thundered over and converted with a minute remaining meaning that if Samoa recovered a miraculous fourth converted try, they would snatch victory and with it, their chance of reaching the last eight as a dramatic finale engineered itself in Toulouse.

Playing from deep, a hard-won penalty propelled Samoa up field, but Japan stole the lineout and lashed the ball out to seal a potential winner-takes-all tie with Argentina next weekend.

Samoa steely but left with too much to do, third place and the automatic 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification slot that goes with it, the prize they will have to settle to try and reach.

With plenty still to play for, both sides encounter their final, and decisive, group games next weekend.  Samoa face pool leaders, England, in Lille (4:45pm KO) whilst Japan play Argentina the day after, a straight shootout for the quarterfinals should the Pumas defeat Chile this Saturday (12pm KO).

Late drama in Toulouse as Georgia score a 78^th minute equalising try, miss a conversion, and Portugal miss a last-minute penalty to win the game, as this match between Georgia and Portugal ends 18-18.

Georgia were hot out of the blocks, and got off to a brilliant start with a score from Akaki Tabutsadze inside 70 seconds. Following a huge carry from prop Beka Gigashvili in which he powered through the Portuguese defence, the ball was spun wide to full-back Davit Niniashvili who used his speed and dancing feet to avoid contact. Niniashvili then produced a wonderful offload to his winger Tabutsadze who ran in for the early score. Portugal were caught napping, Georgia seizing the moment to start this game with a bang.

A penalty from Tedo Abzhandadze in the 16^th minute extended Georgia’s lead to ten points, as they neutralized any threat from Portugal that they showed last week against Wales. Georgia enjoyed 69% possession and 70% territory in the first quarter of this game, and Portugal were left hanging on. To their credit, Portugal defended well whilst on the ropes and neutralized the Georgian maul inside their own ‘22’ multiple times.

Their scramble defence inside their own 22’ was impressive, as they held Georgia to 10 points, despite the later entering the Portuguese 22’ 7 times in the opening half hour. Mistakes in the Portuguese set piece, however, meant they could not clear the danger and they found themselves under constant pressure.

After failing to break the Portuguese defence, Georgia opted for a kick at the posts after winning a penalty. Abzhandandze’s kick perfectly split the posts and Georgia extended their lead to 13.

Portugal responded immediately with their first real opportunity with ball-in-hand and looked to use their dancing feet to march up the pitch. Portugal ran the ball from inside their own 22’ using the speed and flare of Rodrigo Marta, Nuno Sousa Guedes and Raffaele Storti to cause Georgia a host of problems. Storti picked up the ball just inside the Georgian half and produced a hot step to fool three defenders.

Suddenly, the winger found himself in acres of space, having broken the defence, putting on the afterburners. Storti outpaced a recovering Davit Niniashvili to cross the whitewash and give Portugal their first try of this game. Samuel Marques’ conversion attempt rattled the crossbar and Georgia’s lead was kept at 8. The attacking flair on display was brilliant, and Portugal deserved their moment for their ferocious defence for much of the first half.

Portugal’s hard work to get themselves back in this game was undone as they were reduced to 14-men following a high, no-arms tackle from Francisco Fernandes on Georgian hooker Shalva Mamukashvili. The tackle met they yellow-card threshold, and was thus referred to the off-field Bunker Review. After review, the officials decided the offence was only yellow-card worthy, and Portugal could expect to see the return of Fernandes after 10 minutes in the sin-bin.

It was a disappointing end to the half for Portugal, who had done well to limit Georgia to 13 points, considering their possessional domination. They would repel one last Georgian maul before half time, as they headed down the tunnel for Half-Time just 8 points down.

Portugal started the second half with just 14 men on the pitch, but were first to get on the scoreboard after Georgia gave away a penalty with a high tackle on Jerónimo Portela

. Samuel Marques would convert the penalty into three points and Portugal reduced the deficit to just five points.

Another penalty kick from Marques just five minutes later would reduce Georgia’s lead to just two points, with just under half an hour still to play. Georgia were lucky not to concede a try as Portugal looked dangerous, camped on the Georgian try line. With nothing happening on penalty advantage, Portugal opted for to kick for posts. Portugal were really growing back into this game, and looked very dangerous with ball-in-hand.

