Rugby Europe Championship 2021

[Yulia]

I was waiting for the list in English, but they posted it only in Russian atm (so sorry if there are mistakes in my English variant):
Squad list (for the European matches preparation):
Forwards
Evgeny Mishechkin (Slava Moscow)
Valery Morozov (Sale Sharks? )
Alexey Skobiola (Slava Moscow)
Denis Mashkin (Enisei STM)
Shamil Magomedov (Enisei STM)
Shamil Dawudov (Strela Kazan' )
Magomed Dawudov (Strela Kazan' )
Stepan Seryakov (Enisei STM)
Vladimir Podrezov (London Irish?)
Evgeny Yelgin (Enisei STM)
Andrei Ostrikov (FC Grenoble?)
Vadim Zharkov (Lokomotiv Penza)
Alexander Ilyin (Krasny Yar, Krasnoyarsk)
Nikita Bekov (Massy)
Artémy Gallo (Racing 92)
Anton Sychev (Metallurg, RC Novokuznetsk)
Nikita Vavilin (Slava Moscow)
Viktor Gresyev (Lokomotiv Penza)
Backs
Stepan Hohlov (Enisei STM)
Denis Barabantsev (Strela Kazan' )
Konstantin Uzunov (Enisei STM)
Yuriy Kushnarev (Krasny Yar, Krasnoyarsk)
Ramil Gaisin (Enisei STM)
Maxime Feougier (Stade Nantais)
Andrei Karzanov (Lokomotiv Penza)
Dmitry Gerasimov (Enisei STM)
Luc Brocas (Racing club de Narbonne Méditerranée? )
Denis Simplikievich (Enisei STM)
German Davydov (VVA Podmoskovye)
Kirill Golosnitsky (VVA Podmoskovye)
Nikita Churashov (Enisei STM)
Vasily Artemyev (CSKA Moscow)
Alexander Budychenko (Enisei STM)

 

[vivaldi]

The 32 players squad list for the match vs Russia was revelead yesterday, that has started the training camp in Madrid

Some important absences, all players from Bayonne and Pau in Top14, but better than expected considering the calendar. Some young and interesting additions as Ortiz, Barrios and Periel. Great to see the comeback of Afa Tauli and John-Wessel Bell. Mainly players playing in the domestic championship (20 out of 32) and even one, Diego Periel, playing in second division.
Not the best team possible but still competitive and ready to face the key match vs Russia.

Props

Fernando López (c) (Stado Tarbes, Nationale, France)
Jon Zabala (Stado Tarbes, Nationale, France)
Thierry Futeu (US Carcassonne, ProD2, France)
Bittor Aboitiz (AS Bédarrides, Fedérale 1, France)
Andrés Alvarado (SilverStorm El Salvador, DH, Spain)

Hookers

Marco Pinto (AS Béziers, ProD2, France)
Vicente Del Hoyo (SilverStorm El Salvador, DH, Spain)

Locks

Aníbal Bonán (Stade Bagnerais, Fedérale 1, France)
Víctor Sánchez (SilverStorm El Salvador, DH, Spain)
Manuel Mora (Rugby Olympique Agathois, Fedérale 2, France)

Back rowes

Lucas Guillaume (SC Albi, Nationale, France)
Afaese Tauli (UE Santboiana, DH, Spain)
Matthew Foulds (Lexus Alcobendas Rugby, DH, Spain)
Fred Quercy (US Montalbanaise, ProD2, France)
Juan Pablo Guido (Universidad de Burgos - Bajo Cero, DH, Spain)
Facundo Domínguez (Barça Rugbi, DH, Spain)
Gabriel Vélez (VRAC Quesos Entrepinares, DH, Spain)

Scrum-Halves

Facundo Munilla (SilverStorm El Salvador, DH, Spain)
Tomás Munilla (AS Béziers, ProD2, France)

Fly-Halves

Bautista Güemes (Barça Rugbi, DH, Spain)
Gonzalo Vinuesa (Complutense Cisneros, DH, Spain)

Centres

Álvar Gimeno (AS Béziers, ProD2, France)
Richard Stewart (Lexus Alcobendas Rugby, DH, Spain)
Fabien Perrin (US Colomiers, ProD2, France)
David Barrios (SilverStorm El Salvador, DH, Spain)
Diego Periel (Pozuelo Rugby Unión, DHB, Spain)

