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Cordeiro earns a start

Replacement hooker Rui Cordeiro has earned himself a starting place in the Portugal team to face Italy at the Parc des Princes, Paris on Wednesday.

Cordeiro put an inspiring performance when he came on for Os Lobos in the second-half of the 108-13 loss to the All Blacks at the weekend.

He scored that memorable pushover try that sparked a a loud cheer from the Stade Gerland crowd.

The Portuguese front-rower will replace Andre Silva at loosehead prop as opposed to starting at hooker, where he came on for the All Blacks match.

Coach Tomaz Morais on Monday named nine other changes to the starting XV that fought so courageously against the All Blacks in Lyon on Saturday.

More significantly he has changed his half-back pairing once again.

Two of his most experienced campaigners, Goncalo Malheiro (fly-half) and Luis Pissarra (scrum-half) have been dropped for the crucial clash.

But replacement fly-half Duarte Pinto is more than capable at pivot, and there is an opportunity for the less-experienced Jose Pinto at the scrum-half berth.

Inside centre Diogo Mateus is the only survivor from Saturday's Portuguese back-line, while captain Vasco Uva is the only loose forward still in the starting team.

Portugal15 Pedro Cabral, 14 David Mateus, 13 Federico Sousa, 12 Diogo Mateus, 11 António Aguilar, 10 Duarte Cardoso Pinto, 9 José Pinto, 8 Vasco Uva (c), 7 João Uva6 Tiago Girão, 5 Gonçalo Uva, 4 David Penalva, 3 Ruben Spachuck, 2 João Correia, 1 Rui Cordeiro.
Replacements:16 Juan Manuel Muré, 17 Andre Silva, 18 Duarte Figueiredo, 19 Paulo Murinello, 20 Luis Pissarra, 21 Diogo Gama, 22 Gonçalo Foro.

Date: Wednesday September, 19
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
Kick-off: 20.00 ( 19.00 BST, 18.00 GMT)
Referee: Marius Jonker
Touch judges: Federico Cuesta, Malcolm Changleng
Television match official: Paul Marks
Assessor: Steve Hilditch