Australia 34-14 Portugal: Wallabies recover from going behind to minnows to claim bonus point victory and keep their faint World Cup hopes alive
- Portugal led 7-3 after Pedro Bettencourt’s early converted try on Sunday
- Australia scored three tries after Bettencourt was sin-binned for a high tackle
- Fraser McReight touched down to secure the bonus point shortly after the break
- Latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news, including fixtures, live scores and results
Australia’s slender hopes of making it to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals survived another round of matches as they huffed and puffed to a 34-14 bonus-point victory against Portugal on Sunday.
Eddie Jones’s Wallabies, who have now played all their games, will be eliminated in the group phase for the first time if Fiji take a point against Portugal next week in the Pool C finale.
Portugal led 7-3 after Pedro Bettencourt’s early converted try but the centre was then sin-binned for a high tackle and Australia made the most of it by scoring three tries through Richard Arnold, David Porecki and Angus Bell.
Fraser McReight touched down to secure the bonus point shortly after the break, while Marika Koroibete got a fifth with only a few minutes left.
Ben Donaldson added points from the tee as twice world champions Australia, who conceded a late converted try by Rafael Simoes after picking up two yellow cards, climbed to second on 11 points, three behind already-qualified Wales and only one ahead of Fiji.
Portugal led 7-3 after Pedro Bettencourt’s early converted try in the Pool C encounter
Australia scored three tries after Bettencourt was sin-binned for a high tackle in the first-half
Australia’s Fraser McReight touched down to secure the bonus point shortly after the break
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