Portugal play host to Uruguay in a rugby test match on Saturday. The fixture is well overdue with the teams last having played each other back in 2012. The match takes place with Portugal and Uruguay both having successfully qualified for Rugby World Cup 2027.
With spots secured at Australia 2027, both Portugal and Uruguay are now chasing World Rugby Rankings points as they seek the most favorable draw. Portugal is ranked 20th in the world and Uruguay 19th. Their match in Lisbon is thus critical as both aim to be ranked 18th or higher for the World Cup draw on Wednesday, December 03.
FORM GUIDE + |
Current World Ranking: 20 (66.44)
Jul 12, 2025 – Portugal 7-106 Ireland (Lisbon, PT)
Mar 16, 2025 – Portugal 7-21 Romania (Lisbon, PT)
Mar 01, 2025 – Portugal 31-42 Spain (Lisbon, PT)
Feb 15, 2025 – Romania 06-34 Portugal (Bucharest, RO)
Feb 09, 2025 – Portugal 56-14 Germany (Lisbon, PT)
Current World Ranking: 19 (66.59 points)
Sep 06, 2025 – Uruguay 18-21 Chile (Montevideo, UY)
Aug 30, 2025 – Chile 16-28 Uruguay (Santiago, CL)
Aug 23, 2025 – Uruguay 78-10 Paraguay (Montevideo, UY)
July 26, 2025 – Paraguay 0-38 Uruguay (Asunción, PY)
July 19, 2025 – Argentina 52-17 Uruguay (Salta, AR)
July 12, 2025 – Uruguay 70-8 Romania (Montevideo, UY)
|
IN | OUT |
| 1 | Cody Thomas | David Costa |
| 3 | Adel da Cunha | Diogo Hasse Ferreira |
| 4 | Guilherme Costa | Antonio Rebelo de Andrade |
| 6 | Francisco Almeida | David Wallis de Carvalho |
| 8 | David Wallis de Carvalho | Diego Pinheiro Ruiz |
| 9 | Samuel Marques | Hugo Gomes Camacho |
| 11 | Vincent Pinto | Manuel Cardoso Pinto |
| 13 | Rodrigo Marta | Vincent Pinto |
| 14 | Raffaele Storti | Simão Bento |
|
IN | OUT |
| 1 | Mateo Perillo | Mateo Sanguinetti |
| 6 | Manuel Ardao | Santiago Civetta |
| 8 | Carlos Deus | Manuel Ardao |
| 9 | Santiago Álvarez | Santiago Arata |
| 11 | Juan Manuel Alonso | Ignacio Álvarez Akiki |
| 13 | Justo Ferrario | Felipe Arcos Pérez |
– Justo Ferrario (CE), Jean Cotarmanac’h (SH), Francisco González Capdevila (FB)
- Portugal and Uruguay last met in 2012. The thirteen year wait comes to an end in Lisbon on Saturday.
- The last match between the teams saw Os Lobos winning 32-21 at the Carrasco Polo club in 2012.
- The match is Portugal ‘s first of three home matches against Rugby World Cup 2027 bound teams in November. Os Lobos will also play host to Hong Kong and Canada in November.
- Uruguay’s November tour sees games against Portugal, All Blacks XV in France and Romania in Bucharest.
- Both teams faced a Tier 1 side in July. Portugal suffered their biggest defeat of all time, losing 106-7 to Ireland. Uruguay performed better, falling 52-17 to Argentina.
- The time of the Rugby World Cup Qualifiers meant Uruguay had to negotiate player release with clubs. One consequence is that star scrum-half Santiago Arata will not play for Los Teros in November.
- Uruguayan replacement flanker Santiago Civetta captained Los Teritos against Portugal in 2017.
- Uruguay’s three uncapped players are all eligible via a parent. Jean Cotarmanac’h (from France) and Francisco González Capdevila (from Argentina) wrote to the URU declaring their interest in playing for Uruguay. Justo Ferrario, also from Argentina, went through the Uruguayan High Performance system. This represents unprecedented selection by Uruguay. The Uruguayan rosters were 100% homegrown at Rugby World Cups 2023, 2019 and 2015.