Wings

Julen Goia (Ampo Ordizia RE, DH, Spain)
Sergio Molinero (Lexus Alcobendas Rugby, DH, Spain)
Pablo Ortiz (Barça Rugbi, DH, Spain)

Fullbacks

Federico Casteglioni (Universidad de Burgos – Bajo Cero, DH, Spain)
John-Wessel Bell (VRAC Quesos Entrepinares, DH, Spain)
Guillermo Domínguez (Lexus Alcobendas Rugby, DH, Spain)

 

[vivaldi]

Rugby Europe Championship 2021 - Round 5 Results & Standings

Georgia 48 (B) - 15 Netherlands

4th ***le in a row for Georgia before the South Africa tour this summer. Very decent game for the Netherlands in their first game in the tournament. A star is born, Niniashvili. Impressive match with 3 tries.

Highlights



Table provided by Rugby Europe

 

[vivaldi]

Spain v Russia match supposed to be play this saturday it is postponed due to COVID cases in the Russian delegation.

There won't be inmediate announcement about rescheduling, so probaly within November window

https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/news/spain-v-russia-postponed-rugby-europe-championship-2021/

 

[Yulia]

Spain v Russia match supposed to be play this saturday it is postponed due to COVID cases in the Russian delegation.

There won't be inmediate announcement about rescheduling, so probaly within November window

https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/news/spain-v-russia-postponed-rugby-europe-championship-2021/

Terrible news. I have barely stood waiting till July

 

[Yulia]

Tomorrow's Russian squad for the match with Portugal:

1. Morozov
2. Magomedov
3. Podrezov
4. Yelgin
5. Silenko
6. Bekov
7. Vavilin
8. Gresyev (C)
9. Uzunov
10. Gaisin
11. Karzanov
12. Gerasimov
13. Simplikievich
14. Davydov
15. Churashov

16. Shamil Dawudov
17. Magomed Dawudov
18. Mishechkin
19. Zharkov
20. Sychev
21. Hohlov
22. Kushnarev
23. Brocas

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Good to see Koelman playing for the Netherlands.
He was in Tigers U18, but turned down a contract to play in NZ before moving to France

 

[vivaldi]

Rugby Europe Championship 2021 - Fixtures

Netherlands (6) v Spain (5) POSTPONED due to 4 positive COVD cases in Spanish team. Probably reschedule to November window.

Saturday 13:30 Local Time, 12:30 CET (UCT+2) - Russia (4) v Portugal (2) at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod

Lineups



Live Streaming

Match available in Rugby Europe TV with comments in English. It requires registration

https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/rugby-europe-live/

 

[Yulia]

Surprisingly not that many people in the stadium

 

[Yulia]

Just a beginning but what a pain to watch, didn't know Portugal is that good in attack (or we are just that bad in defence )

 

[Yulia]

Didn't understand why it was down from a red to yellow,but lucky Vavilin..

 

[vivaldi]

Rugby Europe Championship 2021 - Results & Standings after July matches

Netherlands 28 - 61 Portugal (B)

Impressive match in attack of the portuguese, with 9 tries. Especial mention to the wings Storti (5) and Marta (3) helping the team to get the offensive bonus. 4 tries for the Netherlands in their home debut in REC 2021.



Highlights



---

Russia 26 - 49 Portugal

Important victory away for Portugal but loses the offensive bonus with a late try for Russia.

Highlights



Standings

Pending matches, 3 for the Netherlands, 2 for Spain and Russia and 1 for Romania expected to be played during November window.

 

[Brigantine]

It's looking like RWC 2023 Qualifying is getting pretty competitive... Portugal, Romania and Russia or Spain all start 2022 in a close race for Europe 2 (direct qualification) and Europe 3 (repechage)

Final table IF there are 3 more big (33 point + BP) losses for the Netherlands, and a winner in the other game in hand (Spain) vs Russia (assuming a 7 point margin)...