Portugal were a different side in this second half, as they really put Georgia to the sword with their attacking flare. In the 57^th minute, Portugal would turn their dominance into points as Raffaele Storti scored his second try of the game to become Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the Rugby World Cup. Jeronimo Portela looked to break through the gainline, and offloaded inside to Storti who ran an excellent supporting line.

Storti ran onto the ball at speed, and wrong-footed Georgian winger Aleksandre Todua on his run to the line, using his speed to distance the Georgian defence on his way to the line. A Marques conversion would give Portugal a 5-point lead with 20 minutes to play.

Georgia would leave it late to score an equalising try in the 78^th minute, substitute hooker Tengiz Zamtaradze at the base of the Georgian driving maul as it crossed the try line to level the scoring at 18 points apiece. Luka Matkava missed the following conversion wide, and the score remained level with just thirty seconds of the game left.

From the kick off, Portugal won a penalty on the right touchline, setting up a game-deciding penalty kick. With goal-kicker Samuel Marques now off the pitch, kicking duties fell to Nuno Sousa Guedes. The full-back struck the ball with perfect power, but the ball drifted left of the posts and beyond the dead-ball line, calling time on this game.

It finishes 18-18 between Georgia and Portugal in Toulouse, and what a game it was!

Damian McKenzie scored 24 points as New Zealand beat Namibia 71-3 in a ten try rout.

The Chiefs fly-half crossed for two tries and kicked seven penalties as his side ran riot against a Namibia side that lost their 24th consecutive World Cup game.

New Zealand second row Sam Whitelock won his 148th cap and tied Richie McCaw’s all-time All Blacks appearance record.

McKenzie put in a lovely kick pass to Leicester Fainga'anuku, who offloaded the ball to scrum-half Cam Roigard and the Hurricanes scrum-half ran in close to the posts.

After McKenzie was denied a try by the TMO for a knock on, Roigard scored his second as he dummied past his opposite number Damian Stevens from close range.

Namibia hit back with a Tiaan Swanepoel penalty and the All Blacks again had a try ruled out as Samisoni Taukei’aho’s try from a driving maul was ruled out for obstruction.

Le Roux Malan was left on the floor clutching his knee and a lengthy stoppage occurred before the Namibia centre was stretchered off receiving a standing ovation from the capacity crowd.

Moments later McKenzie tapped and went off a penalty and sped through the caught out Namibia defence to increase their lead.

The four-try bonus point was sealed on 25 minutes through Fainga’anuku’s powerful crossing.

Rain started pouring down inside the Stade Ernest-Wallon and Anton Lienert-Brown understood the conditions and put the ball on his toe before hacking it to the try line.

After another Namibia mistake, Roigard broke away from the scrum before switching with McKenzie, who ran a line and slid over.

After half time Ardie Savea drew in the last defender and replacement Ethan de Groot couldn’t be stopped from just two metres out.

The All Blacks were running riot and flanker Dalton Papali’i and centre David Havili joined the try scoring.

Namibia went the closest to scoring as a well executed driving maul looked set for the try line but the African side knocked on just two metres out.

While at the other end, Caleb Clarke was the next cab of the rank to score.

De Groot was yellow carded for a high tackle and considering the Highlanders prop failed to wrap referee Luke Pearce decided to go to the bunker.

The decision was upgraded to red but that didn’t stop the try scoring continuing as substitute Rieko Ioane sped through a tired Namibian defence to round off the scoring.

It was endless entertainment in Toulouse today as Chile made an exciting World Cup debut, Japan though emerging triumphant and taking maximum points from a match featuring eight tries and three yellow cards.

Crossing the whitewash for Japan were a brace for lock Atamo Fakatava, Jone Naikabula, Michael Leitch, Ryoto Nakamura and substitute, Warner Dearns, all converted by the clinical kicking of fly-half, Rikiya Matsuda to cancel out Chile tries from Rodrigo Bruni and Alfonso Escobar.

Seeking to stun the rugby world in the same fashion as their opponents today eight years ago against South Africa, Chile enjoyed some early attacking but coughed up possession before Japan’s defence could be properly examined.