- Ten members of Portugal’s RWC 2023 roster were from France. Vincent Pinto, who will play left wing vs Uruguay, played for France u20’s as did Teros’ debutant Jean Cotarmanac’h who speaks fluent Spanish.
- Captain Tomás Appleton is the most experienced Portuguese team member with 77 caps.
- Uruguayan captain, Manuel Leindekar has 43 caps. He is surrounded by experience including Germán Kessler (72 caps), Ignacio Dotti (72 caps) and former captain Andrés Vilaseca (86 caps)
PORTUGAL
1 Cody Thomas, 2 Luka Begic, 3 Adel da Cunha, 4 Guilherme Costa, 5 Pedro Ferreira, 6 Francisco Almeida, 7 Nicolás Martíns, 8 David Wallis de Cavalho, 9 Samuel Marques, 10 Hugo Aubry, 11 Vincent Pinto, 12 Tomás Appleton (capt.), 13 Rodrigo Marta, 14 Raffaele Storti, 15 Nuno Sousa Guedes
Replacements: 16 David Costa, 17 Santiago Lopes, 18 Anthony Alves, 19 Duarte Torgal, 20 Vasco Baptista, 21 Tomás Amado, 22 Guilherme Vasconcelos, 23 Simão Bento
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Perillo, 2 Germán Kessler, 3 Reinaldo Piussi, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 5 Manuel Leindekar (capt.), 6 Manuel Ardao, 7 Lucas Bianchi, 8 Carlos Deus, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Juan Manuel Alonso, 12 Andrés Vilaseca, 13 Justo Ferrario, 14 Bautista Basso, 15 Juan González
Replacements: 16 Joaquín Myszka, 17 Francisco Suárez, 18 Ignacio Péculo, 19 Santiago Civetta, 20 Manuel Diana, 21 Joaquín Suárez, 22 Jean Cotarmanac’h, 23 Francisco González Capdevila
Portugal won over the neutrals at Rugby World Cup 2023 while Uruguay did so four years earlier in Japan. Coincidentally, both teams completed upset wins over Fiji. Warm conditions are forecast for Saturday in Lisbon. Both results were cases in point to argue in favor of expanding the Men’s Rugby World Cup. Now that this has happened both Portugal and Uruguay enjoyed less rocky pathways in qualifying. With the job done, it is now all about delivering in November as both attempt to rise in the rankings to 18th or higher. Uruguay are slight favorites to win on the road in Lisbon.
Venue: Estadio Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal
Date: Saturday, November 08
Kick-Off: 3:00pm (Portugal); 11:00am (Uruguay)
Weather: Partly Sunny. 19°C; Wind 11 km/h
Broadcast: Disney +; Rugby Pass
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Evan Urruzmendi (France); Kevin Bralley (France)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
| vs COMPLETE RESULTS (1999-2012) |
Nov 12, 2012 – Uruguay 21-32 Portugal (Montevideo, UY)
Jun 17, 2012 – Portugal 7-35 Uruguay (Bucharest, RO)
Nov, 13, 2011 – Portigal 9-16 Uruguay (Caldas da Rainha, PT)
Mar 24, 2007 – Uruguay 18-12 Portugal (Montevideo, UY)
Mar 10, 2007 – Portugal 12-5 Uruguay (Lisbon, PT)
Nov 12, 2005 – Portugal 20-6 Uruguay (Lisbon, PT)
Nov 06, 2004 – Uruguay 30-3 Portugal (Montevideo, UY)
Apr 03, 1999 – Portugal 24-33 Uruguay (Lisbon, PT)
Mar 13, 1999 – Uruguay 46-9 Portugal (Montevideo, UY)
| vs HEAD TO HEAD |
WON 3 WON 6