23, PD +80 Georgia
14, PD +57 Portugal
14, PD +24 Romania
13, PD +5 Russia ____ (or 11, PD +14 Spain)
_8, PD +0 Spain _____ (or 10, PD _ -9 Russia)
0, PD -165 Netherlands

Romania have an edge with home advantage in 2022 (vs Georgia, Portugal and Russia), but not much margin for error. Drop 1 more game (other than Georgia), and while they'd still have good odds to qualify directly, it will depend on things outside their control.
Spain also have more home advantage (2021 Russia, 2022 vs Portugal and Romania), and if they finish 2021 well, they'll only have to catch up a few more points in 2022. A 3-win 3rd place finish in the 2022 season could easily be enough to make repechage.


very contrived hypothetical scenarios after 2022, for illustration: (assumes 2022 wins are all by 8 points, no BPs)

2022 - 2022 Table -- Combined Qualifying Table (if Russia beats Spain in 2021)

5 Wins - 20, PD +40 -- 43, PD 120 Georgia --> RWC
4 Wins - 16, PD +24 -- 29, PD +29 Russia ----> RWC ----------> 3 table points spare. If they had a BP or better PD vs NL, they could afford a narrow loss to Portugal instead of a win. (won't happen, but that's outside of Romania's control)
3 Wins - 12, PD_ +8 -- 26, PD +32 Romania -> repechage
2 Wins - _ 8, PD _ -8 -- 22, PD +49 Portugal ----------------------> does not qualify, but only 1 win short. (see Russia above, or else Georgia could drop a game)
1 Win - __ 4, PD -24 -- 12, PD -24 Spain
0 Wins - _ 0, PD -40 -- _0, PD -205 Netherlands

2022 - 2022 Table -- Combined Qualifying Table (if Spain beats Russia in 2021)

5 Wins - 20, PD +40 -- 43, PD 120 Georgia --> RWC
4 Wins - 16, PD +24 -- 30, PD +48 Romania -> RWC
3 Wins - 12, PD_ +8 -- 23, PD +22 Spain ------> repechage --> and if they had 4 wins in 2022, they'd reach direct qualification, despite their 3 losses in 2021 to date. (until BPs etc. change things)
2 Wins - _ 8, PD _ -8 -- 22, PD +49 Portugal
1 Win - __ 4, PD -24 -- 14, PD -33 Russia
0 Wins - _0, PD -40 -- _0, PD -205 Netherlands

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Netherlands host Spain this weekend in the final REC match of the year (stream below)

Netherlands v Spain

Netherlands will host Spain in the 2021 Rugby Europe Championship

www.rugbyeurope.eu

I'm told the Netherlands players are amateur but the Spanish are semi pro (domestic league) and pro (French based). In theory this should be a Spanish victory, but with the Dutch Delta only just losing 32-30 in Spain to the Iberians a fortnight ago, this is a potential banana skin, complicated by Spain having go chase a BP victory.

Russia's early red card (downgraded after the game) in Spain in the last game effectively ended Russian involvement in RWC qualification, barring a miracle. Coach Lyn Jones stood down and they will have a new coach for next years final qualifiers.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

There are consistent strong rumours that the REC will expand to 8 teams imminently, presumably promoting the top 2 from the RE Trophy. Yet I have yet to see a formal announcement.

I wonder if the decision was taken when Belgium, Switzerland and Germany were the favourites for promotion, but if there is a rethink now Poland are in the driving seat and that Lithuania and Ukraine are even possible contenders if Belgium's seemingly sharp decline continues).

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Netherlands vs Spain stream - 1300hrs UTC tomorrow. A must win for Spain to keep qualification hopes alive.

Netherlands v Spain

Netherlands will host Spain in the 2021 Rugby Europe Championship

www.rugbyeurope.eu

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

The Netherlands being allowed no fans and having to rely only on players from their domestic amateur league (they may have had three players that weren't released) didn't help and the latter probably explains their drop off as the game went on.

Only two points will seperate Romania (14), Portugal (14) and Spain (12) in the hunt for RWC qualification in the next REC in the spring. Even Russia on 9 points aren't completely out of it if they appoint a miracle worker as their new coach.

And of course congratulations to Georgia. Hopefully they get a stiffer challenge next year.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

For those fed up with overrated films and Christmas specials on TV, the Polish union have been producing a high quality, behind the scenes, series of documentary videos with full English subtitles.



The above link is from early in their Rugby Europe Trophy campaign, leading up to their game against Germany. It shows a young Welsh coaching group trying to mesh local Polish talent with Polish qualified players raised by other unions. It coincides with what is fast becoming an exciting period for Polish rugby as they will chase promotion to the REC in their remaining games in the spring.

I'm not really into such documentaries (e.g. NFL Hard Knocks) but these certainly hold my attention and hopefully make the team more accessible to new Polish fans.

 

[Yulia]

@Bruce_ma_goosevili thanks for sharing! I haven't even heard about it, didn't follow Polish union tbf apparently they are based in Gdańsk/Gdynia. And already had a match with Ukraine, that I'm not even aware of I'm a shitty rugby fan..