Rugby Europe Championship & Trophy 2022

[Yulia]

@Bruce_ma gooshvili you've jinxed it right now I give you my personal yellow card

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I did say you'd still lose.

I love this bonus point system. Romania must attack for the last 10 mins to secure it and it may let Russia back in the game.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

@Bruce_ma gooshvili you've jinxed it right now I give you my personal yellow card

Yellow card rescinded?

 

[Yulia]

Gaisin is brilliant,as usual

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Hard for Romania to blow it from here.

 

[Yulia]

Maksym Gargalyk (our 5) lost and started to walk among Romanians and shake hands of his own team

It was a so-so match, not super entertaining,but ok

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Crazy for Russia, 9 points behind to go for lineout rather than try to kick for a losing BP. It must have been beyond Gaisin's range?

Disappointing Romania couldn't put Russia to the sword and get a winning BP, but that is the best effort I've seen Russia put in after their winter break. For some reason they are usually terrible the first game back. Hard to assess how good or bad both sides are from that match to be honest.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Doubt I'll bother with the Spain match but I'm curious to see what Portugal can do in Tblisi tomorrow.

 

[Yulia]

Doubt I'll bother with the Spain match but I'm curious to see what Portugal can do in Tblisi tomorrow.

Anyway, it's better than a boring 6N

Disappointing Romania couldn't put Russia to the sword and get a winning BP, but that is the best effort I've seen Russia put in after their winter break.

First time during a year (or so) I saw our defence working hard. At least don't have a bad feeling about our team after this loss

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Glad I avoided the Spain vs Netherlands match. 43-0.
But this is apparently what Rugby Europe and many Tier2 fans want more of next year by expanding to include 2 even weaker sides.

From my very rough calculations Russia will require the following for a chance of qualification (and even then it comes down to bonus points).

- To beat everyone else except Georgia
- For Georgia to beat Spain and Portugal
- For Romania to beat Spain and Portugal

This is not impossible but is somewhat unlikely. But if Russia can beat Spain (next weekend) and then Portugal the rest is more straightforward. If Portugal win in Tblisi tomorrow its already probably do svidanya

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Portugal looking the far more focussed side and take an early lead. Glad they've got an experienced ref like Poite in charge even if he isnt everyone's favourite.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Where can I watch this? @Bruce_ma gooshvili

 

[Ainsthrilln]

Where can I watch this? @Bruce_ma gooshvili

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

You need to create a free account.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

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

You need to create a free account.

Thank you

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Georgia regain the lead with what should be the last play of the first half. Scrappy game but with Portugal still in with the chance of taking a huge step towards RWC qualification. It would effectively eliminate Russia and would make Romania very nervous.

 

[Ainsthrilln]

Glad I avoided the Spain vs Netherlands match. 43-0.
But this is apparently what Rugby Europe and many Tier2 fans want more of next year by expanding to include 2 even weaker sides.

From my very rough calculations Russia will require the following for a chance of qualification (and even then it comes down to bonus points).

- To beat everyone else except Georgia
- For Georgia to beat Spain and Portugal
- For Romania to beat Spain and Portugal

This is not impossible but is somewhat unlikely. But if Russia can beat Spain (next weekend) and then Portugal the rest is more straightforward. If Portugal win in Tblisi tomorrow its already probably do svidanya

It depends on the format.

If we get a 7 weeks round-robin format, we (Spain) could use that extra two games (plus the one against the Netherlands) to provide game time for our homegrown youngsters and to try out and cap more somewhat fringe French players to develop depth (the likes of Brice Ferrer, of Nationale, or even some young Federale 1 players).

If we are going to have two groups of 4 teams and we get stuck with Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium in the western, we will miss playing against Georgians, Romanians and Russian regularly. It would be almost as being demoted to the Trophy.

By the way, Portugal is crushing our options right now. We need Georgia to step up.

On the other hand, a Russia without options to classify would might be easier to defeat next week, hopefully...

 

[Ainsthrilln]

Very mild controversy continues in that the World Rugby appointed performance review of Spain, using Hourcade of Sudamerica rugby appears to have been extended indefinitely. With Hourcade as High Performance Director for both Spain and Portugal in addition to the same role covering the whole of South America.

Hourcade's protege Raul Perez is also coming over to assist Spain in their development, presumably quitting his job as Paraguay head coach and head coach of Olimpia Lions in SLAR.

La FER fichará a la mano derecha de Hourcade como director de desarrollo - Veintidós

La Federación Española de Rugby está cerca de incorporar a Raúl ‘Aspirina’ Pérez a su estructura técnica en un cargo como el de director de desarrollo o similar. Pérez es un técnico que colabora habitualmente con Daniel Hourcade, el exseleccionador de los Pumas, a quien World Rugby envío hace...

www.revista22.es

I don't particularly like this for four reasons:

i) World Rugby taking urgent action to improve Spain mid way through a RWC qualification campaign, which may be to the detriment of Spain's rivals. It smacks of WR trying to assist areas they consider most promising commercially. I wish Spain and Portugal every success in the future but will be cheering on Russia and Romania for this qualification (and I like Hourcade, he is very astute, so its nothing personal).

ii) I'm sure Hourcade has his hands full covering the whole of South America and this will dilute his role there.

iii) it would leave Olimpia Lions high and dry without their coach on the of SLAR (another possible sign of a lack of funds in SLAR).

iv) If Chile meets Portugal or Spain the repechage, which is a likely scenario, then there is a big conflict of interest for Hourcade.

Hopefully all a storm in the teacup.

I don't like this either, and many Spaniards don't either.

Beaing an Argentinian "colony" is not going to work for Spanish rugby.

Even though their contribution is greatly appreciated, both as players (amateur and semipro) and coachs, the culture of Spanish rugby is very different to the Argentinian one. We have open clubs almost always playing in municipal facilities, not country club teams only for the wealthy; and our best teams wish to be professional, compared with their militant amateurism.

A development plan based in Argentina's PLADAR or the similar approach used by Uruguay would be impossible to replicate in Spain, and would produce a big clash between the Union and the clubs.

And also there is the issue of the Spanish heritage French players, which is almost a sin for Argentinians... but one of our biggest strenghts.

I hope Pérez comes open minded and willing to help and not only to impose their views on rugby development, which is usually the Argentinian approach regarding Spanish rugby, or it will end badly for us.

I really think that our future depends on sending our best 18 yo players to French spoirs academies so they become JIFF and have a chance at professional rugby, even if we lose an Ezeala per decade, much more than in a PLADAR system.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Would love thale Portugal jersey here. Macron don't have medium on their site, if anyone knows where to get it let me know.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Fantastic try

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Georgia down to 14, but 7 points up. Still anybody's.

Oh my, Portugal immediately capitalise with fantastic cross kick take. Back level. I hope for Georgia but Portugal are just a sensationally improving side whose upper limit is still not yet known.