Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Ireland’s second summer Test, with Paul O’Connell’s team taking on Portugal in Lisbon this evening.

Kick-off at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor, the scene of Celtic’s famous European Cup win in 1967, is at 7pm, and the game is live on Virgin Media. If you can’t get to a TV, we’ll keep you up to date on all the action as it happens.

Here’s a reminder of how Ireland line up tonight. Three new caps in the starting 15 – Shayne Bolton, Hugh Gavin and Alex Kendellen. Jamie Osborne had been named to start before he was called into the Lions squad, so his promotion saw Gavin move into the 13 jersey and Calvin Nash join the bench. 

IRELAND:

• 15: Jimmy O’Brien (9 caps)
• 14: Tommy O’Brien (1)
• 13: Hugh Gavin*
• 12: Stuart McCloskey (20)
• 11: Shayne Bolton*
• 10: Jack Crowley (25)
• 9: Craig Casey (19) – capt

• 1: Jack Boyle (3)
• 2: Gus McCarthy (5)
• 3: Thomas Clarkson (7)
• 4: Tom Ahern (1)
• 5: Darragh Murray (1)
• 6: Ryan Baird (28)
• 7: Alex Kendellen*
• 8: Cian Prendergast (4)

Replacements:

• 16: Tom Stewart (3)
• 17: Michael Milne (1)
• 18: Tom O’Toole (16)
• 19: Cormac Izuchukwu (2)
• 20: Max Deegan (3)
• 21: Ben Murphy (1)
• 22: Ciaran Frawley (8)
• 23: Calvin Nash (11)

*denotes uncapped

It’s a beautiful evening in Lisbon, around 23C, but this game could be a low-key affair. The ground holds over 30,000 but the crowd might not reach 10,000.

If you fancy some pre-match reading, our match preview is available here.

The visitors will be strong favorites against a side currently ranked 18th in the world, but Portugal – now led by former Munster backs coach Simon Mannix – will look to play with pace in order to stretch Ireland in the Lisbon sun. It’s no secret Portugal did just that to Ireland in a pre-2023 World Cup training game, before they went on to record an historic win against Fiji in the tournament’s pool stages.

Not all of their playing squad are fully professional, with most playing in the country’s domestic league and a few outliers based in French rugby. Portugal have qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup but have struggled when asked to punch above their weight. They scored three converted tries in a 64-21 loss in South Africa last summer, followed by November defeats to the USA and Scotland. High-scoring wins against Belgium, Germany and Romania saw them top their Rugby Europe pool, before a semi-final loss to Spain and bronze final defeat to Romania. 

KICK-OFF

TRY! Stuart McCloskey

1min: Portugal 0 Ireland 7

Less than a minute on the clock and Ireland lead in Lisbon.

Jack Crowley was centrally involved with two clever involvements. He chips in behind, McCloskey chases, and is able to get onto the ball and bash over. Crowley converts from the sideline and Ireland lead in Lisbon.

TRY! Hugh Gavin

9min: Portugal 0 Ireland 14

So so easy for Ireland. They win a lineout at the front and Portugal are just a bit slow to react. Casey moves the ball to Hugh Gavin with a nice flat pass and the Connacht bursts through to mark his debut with a try. Crowley makes it two from two off the tee.

TRY! Tommy O’Brien

11min: Portugal 0 Ireland 21

This is men v boys. Ireland’s attacking shape is really nice and the handling and passing has been so crisp. Nice work by Jimmy O’Brien sets Tommy O’Brien up and he races down the wing to score. Crowley converts again.

TRY! Shayne Bolton

12min: Portugal 0 Ireland 28

And now a debut try for Shane Bolton, straight from a kickoff. Bolton wins a ball in the air, moves through a couple of tackles and has a straight route to the tryline. Crowley converts and Ireland have four tries in the opening 12 minutes.

17mins: Portugal 0 Ireland 28

It’s fair to see the pictures being provided to Virgin are not of the quality you’d expect for a Test game. The camera work is… let’s say strange, and has even been out of focus a couple of times. The on-screen scoreboard has Ireland named as ‘IRFU’.  

Portugal get a rare venture into the Ireland 22 through a penalty and go to the corner, but it’s well defended and Ireland are soon back on the attack again.

TRY FOR PORTUGAL!

20min: Portugal 0 Ireland 28

Ah! It’s crossed off!

That would have been a lovely Portugal try. Centre Vincent Pinto did really well to step free and pass to his fullback, Nuno Sousa Guedes, who then steps the last defender to score. They celebrate, but it’s crossed off due to a forward pass. Still, a little glimpse at what Portugal can do with ball in hand.

22min: Portugal 0 Ireland 28

There’s a break here for some water as the medics tend to Portugal captain Tomás Appleton, who looks in a lot of pain and will surely play no further part today. Hard to see what the issue was on first watch.

