Germany surprise Portugal
That they won is a bit of a surprise, but the manner of it is a huge surprise and they may still escape relegation.
The ENC's competition is over two years and this is the second. Georgia look unassailable at the top but the battle for last place hots up, and last place will be relegated, almost certainly in favour of Belgium.
Results, Round 8
Germany vs Portugal, 50-27
Georgia vs Spain, 38-7
Romania vs Russia, 30-0
Results, Round 6
Romania vs Portugal, 39-14
Russia vs Spain, 22-20
Georgia vs Germany, 59-7
Results, Round 7
Romania vs Spain, 21-18
Georgia vs Portugal, 29-3
Russia vs Germany, 46-20
Log after Round 8
1. Georgia – 35 points
2. Romania – 26 points
3. Russia – 22 points
4. Spain – 17 points
5. Germany – 6 point
6. Portugal – 6 points
Germany vs Portugal at Rudolf-Kalweit Stadion, Hannover. Germany win 50-27
The German side with 10 foreign-born players in their starting XV were too strong for Portugal's Lobos. The result has serious implications in the battle to avoid relegation as Germany have now, on points' difference, climbed above Portugal who still have Russia and Spain to play while Germany play Romania and Spain. Spain could have a serious say in who goes and who stays.
Portugal scored first when Francisco Appleton went over for a try after just four minutes. but three converted tries and a penalty gave Germany a 24-8 lead at half-time.
For Germany flank Jaco Els scored a hat-trick of tries. In fact South Africans scored five of the six individual tries.
Scorers:
For Germany:
Tries: Otto 3, Poppmeier, Van der Merwe, von Grumbkow, penalty try
Cons: Parkinson 6
Pen: Parkinson
For Portugal:
Tries: Appleton, Diniz, Guedes, Noronha
Cons: Guedes 2
Pens: Guedes
Teams
Germany: 15 Raynor Parkinson, 14 Pascal Fischer, 13 Clemens von Grumbkow, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Hendrik van der Merwe, 10 Jeremy Te Huia, 9 Sean Armstrong (captain), 8 Jarrid Els, 7 Jaco Otto, 6 Kehoma Brenner, 5 Rob May, 4 Michael Poppmeier, 3 Damien Tussac, 2 Alexander Widiker, 1 Samy Füchsel.
Replacements: 16 Mikael Tyumenev, 17 Jörn Schröder, 18 Matthias Schösser, 19 Benjamin Danso, 20 Tom Behrendt, 21 Tim Menzel, 22 Chris Hilsenbeck, 23 Maxime Oltmann.
Portugal: 15 Nuno Sousa Guedes, 14 Bernardo Seara Cardoso, 13 Francisco Appleton, 12 Manuel Vilela, 11 Tomás Noronha, 10 Tomás Appleton, 9 Francisco Magalhães, 8 João Lino, 7 Sebastião Villax, 6 Maxime Vaz, 5 Gonçalo Uva, 4 Diogo Toorn, 3 Bruno Rocha, 2 Duarte Diniz, 1 Bruno Medeiros
Replacements: 16 José Conde, 17 João Corte Real, 18 Luís Cerquinho, 19 Salvador Vassalo, 20 Luís Portela, 21 Nuno Bettencourt, 22 Duarte Marques, 23 Francisco Domingues
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Stuart Gaffikin (Ireland), Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Georgia vs Spain at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi. Georgia won 38-7.
Georgia, it seems, are streets ahead of the other sides in the competition but then many of their players play their rugby in France.
The Georgians were powerful and the Spaniards brave but their cause was not at all helped by yellow cards to Fernando López and Julen Goia, both of which had penalty tries tagged to them. After the first penalty try, Spain actually drew level with a try by right wing Julen Goia. But a second penalty try and a try by left wing Sandro Todua put the home side 21-7 up at the break.
In the second half the Lelos scored three more tries.
