LONG READ Raffaele Storti: The Portuguese 'arrow' poised to carve up Murrayfield

Portugal travel through the cobbles and history of Edinburgh this Saturday to face Scotland for the third time in their history. In 1998, the Portuguese took on their illustrious hosts fighting to qualify for Rugby World Cup 1999, before meeting at the pool stage of the 2007 edition. Almost 30 years after their first encounter, a new set of players will savour the opportunity to battle the Scots, with exciting talents such as Raffaele Storti enjoying his first enticing taste of Test match rugby at Murrayfield.

Known by French rugby fans as La Fléche, or ‘The Arrow’, flying Stade Francais wing Storti will be one of the Lobos’ key threats on Saturday – though Storti never believed he would have the chance to play at such an iconic venue.

“When I was an Under-18 or even U20, I never dreamed it would be possible for me to compete against Scotland, South Africa, Japan, Ireland, Argentina… I was just a wing that played in Portugal for my Técnico Rugby Club. That was it. I never expected to play in Murrayfield or any of those legendary stadiums. How things changed, right?

“We want to put up a great show like we did in the World Cup. We are a team with a capital ‘T’ and we will work together to create something special.”

But long before those childhood dreams, Storti’s career started at the famous Lisbon club Técnico, trading tackles and sidesteps with current national team-mates Simão Bento and Pedro Lucas. He highlights the work of mentors Kane Hancy and Nuno Martins, who “taught me how to control my emotions”, and bemoans the lack of recognition for youth coaches across the sport.

“We need these coaches. They are essential to the very fabric of the game. We need to keep investing in them, as they are the ones who identify our weaknesses, strengths, virtues and problems.”

Supported by coaches, friends and family, the wing slowly started to realise a future as a pro player could be on the cards – if he was willing to make the necessary sacrifices.

“Being a rugby player isn’t easy; it’s hard, actually. Yes, we are privileged to do what we love the most, but it takes a toll on our body, mind and mood. I had to sacrifice a lot to get to this point. Be it not seeing my family for long periods, having to jump back and forth with my school responsibilities, and taking care of myself, it posed a massive challenge at all levels. It’s a challenge but rewarding in the end.”

When I walk onto the pitch, the noise that comes from the stands just fades away. I know it’s there, but I don’t listen to it, as I am focused on my job.

The sacrifices led to a career abroad, signing with the storied Stade Français in 2021. With no game time immediately available, Storti was loaned to AS Béziers-Hérault for two seasons, where he underscored his incredible try-scoring prowess, touching down 31 times in 31 matches for the ProD2 side. He moved back to Paris this summer and in his first game for the Les Stadistes, found his way to the try line at Castres, a moment that sparked a world of emotions.

“Oh, a million things went through my head. Since I started taking rugby seriously, I have had the dream to score tries in the biggest club competitions. When I moved to France, that dream became a goal, and I finally managed to achieve it. So of course, it was beyond special when I finally scored my first-ever try in the Top 14. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to turn the game around, but it was important for me to have finally reached that goal.”

The ruckus and intense passion coming from the stands add an extra layer of emotion to any contest, more so in the Top 14 than the equally passionate but smaller-scale ProD2. Does the average rugby player notice it? Is it possible to turn it off and on?

“Yes, you can. When I walk onto the pitch, the noise that comes from the stands just fades away. I know it’s there, but I don’t listen to it, as I am focused on my job. But, when you get to those moments that your team is behind, or under heavy pressure, I ‘awaken’ and listen to the crowd. The fans are there to watch and support us, and that energy can be the boost I/we need to turn the game around. I know it sounds a bit cliché, but we must know how to tap into that energy when it’s most needed.”

In 1998, the Lobos suffered a heavy defeat against Scotland in maiden showdown. But the ambition of that generation paved the way for what would come next, the first World Cup qualification nine years later and, in 2023, the seismic first World Cup victory over the much-fancied Fijians. Portugal won hearts and minds in France and have become a favoured ‘second team’ for many rugby fans.

“Portuguese rugby changed quite a bit since 1998,” Storti reflects. “Those players opened the way for our success. They were the foundation of the progress of our rugby community and made a difference, even if they lost by more than 80 points. They were fully amateur and fought for the chance to play in a World Cup. That moment changed the course of Portugal’s rugby journey. I wasn’t even born at the time, but their stories and feats have been passed down to us.

“Without tooting my own horn, I think Portugal is a different kind of team. There are some factors to make it so, like, for example, the fact that 50% of the team are fully amateur players. Fans get interested and are keen to find out who we are. The World Cup frenzy is a good example of that. Another factor that can be weighed in is our World Cup performance. Our style of play, developed by Patrice Lagisquet and the staff, enticed fans and teams to want to play against us.”

We are going to be pushed beyond our limit, but that’s exactly what we want!

How can Portugal break down Scotland, even if Gregor Townsend may choose to rest many of his front-liners?

“They are a physical side with a strong pack who likes to control and assert set-piece dominance. In the backline, there’s Finn Russell, one of the best fly-halves in the world and someone who can change the outcome of the game. And finally, the wings… be it Duhan van der Merwe, Kyle Steyn or Kyle Rowe, all of them are impending threats. We are going to be pushed beyond our limit, but that’s exactly what we want!”

And what of Storti’s own role in the contest? He scored two scintillating tries in the memorable draw with Georgia and another in the history-making win over Fiji. The 23-year-old will be a marked man at Murrayfield.

“I don’t know if I should reveal who I am before the game… I am just joking. Well, I rate myself as a fast runner, who’s always looking for space and loves to score tries. In my time at Béziers, I was called La Fléche, but in Stade Français, I still have to earn that nickname. Let’s see what they call me once I make my debut in the Stade Jean-Bouin… or at Murrayfield.”