Australia vs Portugal LIVE: Rugby World Cup latest
The Rugby World Cup is hotting up as teams seek to secure their places in the quarter-finals.
The top two nations from each of the four pools will progress to the last eight, with the quarter-finals to be played on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October in Marseille and Paris.
In the event of a two-way tie, the nation that won the encounter between the two teams will progress; in the event of a three-way tie, the nation that finishes with the best points difference will finish on top, followed by the team that won the fixture between the two remaining teams.
Teams receive four points for a win, with a bonus point available for scoring four tries or more. A losing bonus point is received if you finish within seven points of your opponents; a draw is worth two points.
The third spot in each pool is crucial, too – while this will not allow teams further involvement at this year’s World Cup, it will secure automatic qualification for the next tournament in Australia in 2027.
Rugby World Cup permutations: Which teams can qualify for quarter-finals?
The tournament will conclude with the final at the Stade de France on Saturday 28 October
Australia vs Portugal LIVE: Rugby World Cup latest
Line-ups
Australia XV: Angus Bell, Dave Porecki (captain), James Slipper; Nick Frost, Richie Arnold; Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini; Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson; Marika Koroibete, Lalakai Foketi, Izaia Perese, Mark Nawaqanitawase; Andrew Kellaway.
Replacements: Matt Faessler, Blake Schoupp, Pone Fa’amausili, Rob Leota, Josh Kemeny; Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Carter Gordon, Suliasi Vunivalu.
Portugal XV: David Costa, Mike Tadjer, Diogo Hasse Ferreira; Jose Madeira, Martim Belo; David Wallis, Nicolas Martins, Thibault de Freitas; Samuel Marques, Jeronimo Portela; Rodrigo Marta, Tomas Appleton (captain), Pedro Bettencourt, Raffaele Storti; Nuno Sousa Guedes.
Replacements: Francisco Fernandes, Duarte Diniz, Francisco Bruno, Steevy Cerqueira, Rafael Simoes; Joao Belo, Joris Moura, Manuel Cardoso Pinto.
Australia vs Portugal LIVE: Rugby World Cup latest
Portugal team news
Patrice Lagisquet makes four changes to his Portugal side, all up front. David Costa earns a first start of the tournament at loosehead, while Martim Belo is back amongst things in the second row. David Wallis and Thibault de Freitas similarly come in to the back row trio.
The backline remains intact after a fine performance against Georgia, with double try-scorer Raffaele Storti again on the wing. 13 of this starting line-up featured in an eye-catching performance against Australia A in a warm-up fixture in August.
Australia vs Portugal LIVE: Rugby World Cup latest
Australia team news
Australia remain without regular captain Will Skelton and tighthead prop Taniela Tupou. Tupou’s absence leaves James Slipper to make history away from his regular home on the loosehead; the prop becomes the most-capped Wallaby in tournament history as he makes his 21st World Cup appearance.
There’s a new centre pairing in the form of Lalakai Foketi and Izaia Perese, with Samu Kerevi dropped, but Ben Donaldson continues at fly half in a familiar midfield trio that spent last season with the Waratahs.
Australia vs Portugal LIVE: Rugby World Cup latest
Eddie Jones’ Australia take on Portugal in what is likely to be their final fixture at this year’s Rugby World Cup.
Last weekend’s 40-6 loss to Wales marked the Wallabies’ second defeat in a row, and they will be out of the tournament if Fiji take even a point from their final Pool C fixture against the Portuguese next weekend.
It would mark the first time Australia’s men have exited at the pool stages.
They won’t take anything for granted here, either, with Portugal among this World Cup’s most impressive nations, pushing Wales hard for long periods of their opening fixture before drawing with Georgia.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Is Australia vs Portugal on TV? Channel and how to watch Rugby World Cup fixture
Everything you need to know ahead of the Pool C fixture
Australia vs Portugal LIVE: Rugby World Cup latest
Australia will hope to put a disappointing tournament so far behind them as they take on Portugal in Pool C.
For the first time, the Wallabies are set to go out of the Rugby World Cup before the knockout rounds begin – if Fiji secure even a losing bonus point against Portugal next weekend, Eddie Jones’s side will be out.
Ahead of a crucial period for Australian rugby with a home tournament in four years’ time, the rebuilding begins now with a bonus point victory a must against a Portuguese side that have impressed mightily in France.
Having pushed Wales far closer than most expected, Patrice Lagisquet’s squad narrowly missed out on an historic victory against Georgia and will be confident that they can test their opponents in Saint-Etienne.
Could they even deepen the Wallabies‘ woe? Follow all the latest from the Pool C match in today’s live blog:
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