With Japan forced into a hasty rejig this morning after injury deprived them of captain, Kazuki Himeno, they were disjointed in the first few phases, Chile snapping at them ferociously.

Then, full-back Inaki Ayarza made a dazzling line break, feeding scrum half Marcelo Torrealba who calmly found support in his half back, Rodrigo Fernandez who spiralled over the line, the try given the green light by the TMO, history made in Chile’s first ever Rugby World Cup try!

Santiago Videla added the extras but almost immediately, the Brave Blossoms scythed Chile open from the restart, imposing lock, Amato Fakatava bursting through acres of space, an unstoppable surge which, allied with Rikiya Matsuda’s conversion drew us level at 7-7 in a breathless opening!

Spurred on, Japan piled on the pressure, twice declining kickable penalties in favour of the corner but they hadn’t reckoned on Chile’s physicality, the men in red tackling superbly to force a Japanese error and alleviate Japan’s attacking energy.

Featuring two sets of siblings across their starting fifteen, Chile’s brotherhood across the pitch shone through, even under the scorching sunlight of the Stade de Toulouse.

A blow though came in the twenty-fourth minute, the referee, Nic Berry and TMO concluding a yellow card was merited for Chilean prop, Matias Dittus, for foul play, in the form of a very mistimed hit on his opposite number, Jiwon Gu.

They saw off the first wave of renewed Japan attacks as the TMO bunker began their eight minutes review to decide if Dittus’ offence would stay at yellow or upgrade to red.  To their relief, Dittus’ sin bin offence would not be upgraded to further punishment.

Ten minutes before half time though, Japan made the extra man count, winger Jone Naikabula spotting space, sprinting, and wriggling through Chilean tackles brilliantly to dot down.  Matsuda masterfully converted to double his side’s advantage, 14-7 after half an hour.

Chile couldn’t enjoy their replenishment of fifteen players as two minutes before the break, captain, Martin Sigren, saw yellow for upending, unintentionally but late, Japan centre, Ryoto Nakamura, the TMO bunker once more called into action.

This time, Japan inflicted instant woe on the World Cup debutants, Fakatava thundering over from close-range after a rumbling maul drive.  Matsuda made it three from three with another pinpoint conversion from wide, giving Japan a fourteen-point lead over the interval.

A chaotic second half ensued with Japan losing a player of their own to the naughty step, centre, Dylan Riley yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on.

How Chile drew dividends, Fernandez conducting a ferociously high-octane attack, his kick gathered by the mesmerising feet of Ayarza, held up just short.  Not to be denied however, number eight Alfonso Escobar muscled over for Chile’s second score.

Japan responded with renewed offensive vigour of their own that resulted in experienced, Michael Leitch dynamically diving in under the posts, a try on his eighty-first international appearance as his fourth World Cup started with a bonus point performance, Matsuda unerringly adding two for 28-12.

The heat, over 30 degrees in Bordeaux, made itself felt as a brilliantly entertaining match lulled for parts of the second half, Japan with maximum points packed up despite an imperfect display.

Into the closing stages though and Japan pulled a party trick out from under their sleeve, a dominant scrum wheeling off as Naoto Saito took the ball, fresh legs pumping but brain ticking even faster as the replacement cleverly released the inside runner, Nakamura pounding across for try number five, converted with ease by Matsuda, taking his tally to ten from the kicking tee.

That became twelve with the last kick of the match, as substitute Warner Dearns drove through a tiring Chilean defence in the final minute, Matsuda making it a flattering, thirty-point margin of victory with the last act, his sixth successful conversion.

After this encounter, both sides are swiftly back in action next weekend, Chile facing Samoa on Saturday afternoon (2pm KO) at the Stade de Bordeaux.  They were a thrilling watch and will certainly have won even more goodwill following their spirit and tenacity today, if they can cut out the mistimed hits, they’ll be even more of a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, the following evening (8pm KO), in Nice, the two early victors of the group meet, Japan facing England in a potentially pivotal Pool D clash, both teams perhaps seeking improvements in performance to take control of the group and their quarterfinal destiny.