Teams
Georgia: 15 Merab Kvirikashvili, 14 Giorgi Aptsiauri, 13 Davit Katcharava, 12 Tamaz Mtchedlidze, 11 Sandro Todua, 10 Lasha Khmaladze, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Lasha Lomidze, 7 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, 6 Shalva Sutiashvili (captain), 5 Giorgi Nemsadze, 4 Giorgi Chkhaidze, 3 Dudu Kubriashvili, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Mikheil Nariashvili,
Replacements: 16 Zurab Zhvania, 17 Kakha Asieshvili, 18 Anton Peikrishvili, 19 Nodar Tcheishvili, 20 Beka Gorgadze 21 Giorgi Begadze, 22 Lasha Malaghuradze, 23 Giorgi Pruidze
Spain: 15 Seri Aubanell, 14 Julen Goia, 13 Federico Castiglioni, 12 Gareth Griffiths, 11 Gauthier, Minguillon, 10 Dan Snee, 9 Pablo Gil, 8 Jaime Nava, (captain) 7 Adam Newton, 6 José Luis Del Valle, 5 David Barrera, 4 Manuel Mora, 3 Xerom Civil, 2 Joe Hutchinson, 1 Fernando López,
Replacements: 16 Juan Insausti, 17 Juan Anaya, 18 Federico Daniel Sanz, 19 Daniel Stohr, 20 Oier Goia, 21 Pablo Fontes, 22 Antoine Sánchez, 23 Rafael De Santiago
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant referees: Sean Brickell (Wales), Jon Hardy (Wales)
Romania vs Russia at Stadionul Emil Alexandrescu, Iasi. Romania won 30-0.
After leading only 5-0 at half-time the Oaks scored three more tries and won 30-0, the 30th time they have whitewashed opponents in their rugby history and a repeat of their 1994 against Russia.
Early in the second half Florin Vlaicu, playing inside centre this week, scored a try and a penalty goal and the Oaks were well set for victory.
All was not pleasant. Andrei Garbuzov of Russia received a yellow card and there were red cards for substitutes Andrei Gorcioaia of Romania and Azamat Bitiev of Russia.
Scorers:
For Romania:
Tries: Burcea, Vlaicu, Lucaci, Rose
Cons: Vlaicu 2
Pen: Vlaicu 2
Teams
Romania: 15 Catalin Fercu, 14 Madalin Lemnaru, 13 Paula Kinikinilau, 12 Florin Vlaicu, 11 Stephen Shennan, 10 Jody Rose, 9 Valentin Calafeteanu, 8 Stelian Burcea, 7 Mihai Macovei (captain), 6 Viorel Lucaci, 5 Valentin Poparlan, 4 Johan van Heerden, 3 Horace bag, 2 Otar Turashvili, 1 Constantin Pristavita,
Replacements: 16 Eugene Capatana, 17 Mihai Dico, 18 Paul Rusu, 19 Marius Antonescu, 20 Andrei Gorcioaia, 21 Tudorel Bratu, 22 Florin Ionita, 23 Sabin Stratila
Russia: 15 Yuri Kushnarev, 14 Vasily Artemyev, 13 Igor Galinovsky, 12 Vladimir Rudenko, 11 Denis Simplikevich, 10 Ramil Gysin, 9 Alexey Shcherban, 8 Anton Rudoi, 7 Paul Butenko, 6 Victor Gresev, 5 Eugene Elgin, 4 Andrey Garbuzov, 3 Innocent Zykov, 2 Stanislav Selska, 1 Aleksei Volkov
Replacements:16 Nazir Hasanov, 17 Bitiev Azamat, 18 Eugene Pronenko, 19 Mikhail Sidorov, 20 Dmitry Krotov, 21 Rushan Yagudin, 22 Sergei Ianiuskin, 23 Mikhail Babaev
Referee: Lloyd Linton (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Cammy Rudkin (Scotland)
