2013 European Nations Cup / Six Nations B

[Nielsch]

Tournament

The 2013 European Nations Cup (First Division A), sometimes referred to as the Six Nations B, is the premier rugby union competition below the Six Nations Championship in Europe.

The division plays on a two-year cycle with the teams in each tier playing each other both home and away over those two years. From 2009 onward, the ***le is awarded according to a one-year ranking. Georgia won the 2012 ***le and the overall European Nations Cup 2011-12. Belgium is new to the current two-year cycle after having won promotion from the First Division B. They replaced the relegated Ukraine. The other participating nations are Russia, Romania, Spain and Portugal.

In previous years, the fixtures of this tournament were scattered all over the calendar year. In this edition however, all matches are played on the same weekends as the RBS Six Nations.

The combined results of the 2013 and 2014 editions will determine which two nations will qualify directly for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Schedule

2 February 2013
Portugal - Romania @ University Stadium, Lisbon
Russia - Spain @ Sochi Central Stadium, Sochi
Belgium - Georgia @ Koning Boudewijn Stadium, Brussels

9 February 2013
Georgia - Portugal @ Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tblisi
Romania - Russia @ Stadium Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Belgium - Spain @ Koning Boudewijn Stadium, Brussels

23 February 2013
Russia - Georgia @ Sochi Central Stadium, Sochi
Spain - Romania @ Las Mestas, Gijon
Portugal - Belgium @ University Stadium, Lisbon

9 March 2013
Georgia - Spain @ Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tblisi
Portugal - Russia @ University Stadium, Lisbon
Belgium - Romania @ Koning Boudewijn Stadium, Brussels

16 March 2013
Romania - Georgia @ Stadium Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Spain - Portugal @ Estadio San Lázaro, Santiago de Compostela
Russia - Belgium @ Sochi Central Stadium, Sochi

 

[London_Italian]

What a fantastic competition this is! This time I'm thinking 1. Georgia 2. Spain 3. Romania 4. Portugal 5. Russia 6. Belgium.

 

[Toko_11]

I would say 1.Geo 2.Rom 3.Spain 4.Russia 5.Portugal 6.That other country

 

[dragos03]

I think this will be the most balanced edition of the ENC so far, I would expect a lot of surprises. While Georgia and Romania are favorites, they will not have an easy campaign for sure. Any team except Belgium can qualify for the RWC. And I think that even Belgium will not be easily beaten by all (like Ukraine or Germany in recent years), they certainly have the strength to upset any team that takes them lightly.

Romania starts with a very hard away game in Lisbon, against a Portugal team that has always been a difficult opponent for the Oaks due to their play style. I really hope we can kick it off with a win. The Russia-Spain match will also be very interesting.

 

[Big Ewis]

Oh that's cool !
Didn't know it was at the same time as the 6N...
I've only seen Spain play once, and Portugal too...I'm definitely watching this (if anybody needs links to get the matches) this year...curious to see how this looks.

 

[djwizard84]

Just to make sure! all teams are able to get all their top players due to RWC Q's, isn't it??? specially Georgia with a lot of them playing in France.

 

[Nielsch]

Just to make sure! all teams are able to get all their top players due to RWC Q's, isn't it??? specially Georgia with a lot of them playing in France.

If Georgia can field their strongest team, the other countries won't even stand the slightest chance. Romania might just be able to do something, but probably not much either.

I'm interested in Spain. I really feel that rugby can be developed into something big over there. They will have to professionalize their product but I believe they are on the right way. They've chosen to take their matches on the road this year instead of playing them in their traditional home town of Madrid. Interested to see how that works out. In Madrid, they used to play in some sort of grassy knoll kind of type stadium but for their match against Portugal they've decided to go with a real stadium in Santiago de Compostela (close to the Portugese border). Hopefully they can attract a good crowd as the match will be broadcasted live on TV I believe.

 

[dragos03]

If Georgia can field their strongest team, the other countries won't even stand the slightest chance. Romania might just be able to do something, but probably not much either.

Really? Are you aware that Georgia lost to Spain last year and they should have lost to Romania as well (Georgia won at Bucharest after the referee did not give Romania a penalty try that was quite obvious in my opinion in the final minutes)?

Georgia is probably the strongest team in the ENC at the moment and they are favorites, but it's a bit much to say that the others don't "stand the slightest chance".

