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Posted: 2023-10-01 19:17:49

The Wallabies have (maybe) ended their Rugby World Cup campaign on something of a high, beating Portugal 34-14 in Saint-Étienne.

It was a win that keeps the Wallabies' faint hopes of securing a spot in the quarterfinals alive though, with Eddie Jones's side now needing Portugal to do them a huge favour by beating Fiji next week in Toulouse.

Here's the five quick hits from Monday morning's victory.

1. Portugal's stunning early strike

Pedro Bettencourt dives over to score

Pedro Bettencourt opened the scoring, to the delight of the parochial crowd.(Getty Images: Laurence Griffiths)

The Wallabies needed a strong start and they got it, two minutes of steady control resulting in a scrum penalty bang in front that Ben Donaldson knocked over easily to open the scoring.

But anyone who had watched Portugal against Georgia would have known Os Lobos will not die wondering and the Portuguese counter-attack was swift.

Moving the ball from wing to wing with serious pace and accuracy, bringing rapid wingers Rodrigo Marta and Raffaele Storti into the game with some superb lines.

The opening try though, came through the centres, skipper Tomás Appleton's flat pass out wide to Pedro Bettencourt sending the largely pro-Portugal crowd wild inside a raucous Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

"I really enjoy the way Portugal play," Eddie Jones said.

"The spirit they play with is fantastic. Patrice Lagisquet has done a great job coaching them. We always knew they would have a period in the game when the ball goes from side-to-side and there would be an error in defence. That was to be expected.

"I didn't think it was going to happen so early in the game."

2. Wallabies make the lone wolf pay

Richie Arnold smiles as he is tackled

Richie Arnold got Australia on their way after Portugal lost a player to the sin bin.(AP Photo: Laurent Cipriani)

That try meant the Wallabies trailed Portugal 7-3 early, with the supporters in Saint-Étienne relishing the European team's early endeavour.

Sadly for them, that early promise came unstuck almost immediately when Bettencourt was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Izaia Perese.

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