Brazil have recorded their first ever test win, the 49th ranked team overcoming 25th ranked Portugal in the first of a two-test series in São Paulo.
Íris Coluna breaks through for Brazil's try
Brazil and Portugal have much in common, apart from language. Both returned to test rugby in recent years after over a decade since making their debuts, both have played fewer than 10 tests, but both are ambitious, long-term targeting places in WXV or the World Cup.
Brazil in particular spoke before the series about improving their world ranking, with the potential for them to jump up to 10 places if they won both games.
Brazil seized the initiative from the start, the pack swiftly gaining an advantage over the Portuguese, and very nearly scored an opening try after less than 10 minutes, but prop Patrícia “Pipoca” Lima was held up. Three minutes later the Brazilians won a penalty almost in front of the posts, but Lohana Valente sliced the kick wide
Nonetheless Brazil continued to dominate possession. Midway through the opening period Portugal were still yet to get the ball into the Brazilian half and after 21 minutes gave up another penalty, which this time Valente converted.
The restart finally gave Portugal a chance to relieve the pressure and go on the attack themselves and following a long series of pick and goes hooker Inês Marques finally found space for the games first try. With the conversion – and largely against the run of play – Portugal led 7-3 after 30 minutes.
The last ten minutes of the half saw Brazil back at Portugal’s end and finally, just before the break, Íris Coluna finally found a gap in the visitors’ line to put Brazil back in the lead, and they went into the break 10-7 ahead.
Brazil continued the pressure into the second half, but could find no way through the Portugal defence. But as they tired, Portugal finally broke out. Aided by a yellow card and a series of Brazilian penalties they won a line out close to the Brail line on the right. The ball was quickly swept left swept to wing Inês Spínola, who passed to Mariana Santos just before the line with no-one in front of her– but the pass was low, and Santos could not take it.
A couple of minutes later the whistle went and Brazil celebrated.
Brazil : 15 Patrícia Bodeman (Melina), 14 Lohana Valente (GRUA | Delta), 13 Carolyne Pereira (GRUA | Delta), 12 Cláudia “Claudinha” Teles (Niterói | USP), 11 Isadora Lopes (Melina), 10 Fernanda Tenório ( El-Shaddai), 9 Aline Mayumi (Pasteur), 8 Íris Coluna (Band Saracens) (c), 7 Letícia “Lelê” Medeiros (Melina), 6 Natália Momberg (São José), 5 Maria Eduarda “Duda” Silva (Melina ), 4 Eshyllen Coimbra (El-Shaddai), 3 Franciele “Fran” Barros (Melina), 2 Tainá “Tatá” Amorim (Melina), 1 Patrícia “Pipoca” Lima (Melina);
Substitutes : 16 Júlia Leni (Curitiba), 17 Alessandra “Ale” Lima (Band Saracens), 18 Isabela Gomes (São José), 19 Suzana Rodrigues (Niterói), 20 Camilla Isis Carvalho (El-Shaddai), 21 Letícia “Lelê” Olivares (Niterói), 22 Larissa Alves (Curitiba), 23 Paula Sarmento (São José);
Coach: AK Southey
Portugal : 15 Daniela Correia (SC Porto), 14 Inês Spínola (CRAT Coruña, Spain), 13 Mariana Marques (Valkyries Normandie, France), 12 Maria João Costa (Benfica), 11 Antónia Martins (CRAV), 10 Beatriz Oliveira (Valkyries Normandie, France), 9 Leonor Amaral (Sporting), 8 Sara Oliveira (Benfica), 7 Arlete Gonçalves (Benfica), 6 Laura Pereira (Benfica), 5 Marion Mazer (Vitry, France), 4 Ana Freire (Sporting), 3 Beatriz Rodrigues (Bairrada), 2 Inês Marques (Valkyries Normandie, France), 1 Elsa Santos (SC Porto);
Substitutes : 16 Carlota Torres (SC Porto), 17 Maria Teixeira (Sporting), 18 Claire Sanchez (Lons Pau, France), 19 Ana Fernandes (Benfica), 20 Maria Morant (CRAT Coruña, Spain), 21 Ana Santos (São Miguel ), 22 Chloe Costa (Stade Bordelais, France), 23 Mariana Santos (Agrária Coimbra);
Coach: João Moura