One of the feel-good stories to emerge from the Rugby World Cup 2023 was the meteoric rise of Portugal as an emerging rugby nation.
The Portuguese left their mark on the tournament by picking up a draw with Georgia in round two of the tournament before beating quarterfinalists Fiji in round four.
Spearheaded by stars such as Rodrigo Marta, Vincent Pinto, Tomás Appleton, Samuel Marques and Raffaele Storti, to name a few. The European nation proved that they deserve a seat at the top table of international rugby.
Their progress has since been rewarded with an upcoming clash against back-to-back reigning World Champions South Africa this July.
The test, which will take place in South Africa, marks a historic moment for Os Lobos, who will face the Springboks for the first time in their history.
It will take something special from their World Cup stars to truly’ cash in’ on this fixture.
If there was ever to be an indicator that these players have truly taken the next step since the World Cup, then Raffaele Storti’s four-try performance over the weekend might be it.
Playing for French Pro D2 side AS Béziers, the pacey winger was sublime during his big win over Aurillac.
At just 23-years-old, Storti looks to have a bright future ahead of him and will be a key figure for Os Lobos going forward.
🇵🇹 Raffaele Storti 4 tries (and more) against Aurillac in ProD2
byu/pantagr inrugbyunion
Sign In