Rugby Europe Championship 2018

[amz]

Excuse me but you didn't probably checked Spanish record vs Romania..is like 2 wins in 20 years. Btw, Belgium does not travel abroad with their best players since they're not released by French clubs to play especially in Eastern Europe. This may explain you the scores. For example, compared with the match vs Romania, 13 new players from French pro and semi pro clubs joined Belgian side... to a depleted Spanish side.

If you will watch the match entirely you'll realize how bad the Spaniards played. 10 knock ons, repeated obvious infringements, at least 6 pts missed at post and so on.

And btw, having refs with an interest is kind of normal:

- Belgian referee to Germany - Russia, potential conflict with Germany as main team to fight to avoid relegation
- Basque ref from Bayonne, friend with Spanish players on facebook at Spain - Romania
- A French of Spanish descent at one of Russia's matches, forgot which one, I think vs Belgium

Also keep in mind same Romanian ref was refereeing Spain 30 - 0 Belgium last year, also counting for RWCQ.

 

[Rugby Renegade]

Excuse me but you didn't probably checked Spanish record vs Romania..is like 2 wins in 20 years. Btw, Belgium does not travel abroad with their best players since they're not released by French clubs to play especially in Eastern Europe. This may explain you the scores. For example, compared with the match vs Romania, 13 new players from French pro and semi pro clubs joined Belgian side... to a depleted Spanish side.

If you will watch the match entirely you'll realize how bad the Spaniards played. 10 knock ons, repeated obvious infringements, at least 6 pts missed at post and so on.

And yet again, as with every forum or comment on the event, a Romanian supporter jumps in to defend the whole situation faster than a redneck does to defend Trump.
2 Wins in 20 years yes, but these are teams of relative strength in the World Rankings (ie. Scotland has a similar record against England, yet any time these two sides meet, it's still a competition)

So then are the Romanians and Georgians playing in France allowed to go play in Eastern Europe, but the Belgians not? (Doesn't seem fair at all). And then have they been travelling with a depleted side in all 4 seasons of the competition? And why would they allow all their best players to almost never be available (seeing that half of their games would be away)? That's not how you build a team and never become competitive in the world cup.

 

[amz]

Few facts (although I doubt you'll listen)

- Romania missed at Tbilisi few players from France: Antonescu, Ursache brothers, Gorcioaia , none injured . So it does not happen only with Belgium. Spain traveled with their second team there one week before
- Belgium played to avoid relegation, it is a premiere for them to stay up 2 consecutive seasons ; they got full squad only for two matches home, vs Germany and Spain
- Georgians are other story, they play home

 

[Brigantine]

So to summarize, a team much more superior on paper, in their biggest game for 20 years, all of a sudden choking against opposition that have been dispatched of with ease by all the other teams equal to them in the competition in controversial circumstances just doesn't sound right.

That doesn't sound like Ireland in the 6 Nations, that sounds like Ireland in the World Qup QFs.

You're not being fair on Italy - they beat South Africa recently too!

Also re players at French clubs, I think it's relevant that the Top 14 and Pro D2 are essentially domestic competitions for Belgium. In comparison Romania has their own pro league and for Georgia there's another pro league right next door in Russia. You don't find it suspicious that France beat England, handing Ireland the ***le? France often don't get the best choice of players or even coaches released from French clubs.

Also, there are as many Romania supporters on these forums as supporters for all other 6NB team combined. There's absolutely nothing surprising about the first post after yours being from a Romania supporter when you post in a 6NB thread.

 

[Da Grappla]

I didn't like a Romanian appointed as referee given what it was at stake for Spain and Romania. That's something to avoid in the future.

Nevertheless, we still lost due to bad playing.

No excuses. We lost. Period.

 

[amz]

Iordachescu sometimes manage to annoy both teams when he is performing in our local league. He's a decent ref but stubborn, he won't stop pinging if you don't listen even if you don't agree with his views on the laws of game.

As for this media **** storm, what I find astonishing is how some lies are taken as truth without checking the facts or ignoring reality. I follow many social media rugby sources and there are some that made round the globe.

First is with the penalty count, 28-8, 28-4/5, 24 - 8 depending on source and shared all over even at 3 days after the match even by high profiles like Woodward, Stephen Jones, Neemia Tialata etc. No one wanted to belive it was 18-7 or 18-8. Even today, 4th day after the event you find the odd rugby fan tweeting the wrong penalty count.

The second is with Morariu's owning RWC TV rights trough one of his companies from Malta. This come from a Romanian article from 2017 about Rugby Europe's TV companies where he have 1 share from 3500 and is also partner with a Spanish guy from RE. How someone concluded from that article that it was about RWC TV rights not RE TV rights beats me. Even if you don't speak Romanian and use google translate you can't find the words Rugby World Cup / World Cup or whatever similar written in the respective article in any language. I actually read it few times just to make sure.

http://premium.gsp.ro/premium/inves...nduce-comercializeaza-drepturi-tv-512491.html

https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/55046808

No wonder Trump was elected It's like Radio Yerevan type of jokes, telephone arabe, chinese whispers, call it as you like.

