Siya Kolisi of the Springboks. Photo / Getty
All the Rugby World Cup action for Sunday.
Portugal goes for their first win at a Rugby World Cup without winger Vincent Pinto after his red card in the team’s pool opener ruled him out of Sunday’s match against Georgia.
Pinto was replaced by Raffaele Storti in one of four changes by Portugal coach Patrice Lagisquet for the game in Toulouse, which represents the team’s best chance of a victory in Pool C that also contains Wales, Australia and Fiji.
Diogo Hasse Ferreira and José Madeira come into the pack in place of Anthony Alves and Martim Belo, while Pedro Bettencourt takes the place of José Lima at outside center.
Pinto was sent off and suspended for Portugal’s remaining pool games after making a leaping catch late in the 28-8 loss to Wales, only to clip the face of opposite winger Josh Adams with his boot as he came down unbalanced. A initial yellow card was upgraded to a red in a bunker review.
Pinto can play the pool closer against Fiji on Oct. 8 if he undertakes tackle school.
The match is a repeat of the final of the Rugby Europe Championship — the competition for the continent’s second-tier countries below the Six Nations — which saw Georgia beat Portugal 38-11 in March.
Lineups:
Georgia: Davit Niniashvili, Akaki Tabutsadze, Giorgi Kveseladze, Merab Sharikadze (captain), Alexander Todua, Tedo Abzhandadze, Gela Aprasidze; Beka Gorgadze, Beka Saginadze, Tornike Jalagonia, Konstantine Mikautadze, Vladimer Chachanidze, Beka Gigashvili, Shalva Mamukashvili, Mikheil Nariashvili. Reserves: Tengizi Zamtaradze, Guram Gogichashvili, Guram Papidze, Nodar Cheishvili, Giorgi Tsutskiridze, Vasil Lobzhanidze, Luka Matkava, Demur Tapladze
Portugal: Nuno Sousa Guedes, Raffaele Storti, Pedro Bettencourt, Tomás Appleton (captain), Rodrigo Marta, Jerónimo Portela, Samuel Marques; Rafael Simões, Nicolas Martins, João Granate, Steevy Cerqueira, José Madeira, Diogo Hasse Ferreira, Mike Tadjer, Francisco Fernandes. Reserves: David Costa, Lionel Campergue, Anthony Alves, Martim Belo, David Wallis, Thibault de Freitas, Pedro Lucas, Manuel Cardoso Pinto.
How to watch: Sky Sport 1 from 11.45pm Saturday
The Rugby World Cup is finally about to start for Owen Farrell. On the pitch, anyway.
Because off it, the England captain has still been having an influence on his teammates despite being banned from playing while he served the final part of his four-match ban for a dangerous tackle in the Rugby World Cup warmup games.
“We are all tremendously excited to see our captain on the grass on Saturday,” England coach Steve Borthwick said on Thursday after naming a much-changed team for a Pool D match against Chile that contained Farrell at flyhalf and Marcus Smith in the unusual position of fullback.
“He has been an incredible leader for this team despite being unable to play in the first two games of the World Cup. He has been a fantastic influence. He has been a role model on the training field and off the training field.”
Farrell had to serve the ban for planting his shoulder into the head of Wales back-rower Taine Basham at Twickenham on Aug. 12. The suspension took in World Cup games against Argentina and Japan, both of which England won to virtually secure a place in the quarterfinals at a time when many have been writing off Borthwick’s side.
Farrell said it hadn’t been an easy watch from the sidelines, with England delivering a rousing performance with 14 men after Tom Curry’s third-minute red card to beat Argentina and recovering from a slow start against Japan eight days later to produce a high-octane final quarter of the match and romp home to a 34-12 win.
Lineups:
England: Marcus Smith, Henry Arundell, Elliot Daly, Ollie Lawrence, Max Malins, Owen Farrell (captain), Danny Care; Billy Vunipola, Jack Willis, Lewis Ludlam, George Martin, David Ribbans, Kyle Sinckler, Theo Dan, Bevan Rodd. Reserves: Jack Walker, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Joe Marchant.
Chile: Francisco Urroz, Cristobal Game, Domingo Saavedra, Matias Garafulic, Franco Velarde, Rodrigo Fernandez, Benjamin Videla; Alfonso Escobar, Ignacio Silva, Martín Sigren (captain), Javier Eissmann, Clemente Saavedra, Matias Dittus, Augusto Bohme, Salvador Lues. Reserves: Tomas Dussaillant, Vittorio Lastra, Inaki Gurruchaga, Pablo Huete, Thomas Orchard, Raimundo Martínez, Lukas Carvallo, Inaki Ayarza.
How to watch: Sky Sport 1 from 4.35am Sunday
France playing New Zealand to open the Rugby World Cup was a big deal.
Stade de France was packed and record numbers of eyeballs were drawn to European televisions, some audiences eclipsing the men’s football World Cup.
That was a ranking matchup of No. 3 vs. No. 4.
Stade de France will be bursting again on Sunday 8am NZT when No. 1 plays No. 2 in a much bigger deal.
Top-ranked Ireland and defending champion South Africa meet for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Officially, the result merely offers pole position in Pool B. Psychologically, the winner will amplify their credentials to win the tournament while the loser will suddenly have new doubts about their title chances.
Lineups:
South Africa: Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe, Manie Libbok, Faf de Klerk; Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (captain), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff. Reserves: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Jonathan Sexton (captain), Jamison Gibson-Park; Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Peter O’Mahony, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter. Reserves: Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Robbie Henshaw.
How to watch: Sky Sport 1 from 7.45am Sunday
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England players were questioned by police as soon as they landed at Christchurch Airport.