Rugby-Portugal take aim at final chance for victory against Fiji

Portugal coach Patrice Lagisquet has resisted the urge to give his wider squad a chance to play and has instead stuck with the majority of his first choice selection in what is his final game in charge. Pinto comes into the team for Nuno Sousa Guedes, while Jose Lima takes over as outside centre and captain in place of Appleton.

Portugal's regular captain Tomas Appleton drops to the bench while Manuel Cardoso Pinto will make a first start at fullback in 18 months amid five changes for their final Rugby World Cup Pool C fixture against Fiji in Toulouse on Sunday.

Portugal will leave the tournament at the end of the pool stage despite some promising displays, but Fiji need a point to make sure of their quarter-final place at the expense of Australia, who have never failed to make the knockout stages. Portugal coach Patrice Lagisquet has resisted the urge to give his wider squad a chance to play and has instead stuck with the majority of his first choice selection in what is his final game in charge.

Pinto comes into the team for Nuno Sousa Guedes, while Jose Lima takes over as outside centre and captain in place of Appleton. Prop Francisco Fernandes moves from the bench to start as Steevy Cerqueira and Jose Madeira are reunited in the second row after they started the 18-18 draw with Georgia earlier in the knockout phase.

There is a final change in the pack as Rafael Simones replaces Thibault de Freitas at number eight. "It would be much easier for us to give an opportunity to all the players in the squad to play during this World Cup," Lagisquet said.

"Because this team has shown a big capacity to compete against any team we decided that we just keep the same line, the same mindset, and try to build the most competitive team. "For some players our choices were very difficult to understand because they expected to play."

Portugal may have won a new legion of fans for their enterprising rugby, but they have yet to claim victory in a World Cup match having lost all four games on their only other appearance in 2007. Guedes missed a last-minute kick against Georgia to break their duck.

Frenchman Lagisquet will bow out as coach having qualified Portugal for their first World Cup in 16 years. "I want to appreciate every minute, every second because I like all these players and I really appreciate what they’ve done," he said.

"I want to search for the success they all expect and they deserve. I would like to share one more victory or something great one more time with them." Portugal team:

1-Francisco Fernandes, 2-Mike Tadjer, 3-Diogo Hasse Ferreira, 4-Jose Madeira, 5-Steevy Cerqueira, 6-David Wallis, 7-Nicolas Martins, 8-Rafael Simoes, 9-Samuel Marques, 10-Jeronimo Portela, 11-Rodrigo Marta, 12-Jose Lima (capt.), 13-Pedro Bettencourt, 14-Raffaele Storti, 15-Manuel Cardoso Pinto Replacements: 16-David Costa, 17-Duarte Diniz, 18-Anthony Alves, 19-Duarte Torgal, 20-Joao Granate, 21-Joao Belo, 22-Tomas Appleton, 23-Vincent Pinto

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