[Source: BBC]

Ireland secured their record Test victory by topping a century 106-7 in their first capped international against Portugal at the Estadio Nacional do Jamor.

The world’s third-ranked side, whose previous biggest win was an 83-3 victory over the USA in June 2000, set new marks for points, tries and margin of victory.

Without their large British and Irish Lions contingent, Ireland’s interim head coach Paul O’Connell gave debuts to Alex Kendellen, Hugh Gavin and Shayne Bolton, with the latter pair each crossing twice among the visitor’s eight first-half tries.

Kendellen would then mark his own Test bow with a try as a further eight were scored after the break.

Portugal got their only score through flanker Nicholas Martins in the second half, although they did have an earlier one chalked off by the television match official (TMO).

Communication between the referee and his off-field assistant then failed meaning there were no replay reviews in place for the final hour.

After last week’s win over Georgia, Ireland finished their two-Test summer tour on a high and will next be in action when they meet New Zealand in Chicago on 1 November.

Portugal impressed at the 2023 World Cup when they beat Fiji and drew with Georgia in their first time at the tournament since 2007.

But this version of Os Lobos, however, finished only fourth in Rugby Europe after defeats to Spain and Romania and never looked competitive against far superior opposition.

Despite being without 17 players who are on Lions duty, as well as their head coach Andy Farrell who is leading the tourists in Australia, Ireland dominated from start to finish.

They took the lead with less than a minute on the clock when Stuart McCloskey crashed over from close range after some neat involvements from Jack Crowley.

As well as debutants Bolton and Gavin, Tommy O’Brien, who claimed a pair of tries on debut against Georgia last week, also crossed twice in the first half, with tight-head Tom Clarkson also going over.

The loss of the TMO, in a game played in front of fewer than 10,000 supporters, came only after Portugal had a score chalked off when Vincent Pinto’s pass to Nuno Guedes was judged to have gone forward.

A difficult half for the hosts was made all the tougher when they lost both captain Tomas Appleton and his replacement Gabriel Aviragnet to injury, forcing back row Francisco Almeida into a role on the wing after only two backs were named on the bench.

After eight tries in the first half, Ireland matched that tally in the second period.

Their first after the restart came just 90 seconds into the half when captain Craig Casey marked a sharp performance by scampering between the posts.

Cian Prendergast, who missed out through illness against Georgia, barged over after a short line-out move with half an hour to go, while Martins’ response at least showed what Portugal are capable of with ball in hand.

It proved only a temporary slowing of Irish momentum, however.

Replacements Calvin Nash and Ciaran Frawley were the next players to cross, before Prendergast matched his Connacht team-mates Bolton and Gavin in scoring a second.

It was debutant Kendellen whose score edged Ireland past their previous record margin of victory, while Ben Murphy became the third replacement on the scoresheet. A last-play penalty try, following a line-out infringement, rounded off the rout and put Ireland into the record books.

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