Rugby-Portela keeps it in the family as Portugal name team to play Wales

Team: 15-Nuno Sousa Guedes, 14-Vincent Pinto, 13-Jose Lima, 12-Tomas Appleton (captain), 11-Rodrigo Marta, 10-Jeronimo Portela, 9-Samuel Marques, 8-Rafael Simoes, 7-Nicolas Martins, 6-Joao Granate, 5-Steevy Cerqueira, 4-José Madeira, 3-Anthony Alves, 2-Mike Tadjer, 1-Francisco Fernandes. Replacements: 16-David Costa, 17-Lionel Campergue, 18-Diogo Hasse Ferreira, 19-Martim Belo, 20-David Wallis, 21-Pedro Lucas, 22-Joris Moura, 23-Raffaele Storti.

Jeronimo Portela will follow in his father’s footsteps and play in the Rugby World Cup after being named at flyhalf by coach Patrice Lagisquet for Portugal's Pool C fixture against Wales at Stade de Nice on Saturday.

Miguel Portela played three times at the 2007 tournament, also staged in France, against Romania, New Zealand and Scotland. That was also the last time Portugal qualified for the World Cup. The younger Portela, 22, will lead a dangerous backline that also includes scrumhalf Samuel Marques, captain Tomas Appleton, a dentist by trade, and his centre partner Jose Lima.

Vincent Pinto and Rodrigo Marta are the two wings and Nuno Sousa Guedes is at fullback in an exciting back three who run the ball at every opportunity. Pinto is a former French junior international, one of four in the side to represent the host nation in the past.

Mike Tadjer, who plays in France’s Top 14 for Perpignan, is at hooker with props Francisco Fernandes and Anthony Alves either side of him. Jose Madeira and Steevy Cerqueira are in the second row, while flanker Joao Granate and Nicolas Martins are at the back of the scrum with number eight Rafael Simoes.

"The players are very excited, maybe too much," Frenchman Lagisquet told reporters. "The session this afternoon was a bit difficult, everybody was a bit nervous. They have seen how physical the games were on the opening weekend. "All the players want to show they deserve to be at this World Cup and that they can play good rugby."

Thirteen players in the starting team play for clubs in France, though all but Tadjer for lower league sides, and Lagisquet admits finding a way to beat Wales will be tough. "I don’t have a crystal ball. I have tried to think about that for many months. If I found a key, I wouldn’t tell it. We have to try to play our best and show that we have improved in the key areas of the game."

Portugal were not in action in the first round of fixtures in Pool C. They also have Australia, Fiji and Georgia in their pool. Team: 15-Nuno Sousa Guedes, 14-Vincent Pinto, 13-Jose Lima, 12-Tomas Appleton (captain), 11-Rodrigo Marta, 10-Jeronimo Portela, 9-Samuel Marques, 8-Rafael Simoes, 7-Nicolas Martins, 6-Joao Granate, 5-Steevy Cerqueira, 4-José Madeira, 3-Anthony Alves, 2-Mike Tadjer, 1-Francisco Fernandes.

Replacements: 16-David Costa, 17-Lionel Campergue, 18-Diogo Hasse Ferreira, 19-Martim Belo, 20-David Wallis, 21-Pedro Lucas, 22-Joris Moura, 23-Raffaele Storti.

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