A suggestion the injury might have been the result of a croc roll. The referee wants to take a look but there’s an issue connecting to the TMO. Appleton has just left the pitch on a stretcher, with the officials still trying to sort out the TMO issue. Not great, this.

22min: Portugal 0 Ireland 28

So the technology has failed and there will be no TMO available in the game. The referee was able to check the Appleton incident on the sideline and is satisfied there was no foul play, but has asked both captains to be patient with him for the rest of the game. Don’t remember seeing this happen before.

TRY – Tommy O’Brien

25min: Portugal 0 Ireland 35

Ireland over for try number five, and again it’s just good quick, accurate play after Tom Ahern claimed Gus McCarthy’s throw at the lineout – Ireland had lost the previous lineout – with Crowley playing the final pass to Tommy O’Brien. Crowley then converts from close range.

TRY – Thomas Clarkson

32mins: Portugal 0 Ireland 42

Portugal just cannot deal with Ireland’s attack. This time it’s nice hands from Cian Prendergast that sends Leinster prop Thomas Clarkson through. There’s a strong carry from Hugh Gavin in the build-up, which all started with a quick-tap Casey penalty. Crowley continues his 100% record off the tee.

35min: Portugal 0 Ireland 42

Portugal really stretched here now. Gabriel Aviragnet, who came on for captain Tomás Appleton around 10 minutes ago, is forced off. Portugal went for a 6/2 bench, so keep their reserve scrum-half in his bib and send backrow player Francisco Almeida into the backline.

TRY – Bolton

36min: Portugal 0 Ireland 47

Another soft try from a Portugal perspective. Ahern turns the ball over and Casey tries a 50:22. The ball flies deep into the backfield and Bolton uses his speed to win the race and score, but the home side should have dealt with it better. Crowley misses off the tee for the first time today.

TRY – Hugh Gavin

40mins: Portugal 0 Ireland 54

Gus McCarthy breaks from a maul. Casey finds McCloskey and the Ulster man has great hands to hit his centre partner, and Gavin has his second try of the day, Ireland’s eighth. Crowley converts.

HALF TIME: Portugal 0 Ireland 54

Well, that was all a bit strange, wasn’t it? Portugal nowhere near Ireland’s level unfortunately, and the visitors are eight tries to the good at half time. We’ll be back with the second half action shortly.

The second half is underway.

TRY – Casey

41mins: Portugal 0 Ireland 59

End-to-end score for Ireland. Casey takes the ball to the line before Bolton eats up ground with strong running. Ireland have an overlap and it’s a straight pass to Casey, who runs it home. Crowley converts.

TRY – Cian Prendergast

50min: Portugal 0 Ireland 66

Clarkson throws a lineout short to Boyle, then Prendergast comes in on the shortside to collect and score, with Portugal unable to get a hand on the Connacht man. Crowley is way off with the conversion, so he’s eight from 10 off the tee.

TRY FOR PORTUGAL – Nicolas Martins

TRY FOR PORTUGAL – Nicolas Martins

Portugal have their try, and it’s a good one. Manuel Cardoso Pinto cuts through and then it’s great pace and hands from Vincent Pinto to send flanker Nicolas Martins over. Hugo Aubry converts.

TRY – Calvin Nash

56mins: Portugal 7 Ireland 71

Ireland respond with another well-executed score, Casey measuring a nice pass out to Nash who gets over in the corner. Crowley can’t convert from a difficult angle.

TRY – Ciarán Frawley

58mins: Portugal 5 Ireland 78

Nash beats a tackle, offloads to Frawley, and the Leinster man produces a clever show and go to cut through and score. He enjoyed that one. Another Crowley conversion. 

TRY – Prendergast

61mins: Portugal 7 Ireland 85

Good running from Prendergast, he passes to Casey, and Casey is unselfish to carry the ball before playing it back to Prendergast. Crowley converts.

There’s been a heap of changes, but with all the scores I just haven’t had time to type them in here. Ireland changed their entire front row about 15 minutes ago – so Tom Stewart, Michael Milne and Tom O’Toole are all in. Cormac Izuchukwu, Max Deegan, Ben Murphy, Ciarán Frawley and Calvin Nash also entered the game as O’Connell emptied his bench.

TRY – Kendellen

72mins: Portugal 7 Ireland 92

Ahern claims a lineout at the top, Ireland maul, and Alex Kendellen gets his name on the scoresheet. Crowley converts.

TRY – Murphy

79mins: Portugal 7 Ireland 99

Ben Murphy finishes the score that leaves Ireland one point short of the century. There’s about 15 seconds left before the clock hits the red.

TRY – Penalty try (Ireland)

A penalty try to end it, which sends Ireland past the 100-point mark.

Ireland win 106-7, scoring 16 tries. Not sure what Ireland can really take from that to be honest, a horribly one-sided game. We’ll have a report on site shortly, thanks for joining our live coverage this evening and enjoy the rest of the weekend.