6NB: Georgia champs, Romania back

It was the last round of the European Nations Cup on Saturday with two important matches, won by Georgia and Romania. Germany’s last chance to avoid relegation failed just.

Beating Russia in Turkey meant that Georgia are the champions in the competition over two years. It means that they will go to the 2011 World Cup as Europe 1 and go into Pool B. Russia will go into Pool C as Europe 2. It will be their first trip to the World Cup and they play their opening match against the USA.

Romania beat Portugal and are still in fourth place on the log, a point behind Portugal but they have a game in hand – against Spain in Bucharest after the original fixture was postponed because of the weather. They will need to beat Spain to come third. A draw will not do it because Portugal have a better points’ difference (106 to 101).

If they beat Spain, who are in a rebuilding phase, Romania will get a chance to go to the World Cup through répechage. in which they will play either Ukraine of Lithuania and then Tunisia and then either Uruguay or Korea (or whoever comes second in the Asian Five Nations). It certainly is a distinct possibility for the Oaks who have been to every World Cup since 1987.

Germany had their best result as they fought to avoid relegation to Division 2A.

Results, Round 10

Spain vs Germany, 21-17
Georgia vs Russia, 36-8
Romania vs Portugal, 20-9

Log after Round 10

In FIRA-AER competitions there are 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw and 1 for playing.

Except for Spain and Romania, the other teams have played 10 matches.

1 Georgia 27
2 Russia 25
3 Portugal 21
4 Romania 20
5 Spain 13
6 Germany 10

Match details

Georgia vs Russia

The teams met, uniquely, in Turkey – in ancient Trabazon on the Black Sea, not far from Georgia. The ground,  Akçaabat Fatih Stadium, is a small soccer ground with a capacity of 6 000. It was packed with Georgians who had made the journey in 60 buses, a passionate crowd which the Russians could well have found intimidating.

Russia started at a great rate but the Lelos worked their way back into the game and Merab Kvirikashvili dropped a goal.

But the Russians came back through their muscular forwards, helped by two penalties, and the forwards went over in a mass, the try credited to prop Alexander Khrokin.

Then it was Georgians’ turn to advance – maul, penalty, maul – try to prop David Zirakashvili. Kvirikashvili converted and Georgia led 10-3. They scored another two tries in the half and led 22-5 at the break.

In the second half, even though the Russians dominated possession and territory, Georgia scored a fourth try before Yury Kushnarev kicked a penalty for Russia and then just before the end Georgia scored their fifth try for a comprehensive victory.

Georgia were delighted and the country’s president, Mikheil Sheklashvili, insisted on giving the team a reception, causing many flights back to France to be cancelled.

Teams:

Georgia: 15 Malkhaz Urjukashvili,  14 Irakli Machkhaneli, 13 David Katcharava, 12 Tedo Zibzibadze, 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Merab Kvirikashvili, 9 Irakli Abusseridze , 8 Besarion Udesiani ,7 Giorgi Chkhaidze, 6 Grigol Labadze, 5 Ilia Zedginidze, 4 Levan Datunashvili, 3 David Zirakashvili, 2 Yury Natriashvili, 1 David Khinchagishvili
Replacements: 16 Goderdzi Shvelidze, 17 Anton Peikrishvili, 18 Giorgi Nemsadze, 19 Lasha Tavartkiladze, 20 Lasha Malaghuradze, 21 Irakli Giorgadze, 22 Irakli Chkhikvadze

Russia: 15 Igor Kluchnikov, 14 Andrey Kuzin, 13 Mikhail Babaev, 12 Sergey Trishin, 11 Vasile Artemiev, 10 Yury Kushnarev, 9 Alexander Yanushkin, 8 Andrey Temnov, 7 Alexey Panasenko, 6 Victor Gresev, 5 Artem Fatakhov, 4 Alexander Voytov,  3 Evgeny Pronenko, 2 Vladislav Korshunov, 1 Alexander Khrokin.
Replacements: 16 Evgeny Matveev, 17 Vladimir Botvinnikov, 18 Kiril Kushnarev, 19 Alexey Travkin, 20 Alexander Shakirov, 21 Alexey Korobeynikov, 22  Alexey Makovetskiy

Referee: Jérôme Garces
Assistant referees: Patrick Pechambert, Jérôme Lamirand

Germany vs Spain

It was Germany’s best performance of the season, but not enough to avoid relegation. In 10 matches they have conceded 403 more points than their opposition. It has been a tough time for them in Division 1 and next season they will be replaced probably by Ukraine. Had Spain lost they would have been relegated and they were within an ace of losing.

It was wet and windy in Heidelberg.