 

[amz]

part three

 

[beerholder]

I didn't like a Romanian appointed as referee given what it was at stake for Spain and Romania. That's something to avoid in the future.

The president of the Romanian Federation says that he too requested Rugby Europe to change the officials for the match, but was denied.

http://www.gsp.ro/sporturi/rugby/ex...stru-declansat-de-arbitrii-romani-535627.html

...and calls Clive Woodward a pensioner for taking Spain's side.

 

[Da Grappla]

The president of the Romanian Federation says that he too requested Rugby Europe to change the officials for the match, but was denied.

http://www.gsp.ro/sporturi/rugby/ex...stru-declansat-de-arbitrii-romani-535627.html

...and calls Clive Woodward a pensioner for taking Spain's side.

It's funny how I get the article general meaning even when I never read or listen anything in Romanian. High likely it's the same for you with Spanish.

 

[amz]

It's funny how I get the article general meaning even when I never read or listen anything in Romanian. High likely it's the same for you with Spanish.

It is really easy to get the general meaning of Spanish and Italian without actually know much. I know Italians who started to spoke reasonable in Romania in 3 months. But not all Spaniards or Italians seem to get out language fast probably because Slavic influence in vocabulary.

Meanwhile, Rugby Europe communication 3:

http://www.rugbyeurope.eu/rugby-europe-communication-3-23032018

 

[amz]

Part 4 Too late, I am too tired and the significant other is watching a music show so no chance to try to understand what is all about. I better go to sleep.

 

[Brigantine]

Hopefully the end result of all of this will be TMOs for all 6NB games, and a big new TV deal

 

[amz]

Hopefully the end result of all of this will be TMOs for all 6NB games, and a big new TV deal

At least we can have something good out of it but can hardly balance the damage that was done already.

With reference to above posted video, somebody translated and said that Freijoo (President of Spanish Rugby Union) claims that Agustin Pichot, Vice-Chairman of World Rugby that Pichot called him and said he would have done more than Spanish players (minute 10:10)

This is enough for Freijoo to be kicked for good from rugby (same as Rouet) and FER kicked out form qualification process . Or, if it is true what Freijoo claims and Pichot did said that than Pichot must resign.

 

[beerholder]

Also about Morariu. Not seeing the game then, when this blew up and he was thrown into the argument game for being the president of the organization, I realized it's just a media smear. The president of such an organization does not appoint refs or picks the balls for the game. It would be absurd to think that in a layered structure, the chairman can have control of such a detail.

 

[amz]

Well, things don't look pretty. Rugby Europe postponed a decision until Thursday but this fall into the second category news because the discussions were about two main things:

- one Belgian player allegedly not being eligible played vs Germany and Romania; this shouldn't affect Belgium - Spain
- one Romanian Tongan, Fakaosilea, apparently is not eligible as he played for a Tonga 7s side in 2013. Russian RU asked for clarifications


Now the only thing missing is a Spanish player with issues and Russia can go directly to RWC

 

[Welshdragon2000]

What a mess this is. In other competitions, fielding an ineligible player results in disqualification or giving the result to the opposing team. Is this not a likely outcome then?

 

[amz]

If FRR doesn't have something serious or it is a big confusion probably the likely outcome is to give the result to the opposing team which means that Romania might play Portugal to stay in REC.

As far as I know, there are precedents with two players who expressed their will to play for Romania, Sean Morrell and Eseria Vueti and back than FRR reported that they checked with their original Union and with WR player's eligibility and the answer was negative. This happened with Sean Morrell in 2015 if I remember well and with Eseria Vueti in 2017.

https://www1.agerpres.ro/sport/2017...e-eligibil-pentru-nationala-romaniei-18-36-36

If they didn't made the check as was made with Morrell and Vueti somebody screw it big time in FRR or even WR if they have a clearance.

Maybe Tonga wasn't considered a national rep side at the respective tournament since it was invited to participate along the core teams who played for a qualifier and their matches were not proper internationals, who knows. This is just a speculation.

Since Russia asked an official inquiry we will probably find out soon.

 

[amz]

Now Spain seems to have big problems.

Mathieu Bélie played a France U20 v Wales U20 with both teams being senior representative sides.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thibault_Visensang

Visensang also played a to U20 WC and France U20 was next rep team...

Rumor is 2 more Spanish players have eligibility issues.

Why do we still bother with 6 Nations, this REC is entertaining even after the end

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Visensang Should be ok I don't think he played against another teams designated second team in the U20's


But my god what a badly run comp, hope works Rugby com s down on it hard really.

 

[amz]

Visensang Should be ok I don't think he played against another teams designated second team in the U20's


But my god what a badly run comp, hope works Rugby com s down on it hard really.

This is actually WR fault as it is their regulations. They were to lazy to have a database with players blocked. An well run excel would suffice.