6NB: Round 4
Germany, who beat Romania in Round 1 are currently third, one place above Spain who would dearly love to leapfrog them
Romania are still likely to consolidate their second spot by beating Belgium in Brussels while Georgia should beat their former confederates in Tbilisi.
Fixtures, Round 4
Belgium vs Romania
Germany vs Spain
Georgia vs Russia
Round 1
Spain vs Russia, 16-6
Georgia vs Belgium, 31-6
Germany vs Romania, 41-38
Round 2
Georgia vs Germany, 50-6
Russia vs Belgium, 25-18
Romania vs Spain, 13-3
Round 3
Romania vs Russia, 30-10
Germany vs Belgium, 34-29
Georgia vs Spain, 20-10
Log after Round 3
1. Georgia (14 pts)
2. Romania (10 pts)
3. Germany (8 pts)
4. Spain (4 pts)
5. Russia (4 pts)
6. Belgium (2 pts)
Belgium vs Romania
Belgium has lost six of its team that started against Germany – Thomas Vervoort, Baptiste Lescarboura, Thomas De Molder, Julien Berger, Louis Debatty and Ervin Muric. And six of the eight on the bench are changed as well.
Romania, on the other hand, have just three changes to their starting team. Out go Otar Turashvili, Andrei Ursache and Ionut Dumitru.
Teams:
Belgium: 15 F Piron, 14 Charles Reynaert, 13 Jens Torfs, 12 Nathan Bontems, 11 C Dowsett, 10 Alan Williams, 9 Kevin Williams (captain), 8 B Corradi, 7 Bertrand Billi, 6 Gillian Benoy, 5 Clément Veeckman, Tuur Moelants, 3 Jean-Baptiste De Clercq, 2 Max Dubois, 1 Sep De Backer
Replacements: 16 Thomas Diensté, 17 Christophe Debaty, 18 Sven D'Hooghe, 19 Baptiste Lescarboura, 20 Hendrik Brouwers, 21 Tom Cocqu, 22 Nicolas Meeus, 23 Julien Massimi
Romania: 15 Catalin Fercu, 14 Madalin Lemnaru, 13 Jack Umaga, 12 Sione Fakaosilea, 11 J Cobden, 10 Florin Viaicu, 9 Valentin Calafeteanu, 8 Andrei Gorcioaia, 7 Mihai Macovei (captain), 6 Viorel Lucaci, 5 Johan van Heerden, 4 Marius Antonescu, 3 Alexandru Tarus, 2 Marian Capatina, 1 Ionel Badiu
Replacements: 16 Andrei Radoi, 17 Constantin Pristavita, 18 Alexandru Gorda?, 19 Valentin Poparlan, 20 Dorin Lazar, 21 Florin Surugiu, 22 Jody Rose, 23 Stephen Shennan
Date: Saturday, 11 March 2017
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Brussels
Referee: Claudio Blessano (Italy)
Assistant referees: Stefano Bolzonella (Italy), Zaniol Giacomini (Italy)
Germany vs Spain
Four players have left the German starting XV – Dash Barber, Robert May, Steffen Liebig and Clemens Von Grumbkow, a star centre who has been plagued by injuries.
Spain have made several changes – to the centres the loose forwards and the whole front row. And then all of the bench players have been changed – every one.
Germany: 15 Harris Aounallah, 14 B Himmer, 13 Marcel Coetzee, 12 Jamie Murphy, 11 Pierre Mathurin, 10 Raynor Parkinson, 9 Sean Amstrong (captain), 8 Jarrid Els, 7 Jaco Otto, 6 Sebastian Ferreira, 5 Timo Vollenkemper, 4 Eric Marks, 3 Samy Füchsel, 2 Mika Tyumenev, 1 Julius Nostadt
Replacements: 16 Jorn Schröder, 17 Chris Howells, 18 Robert May, 19 Dash Barber, 20 Kehoma Brenner, 21 Tim Menzel, 22 Oliver Paine, 23 Raphael Pyrasch
Spain: 15 Brad Linklater, 14 Silvio Algorritz, 13 Fabien Perrin, 12 Dan Snee, 11 Jordi Jorba, 10 Mathieu Belié, 9 Guillaume Rouet, 8 Jaime Nava De Olano (captain), 7 Gautier Gibouin, 6 Pierre Barthere, 5 Ignacio Martín, 4 David Howarth, 3 Jesus Moreno Rodriguez, 2 Marco Pinto Ferrer, 1 Benat Auzqui
Replacements: 16 Fernando Perez, 17 Juan Anaya Lazaro, 18 Alberto Blanco Alonso, 19 David Gonzales, 20 Anibal Fernando Bonan, 21 Sebastien Rouet, 22 Thibaut Alvarez, 23 Alvar Gimeno Soria
Date: Saturday, 11 March 2017
Kick-off: 16.00
Venue: Cologne
Referee: Lloyd Linton (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Graeme Ormiston (Scotland), Bob Nevins (Scotland)
Georgia vs Russia
Otar Giorgadze, Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, Lasha Lomidze, Merab Sharikadze and Soso Matiashvili are no longer in the Lelos starting XV.
Georgia: 15 Merab Kvirkashvili, 14 Irakli Svanidze, 13 Giorgi Koshadze, 12 Davit Kacharava, 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Lasha Khmaladze, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Beka Gorgadze, 7 Mamuka Gorgodze (captain), 6 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 5 Konstantin Mikautadze, 4 Giorgi Nemasdze, 3 Lasha Tabidze, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Shalva Mamukashvili
Replacements: 16 Zurab Zhvania, 17 Giorgi Tetrashvili, 18 Soso Bekoshvili, 19 Lasha Lomidze, 20 Saba Shubitdze, 21 Gela Aprasidze, 22 Revaz Jintchvelashvili, 23 Beka Tsiklauri
Russia: n/a
Date: Sunday, 12 March 2017
Kick-off: 14.45
Venue: Tbilisi
Referee: Ian Tempest (England)
Assistant referees: Stephen Lee (England), Nigel Carrick (England)