 

[white bear]

Russia will not play again at home ... Surely in the FIRA not realize that we northern country and the climate does not allow us to play in the winter. Sochi - a resort where rugby is not interesting to anyone. There is a maximum of 200-300 fans. Why can not we at least play with Spain and Georgia play in late May or June in any city in Russia? After clubs season foreign players of Spain and Georgia come back to the June test matches... For all both more better play Russians games in summer times than februry-march. Climate is climate

 

[Nielsch]

Really? Are you aware that Georgia lost to Spain last year and they should have lost to Romania as well (Georgia won at Bucharest after the referee did not give Romania a penalty try that was quite obvious in my opinion in the final minutes)?

Georgia is probably the strongest team in the ENC at the moment and they are favorites, but it's a bit much to say that the others don't "stand the slightest chance".

I am aware that Georgia lost away to Spain, yes. That was a very good result by Spain but to be honest, I don't believe Georgia had their best team out during that match.

 

[Nielsch]

Russia will not play again at home ... Surely in the FIRA not realize that we northern country and the climate does not allow us to play in the winter. Sochi - a resort where rugby is not interesting to anyone. There is a maximum of 200-300 fans. Why can not we at least play with Spain and Georgia play in late May or June in any city in Russia? After clubs season foreign players of Spain and Georgia come back to the June test matches... For all both more better play Russians games in summer times than februry-march. Climate is climate

With all due respect, but why doesn't the Russian Rugby Federation try and stage some matches in the somewhat smaller football stadiums in Moscow (which have field heating) like the Lokomotiv Stadium and (maybe) the Khimki Arena. Those stadiums have staged football matches in winter so surely rugby is an option as well. I'm sure a match in Moscow will attract more supporters than a match in Sochi. I agree that it is a sad sight to see a Russian international rugby match in front of about 10 people.

 

[white bear]

Nielsch
This is not rael.
1. Moscow is very expensive to rent a large stadium. For example, the Locomotiv Stadium - 100 thousand dollars for one game ... For comparison, the stadiums in the province by 10-20 thousand seats 5-10 thousand dollars.
2. In winter, no stadium, where the rich play football teams will not let rugby players. Since they pay money for heating field (it is very expensive) and do not want to port field in the cold. The best option for rugby when football season ends - after mid-May.
3. Objectively speaking winter either in Moscow, Krasnoyarsk or another cities will not be many people in the rugby fans cold, better to go into heat at the hockey ... Several years ago, played with Georgia in Krasnoyarsk in April, when a frost (Siberia) and the snow in the stands just beat 4000. While previous Russian Bears in Krasnoyarsk in the warmer months, were collected from 10 to 20 thousand.
For us, the only way out holding home games in May and June. It will be a huge plus for the promotion of rugby in Russia and to show rugby on TV. After all, rugby is a summer sport. If interested, I made ​​a compilation of possible inexpensive stadiums in European Russia (takes into account various parameters), which in the near future Russian bears could play:
in cities Samara (33th), Ekaterinburg (27), St. Petersburg (21.5), Tula - Moscow area (20), Vladimir - Moscow area (18.5), Rostov (16), Kaliningrad (14.7), Bryansk (10), Zhukovsky - Moscow area (7), Penza (6).
http://www.sports.ru/tribuna/blogs/rugbyrusso/394405.html

 

[Toko_11]

Really? Are you aware that Georgia lost to Spain last year and they should have lost to Romania as well (Georgia won at Bucharest after the referee did not give Romania a penalty try that was quite obvious in my opinion in the final minutes)?

Georgia is probably the strongest team in the ENC at the moment and they are favorites, but it's a bit much to say that the others don't "stand the slightest chance".

I guess win is a win.. but that definitely was one of the most inexperienced lineups we have ever fielded. Georgian staff was ignorant and didn't pay attention to the changes that took place in the Spanish camp, because the year before that Spain had their worst ever season in ENC and were as close to the relegation as they have ever been. but then they got all those new faces and you know the story from there...

we also put that lineup in almost every game on the ENC but still won in the end so the one game doesn't tell the full story...

Also after that some of those players went to the WC and performed pretty well so even if they choose same lineup that lost to Spain this time around it would be a very different game... Cheers...

Also either of you guys in russia/romania heard anything about the club competition that might be coming up?? I've heard some things from newspapers but nothing official yet ...

