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Morais pleads for 20

Morais: Believes his side deserve the chance to be in France

Portugal may have run out 108-13 losers against New Zealand on Saturday, but for those who played it is a moment they will cherish forever.

More so for prop Rui Cordeiro, who was the scorer of the only Portuguese try against the All Blacks. Yet memories like those made in Lyon may not be a thing of the future.

With support rapidly growing for a sixteen-team tournament in 2011 - before the start of this tournament at least - it is feared sides like Portugal will not make the cut.

The IRB sees the World Cup as a means to spreading rugby union to the whole world, yet that is not the view shared by all, who are not so keen to see the one-sided games that often occur when the likes of New Zealand take on the minnows.

With the top rugby nations in the world preferring to do battle against themselves on their yearly tours there has been a wedge driven that has seen sides like Portugal almost forgotten, aside from at World Cups.

Despite seeing his side concede over a hundred points Portugal coach Tomaz Morais believed such games were a worthwhile exercise, claiming the whole occasion was a fantastic experience for Portuguese rugby.

"It is only playing against better players that we can evolve," he said.

"Everyone knows what rugby is now in Portugal.

"We have to transmit this message to our country and other countries. You have to allow smaller teams to play against bigger teams."

Having started their bid to reach the World Cup with a 76-3 win over Andorra, and going on to play in five continents in a three-year period, Portugal finally made it to France. And now they are there Morais believes the tournament should be kept to twenty sides.

"I don't think that's how rugby should be treated," he said when asked if the tournament should be cut to sixteen teams.

"There are teams that play to be champions and others which have other goals.

"The World Cup should be 20 teams as it is now. It helps develop rugby.

"We came aiming to fight so other small countries such as us have this opportunity."

His view was given a huge boost by All Blacks coach Graham Henry, who said World Cup organisers had a duty to allow the lesser sides a chance on the global stage.

"It's important that we develop the game throughout the world," said Henry.

"Portugal will go home a better team because of their exposure to better teams. We've got to give them that opportunity."

Portugal's try-scoring prop Cordeiro told AFP that the feeling of being bundled over a swathe of All Black jerseys for a try was immense.

"The best moment of my career is to appear in the World Cup, and that try is included in that experience," said Cordeiro

"It's a very good feeling. We scored against Scotland and now we scored against the best side in world rugby.

"Whatever happens in this World Cup, we will go back to Portugal full of hope that the game will develop further there.

"We need 20 teams in the World Cup so teams like us can spend the best part of four years training and playing towards qualifying for the next World Cup.

"It's the only way we can improve."