By half-time Spain led 14-3 after Martín Heredia had scored two tries, both converted by Cesar Sempere, playing flyhalf this time. The tries came on either side of a penalty by Germany’s flyhalf, Fabian Heimpel.

Half way through the second half the German forwards drove a maul over the line to make the score 14-10, the try credited to prop Benjamin Krause, and then they took the lead. With five minutes to play Germany led 17-14.

Then Spain came back through many phases till prop David Gurgenadze scored a try which Sempere again converted. The final whistle went. There were just moments between relegation and survival.

Scorers:

For Spain:
Tries: Heredia 2, Gurgenadze
Cons: Sempere 3

For Germany:
Tries: forwards, Heimpel
Cons: Heimpel 2
Pen: Heimpel

Teams

Germany: 15 Raphael Hackl, 14 Mustafa Güngör (captain), 13 Gilles Pagnon, 12 Clemens Von Grumbkow, 11 Christopher Weselek, 10 Fabian Heimpel, 9 Rafael Pyrasch, 8 Robert Mohr, 7 Kehoma Brenner, 6 Jamie Houston, 5- Bodo Sieber, 4 Manuel Wilhelm,  3 Tim Coly, 2 Alexander Widiker,1 Benjamin Krause
Replacements: 16 Damien Tussac, 17 Jens Schmidt, 18 Michael Poppmeier, 19 Alexander Pipa, 20 Benjamin Simm, 21 Benjamin Ulrich, 22 Kieron Davies.

Spain: 15 Pedro Martin,  14 Juan Cano, 13 Martín Heredia, 12 Javier Canosa, 11 Ignacio Martín, 10 César Sempere, 9 Mickaël López, 8 Federico Negrillo, 7 Gautier Gibouin, 6 Rafael Camacho, 5 Jesús Recuerda, 4 Leandro Fernández-Aramburu (captain), 3 David Gurgenazde, 2 Mathieu Cidre, 1 Anthony Pradalie
Replacements: 16 José Maria Bohorquez, 17 Víctor Acevedo; 18 César Bernasconi, 19 Matthew Cook, 20 Carlos Arenas, 22 Manuel Mazo, 25 Benjamín Pardo.

Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assistant referees: Claudio Castagnoli (Italy), Ettore Reale (Italy)

Portugal vs Romania

This was the crunch game, in that it probably decided third place, and the Romanians were too strong for the ardent Portuguese. Not even Romania’s ill discipline could produce a win for Portugal. The Oaks collected four yellow cards -for Dimofte for playing a man without the ball when a try looked distinctly possible for the Lobos, then one three minutes bloater when Tonita infringed at a tackle. Barcea managed two yellow cards, the second for fighting, and so received a red card.

Joe Gardner opened the scoring with a penalty. Dan Dumbrava levelled the scores and then when Portugal collapsed a scrum the referee awarded a penalty try to give the Oaks the lead.

Dumbrava added a penalty and then Gardner was caught behind his line and coin ceded a silly try to Dimofte to make the score 20-9 with  25 minutes to play and Romanian numbers diminishing but the Lobois could not catch up.

Scorers:

For Romania:
Tries: penalty try, Dimofte
Cons: Dumbrava 2
Pens: Dumbrava 2

For Portugal:
Pens: Gardner 3

Teams

Portugal: 15 Joe Gardener, 14 Frederico Oliveira, 13 Pedro Silva, 12 Diogo Mateus, 11 António Aguilar, 10 Pedro Cabral, 9 José Pinto, 8 Juan Severino, 7 Vasco Uva, 6 Eduardo Acosta, 5 Gonçalo Uva, 4 Conrad Stickling, 3 Thomas Da Costa, 2 João Correia (Cap), 1 Francisco Fernandes
Replacements: 16 João Júnior, 17 Bernardo Duarte, 18 Tiago Girão, 19 Salvador Palha, 20 Pedro Leal, 21 Duarte Cardoso Pinto, 22 Miguel Portela

Romania:15 Iulian Dumitras, 14 Stefan Ciuntu, 13 Csaba Gal, 12 Ionut Dimofte, 11 Catalin Fercu, 10 Danut Dumbrava, 9 Lucian Sarbu, 8 Alexandru Manta, 7 Ovidiu Tonita, 6 Stelian Burcea, 5 Valentin Ursache, 4 Sorin Socol (captain), 3 Paulica Ion, 2 Marius Tincu, 1 Dragos Dima,
Replacements: 16 Cezar Popescu, 17 Mihaita Lazar, 18 Cristian Petre, 19 Daniel Carpo, 20 Valentin Ivan, 21 Catalin Nicolae, 22 Florin Vlaicu

Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: Huw David (Wales), Chris Williams (Wales)