World Cup debutants Portugal have vowed that they are not simply turning up at Lyon today to be served up as easy pickings for the mighty All Blacks.
Indeed, some on the ``Wolves'' roster have threatened to provide the greatest upset in the history of the World Cup by beating the Kiwis.
"Everyone is asking what is going to happen to us on Saturday but we have not come here for the tourism," prop Andre Silva said.
"We are not going out onto the pitch simply to stare at them or to have a barbecue but to win," added a pokerfaced Silva, who will surely for the first and last time in his career come up against 115kg opposite number Greg Somerville.
"After that we know we are going to face an onslaught from the All Blacks and that they will simply walk over us," he said. "But first they will have to walk over our dead bodies and watch out for the Portuguese tackling!" added the Paris-born prop, who only last week had said that the All Blacks would have to do the 110m hurdles if they were to score tries.
Even the messages posted on a board at the players hotel indicate a calmness ahead of what could prove to be a record defeat in the tournament's history.
"It's a run of the mill game," "15 against 15," "Respect them but don't be afraid" and "focus on the job in hand."
However lock David Penalva, one of only three professionals in the squad, who plays for second division French side Blagnac, admitted they had to approach the match in professional fashion.
"We are not afraid of this match," he said.
"On the contrary we have to be defiant. Because if we don't get down to business straight away when the referee blows the whistle we will get stuffed with us receiving 120kg of New Zealander in our faces."
Taiwan’s Lee Hao-yu on Friday went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, becoming the 19th Taiwan-born player to reach the big leagues. The Tigers ultimately lost 1-0 in 10 innings, ending their six-game winning streak. The 23-year-old started at third base and batted eighth for Detroit. He was promoted from Triple-A Toledo ahead of the four-game series against the Red Sox at the latter’s home stadium, replacing injured utility player Zach McKinstry. “Being right-handed, and given our schedule, I think six of the next 12 games are going to
Matheus Cunha on Saturday fired Manchester United toward the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation zone after twice blowing the lead to draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea failed to take advantage of a United defense ravaged by injury and suspension as a fourth straight league defeat for the Blues left their Champions League hopes in ruins. United have missed out on the riches of Europe’s elite competition for the past two seasons, but are closing in on a return thanks to an upturn in fortunes under interim manager
Italian soccer is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level followed the nation’s failure for the third successive time to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and compounded a leadership and structural crisis. The exits suffered by Bologna and ACF Fiorentina on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League respectively meant no Italian teams are left in European competition this season. Italy’s last remaining UEFA Champions League contenders, Atalanta BC, went out in the round of 16 last month. It is the first time since the 1986-1987 campaign that Italian clubs
The Detroit Tigers’ Lee Hao-yu on Monday collected his first and second MLB hits in their 8-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The Tigers’ No. 6 prospect, who batted eighth, had an RBI single and a double in four at-bats at Fenway Park, raising his batting average to .182. “He was super thrilled to get his first hit,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the game. “There’s only one first, you know, and for him, it’s been a couple of games where he’s really been wanting to do it. I’m glad he did it here.” “Young guys settle in when they start
RSS