 

[dragos03]

I know, Romania lost to Spain due to the same reasons, thinking it would be an easy match after trashing them 64-8 in the previous year. My point was that, even if Georgia is favorite, it will not be a walk in the park and it's not like none of the other teams stands a chance.

I've heard nothing official about that club competiton, only what I've read on English-language forums. However, the Romanian champions RCM Timisoara (who was accepted into the next edition of the Challenge Cup, that's a step forward for ENC clubs) will play several tests against Georgian clubs in Turkey this spring.

 

[Nielsch]

Apparantly, Romania has moved its home match against Georgia to the 31.500 seater UEFA Elite Stadium in Cluj-Napoca, the Cluj Arena.

Last Wednesday, the President of the Cluj County Council, Horea Uioreanu, announced at a local radio station that the rugby union match between Romania and Georgia - to be played March 16, 2013 - for the European Nations Cup will be held at the Cluj Arena.

This is the first rugby match to be held in the modern stadium in Cluj since its opening on 1 October 2011.

http://www.stiridesport.ro/competit...eorgia-la-rugby-se-va-juca-pe-cluj-arena.html

 

[djwizard84]

Nielsch
This is not rael.
1. Moscow is very expensive to rent a large stadium. For example, the Locomotiv Stadium - 100 thousand dollars for one game ... For comparison, the stadiums in the province by 10-20 thousand seats 5-10 thousand dollars.
2. In winter, no stadium, where the rich play football teams will not let rugby players. Since they pay money for heating field (it is very expensive) and do not want to port field in the cold. The best option for rugby when football season ends - after mid-May.

I don't know at all how the russian premier league teams (football) infrastructure is at the moment, but for sure one big team has training facilities with a winter hall with good turf and the possibility to sit at least 1000 people.
Now that the RPL is running true the winter, is there any stadium in the country with roof???

 

[white bear]

djwizard84
In Russia, there are several indoor arenas for football with plastic grass. But this is not an option for rugby. Billeting of expensive indoor stadium with natural grass in Dunedin, we have unrealistic. The entire budget Russian Rugby Union 2ml per year. They can not finish the stadium in Monino ...Unfortunately climate our main enemy, if FIRA not make concessions to the calendar, we will continue to play in Sochi ...
Toko_11
In February camp in Turkey Kazan and Enisey play traning games against Army Tbilisi.

 

[white bear]

Guys, I thought, what if officially split ENC into 2 segments:
March (1, 2, 3 Rounds)
May (4, 5 Rounds).
All the same, most of the players back from the clubs in May and is preparing for the June tests. And they can still play at the end of May two games ENC on good fields, whether and stadiums. I think that this option is of interest not only in Russia, but Georgia \ Romania \ Belgium (or the other 6 teams from the North \ Eastern Europe).

 

[psychic duck]

Guys, I thought, what if officially split ENC into 2 segments:
March (1, 2, 3 Rounds)
May (4, 5 Rounds).
All the same, most of the players back from the clubs in May and is preparing for the June tests. And they can still play at the end of May two games ENC on good fields, whether and stadiums. I think that this option is of interest not only in Russia, but Georgia \ Romania \ Belgium (or the other 6 teams from the North \ Eastern Europe).

No way will any of the teams get players available in May when final rounds and playoffs of domestic tournaments are. Enough problems in international windows as it is, never mind in May. Certainly not of interest for any other nation apart from Russia. This is serious and RWC futures hinge on this tournament, teams can't afford to lose games thanks to missing players. Montpellier aren't going to be releasing Gorgodze to play in May when their Top 14 knockout rounds are, they didn't even release him for June internationals when it was the international window.

Russia should just quit the ENC and play with Asia, it would be much easier for them. Krasnoyarsk is closer to Japan than it is to Lisbon anyway.

Russia can play friendlies with European nations, but their main RWC qualifying tournament should be in Asia.

 

[Nielsch]

I agree with psychic duck; Russia joining the Asian Five / Six Nations (played in April / May) would be a much wiser move. Russia would be able to stage its home matches where it wants and it would also give Japan some opposition in the tournament. This way, the Asian RWC qualifying round would actually mean something.

There is no way the FIRA is going to move the ENC to April or May. As of this year, they've chosen to stage this tournament on the same weekends as the RBS Six Nations in order to improve player availability for the participating nations. No way they're gonna come back on that decision only one year later.