Australia's Rob Valetini is tackled during the Rugby World Cup Pool C match between Australia and Portugal at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint-Etienne, France on Oct. 1.Laurent Cipriani/The Associated Press
Australia smothered a ferocious comeback by Portugal to win their gripping first matchup 34-14 in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.
The bonus-point victory kept alive the Wallabies’ faint quarterfinal hopes.
Their final Pool C match moved them into second place and the second quarterfinal spot, and they will have to stay in France for another week without another game guaranteed to wait to see if Fiji overtakes them.
Fiji is one point behind, and needs to take only one point against Portugal next Sunday in Toulouse to advance and send Australia home.
Os Lobos scored two tries and had two others ruled out. But, crucially, when Australia was reduced to 14 and 13 men after an hour, the Portuguese couldn’t finish numerous chances.