POR eve of match (v FIJ): assistant coach Mirra, Madeira, Ferreira

João Mirra, assistant coach

On the match against Fiji in general:

“Anything can happen in terms of tactics. We have done well so far. It will be a great challenge for our team. We will need to take control of the match. It is part of our evolution. We should not lose control over this match.”

On destiny bringing them back to Toulouse:

“We will do our best to make it the best memory. We cannot control everything but we will try to control what can be controlled in terms of technical capacities.

“We do believe in our chances. We have not been always fully satisfied, like the ‘almost win’ against Georgia. We need to be more constant over 80 minutes. We want to be in full control and create the opportunity to win while playing great rugby. Every match is important. We want to be up to the standards of the competition and we want the players to appreciate it.

“We want to stay focused especially against a tough and physical Fiji team.”

On whether Patrice Lagisquet's last match in charge and the final involvement of some Portugal players may change how they come into the game:

“No, Patrice has his own character and he told us how to take this match. We must enjoy it as much as possible within the group and make the right decisions. We have quality players and we need to be grateful to them.

“I don’t think the emotional aspect will be so important because what happens on the pitch is more important. We have gathered all the conditions to perform well and we must focus on what we should do as a team.

“We will pay tribute to Patrice and the players at the end, but now, only the match counts. This match and this competition are fantastic but there is no secret, if you make a single mistake, you pay full price.”

On Lagisquet building good basics for the future of Portugal rugby:

“You can only see the visible part of that, but it has been a long run. We have worked even harder behind the scenes, with Portugal but also with the Lusitanos team.

“[Patrice leaving] is an important step for Portuguese rugby, but it is not over. There will be a follow-up but I cannot talk about it now. I don’t have control over the future and we focus on the Fiji match.”

José Madeira, lock

On Lagisquet saying he wants to share good memories one last time with the players and staff, and whether they can surprise him again:

“I think we have made great efforts to be there and surprise him, but we will have to overcome ourselves to surprise him and the Portuguese one more time. We will have to give it our all.”

On how special Toulouse is for them:

“It is special and great here, yes. It was a draw last time we played here. It was not the outcome expected but we made history for Portugal rugby and we know the people here will support us. We have created the best conditions for that.”

On the game against Australia being so physical and if it will be hard to stand the full 80 minutes:

“We have been preparing ourselves since June for these rough contacts. Yeah, the matches are very physical and we are doing our best to recover in time but we perfectly know how powerful Fiji is. We are expecting a big fight but we are happy about that.”

Diogo Hasse Ferreira, prop

On how the team feels after these physical matches and how they are going to surprise Lagisquet:

“We had time to recover and made the most of our team. Our coaches prepared us very well. We did feel tired after the match but now we are fully ready for the next match to give everything. We are not used to playing at such a physical level. We need to play big matches like that on a more regular basis to reduce the physical gap. But we have proved that we are getting closer to the most physical teams.

“Regarding Patrice, we are going to give everything for him, same as for the rest of the team. If we can make fewer mistakes than last time, it would be a great surprise for everyone. We will give our best until the end.”

On Portugal being a team full of heart:

“Yes, we can feel this very human atmosphere and the warmth in the team, but also from the Portuguese people and the fans in general. We have been committed and we can feel the excitement from the fans.”