Portugal

[UKHamlet]

Surprised they haven't given Henry Thomas a run out. Maybe they're saving him for the final.

[normanski]

I hope Lake has been using his downtime to practice his throw-ins. If he can get that right on Saturday and play his usual swashbuckling game then we could see his best performance to date.

Plenty of experience in the squad too.

[Numbers]

if you're good enough you're old enough.... or not

These sort of half-arsed platitudes really make little sense, they are generic and simplistic, can I ask how many rugby games have you seen him play?

As for the match I expect Grady and the two wingers to score plenty of tries, I'm not sure how anyone could be concerned about us winning this game, the Ladies team would beat them most likely.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Close Tuco. They might have changed it up to give Faletau time on the park.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/66797872

thats what i thought ukh

[Sourdust]

If Portugal play to 100% of their ability they won't allow us to have any fun. In that case, fair enough, let's just win the match.

But IF it's on, I hope we can take a leaf out of the Irish book and cash in a big score, rather than a Gatland-standard, underwhelming, 4-tries-and-that'll do performance.

[Puja]

Yes he’s young. But he does great things for Exeter and needs to translate that at international level. Daffydd Jenkins is also young but has stepped up to the mark. He’s been in camp for several months, done all the training at height and in the heat so really should be going all out to win his selection every time.

He's not been outstanding for Exeter on a regular basis though - there are flashes of good stuff, but he's very far from a guaranteed starter for them. He's picked for Wales solely on his massive potential (and to ward off interest from England in the case of his initial cap at 19, before he'd even started a game for Exeter), rather than because he's been tearing up trees in his club form.

Again, this is not a dig at him, but a recognition that he's super-early in his career. He's only played 26 times in total for Exeter (including meaningless development cup matches and games where his appearance was just 5-10 minutes off the bench), which makes a grand total of 33 games of adult rugby including his international caps. It's a bit previous to call his 34th game of adult rugby a "make or break game for him as an international".

Puja

[Sandydragon]

Surprised they haven't given Henry Thomas a run out. Maybe they're saving him for the final.

I’m a bit surprised as well. Lewis fills me with dread against any decent scrummaging team,and even the Aussies are looking tidy at the moment.

[Son of Mathonwy]

if you're good enough you're old enough.... or not

If you're not good enough it could be because you're not good enough OR not old enough.

In Tshiunza's case he is good enough for international rugby, he's just not a star at that level. But given his age he will almost certainly improve a lot over the next few years. Tshiunza in his prime might be something special.

[pompey-zebra]

Surprised they haven't given Henry Thomas a run out. Maybe they're saving him for the final.

Thomas has a tight hamstring according to Gatland in this morning's press conference, and they dont want to risk him.

[Numbers]

if you're good enough you're old enough.... or not

If you're not good enough it could be because you're not good enough OR not old enough.

In Tshiunza's case he is good enough for international rugby, he's just not a star at that level. But given his age he will almost certainly improve a lot over the next few years. Tshiunza in his prime might be something special.

He's also being tasked with playing at 6 and in the second row so he's learning more than one position.

[Graigwen]

Thomas has a tight hamstring according to Gatland in this morning's press conference, and they dont want to risk him.

Whenever I hear Gatland mention some previously unknown injury doubt, I wonder whether it is real or part of some cunning tactical plan. I suppose Francis being on the bench makes it more likely to be true.

Lewis starting still worries me.

.

[pompey-zebra]

Thomas has a tight hamstring according to Gatland in this morning's press conference, and they dont want to risk him.

Whenever I hear Gatland mention some previously unknown injury doubt, I wonder whether it is real or part of some cunning tactical plan. I suppose Francis being on the bench makes it more likely to be true.

Lewis starting still worries me.

.

At least Gatland didn't say he was injured slipping down the stairs, that one's been taken.

[UKHamlet]

I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable with our group. We really need to get the bonus point today and this team ineptly fell off against England. I'm not saying they'll do that against Portugal, who are talking big BTW, but we have a real habit of punching ourselves in the face. I realise I'm being a whiney bitch here, but my downswing has kicked in turned up to 11.

I have a feeling Oz will lose to Fiji and then our game with them becomes a "must win". And tbh, I'd prefer the comfort of knowing that fucking Fiji is fucking Fini. I don't want a winner takes all shoot out with Oz.

[normanski]

Thomas has a tight hamstring according to Gatland in this morning's press conference, and they dont want to risk him.

Whenever I hear Gatland mention some previously unknown injury doubt, I wonder whether it is real or part of some cunning tactical plan. I suppose Francis being on the bench makes it more likely to be true.

Lewis starting still worries me.

.

At least Gatland didn't say he was injured slipping down the stairs, that one's been taken.

I think Francis and Beard being on the bench are insurance in case Portugal make it a tight game up to the last quarter and we need some set piece dominance.

[Sandydragon]

I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable with our group. We really need to get the bonus point today and this team ineptly fell off against England. I'm not saying they'll do that against Portugal, who are talking big BTW, but we have a real habit of punching ourselves in the face. I realise I'm being a whiney bitch here, but my downswing has kicked in turned up to 11.

I have a feeling Oz will lose to Fiji and then our game with them becomes a "must win". And tbh, I'd prefer the comfort of knowing that fucking Fiji is fucking Fini. I don't want a winner takes all shoot out with Oz.

I think we will get the BP win today, but Aussie is a whole different matter. If Fiji win then anything can happen. If they lose then the pressure is off but we still have Georgia to contend with who we can’t take lightly.

[Son of Mathonwy]

This should be an easy win, a bp win. (I hope). But we really want these guys to show their class, not let anything through our defences, play on a better level, not stumble to victory. I want to see them making a claim for the first XV.

Most of all I want to see a great performance from Anscombe (ideally he should be kicking the goals too). Then Lake nailing the lineout. Then our centres imposing themselves without silly mistakes.

[Sandydragon]

If we can get plenty of good ball, our back line should be able to cause a lot of damage. But as you say SoM, all of these players should be pushing for the Aussie game and not treating this like a Sunday afternoon friendly.

[Graigwen]

If we retain possession and have firm discipline we will win. We can only loose by throwing the ball around in the wrong position or individuals going off on mazey runs without support.

They have two fast clever wingers. Not only will there be high balls on the wing to cover, but Portugal seem to like the diagonal grubber towards the winger.

We can win this game in the scrum. I agree with Normanski's comment "I think Francis and Beard being on the bench are insurance in case Portugal make it a tight game up to the last quarter and we need some set piece dominance."

.

[normanski]

How do you think the game will go? Our blend of newcomers and experience should win this comfortably but Portugal are an unknown quantity and this is their first game. Some nerves from them I would imagine.

[Graigwen]

Portugal are better than most people think, but we should still beat them. We should be stronger in the scrum (despite Lewis) and outlast them by virtue of our fitness.

I don't think there will be too many nerves for Portugal, they have nothing to lose, I hope they just throw themselves into the game.

.

[bruce]

My guess is we'll make heavy weather of it

[bruce]

Reffell out Morgan in

[UKHamlet]

Reffell out Morgan in

I hope it's nothing serious with Reffell

[bruce]

Portugal look alright but LRZ with the Ronaldo

[normanski]

Well that looked easy enough for LRZ.