Nations Cup gets underway in Bucharest

Until this month the biggest senior Rugby tournament in Romania’s long rugby history was the quadrangular involving France, Italy, Germany and the host nation in 1938.

Sixty-nine years later Bucharest is hosting the IRB Nations Cup; an event sponsored by the IRB as part of its commitment to provide Tier 2 and 3 Unions with meaningful competition for elite development and increased international competitiveness.

The six-nation rugby bonanza features three of the twenty Rugby World Cup 2007 contenders Romania, Georgia and Namibia as well as the A teams of Italy, Argentina and South Africa, with many players keen to make their country’s travelling squad for the RWC in France.

The nine matches will be held on June 5, 10 and 16 at the new National Rugby Stadium “Arcul de Triumf” in Bucharest, a facility built with IRB financial support on the original site of Stadium ‘Tineretului-Federatie’, the cradle of rugby in Romania.

The Italians, a healthy mix of newcomers – there are 12 uncapped players in the 26-strong squad – and experienced campaigners including the likes of 56-cap Aaron Persico and 22-cap Walter Pozebon start against Argentina A on Tuesday 5 June.

Similarly their opponents, the Pumas, coached by their former regulars Patricio Noriega, Santiago Phelan and Jose Orengo, field a useful melange of new blood, with 12 newcomers among the tourists, and experience, with scrum-half Juan Fernandez Miranda with 28 caps and 36-cap flank-forward Pablo Bouza of Leeds Carnegie as their most capped players.

The intriguing clash between RWC participants Georgia and Namibia in their first international encounter is the second match on day one.

The Georgians have only two uncapped players in the squad, the 22-year old Clermont Auvergne hooker Irakli Chkouria and Aubennas prop Elizbar Kuparadze – two of Georgia’s 24 French-based players, with backrower Zviad Maisuradze of Locomotiv Tbilisi and scrum half Bidzina Samkharadze of Farul Constanta the only two not to play in France.

Interestingly Ilia Zedguinidze, who skippered the team on their Rugby World Cup debut in 2003 and in the RWC 2007 qualifying rounds, appears on the team list, but as Team Manager. Also in the squad are veteran centre/full-back Malkhaz Urjukashvili of Cannes and his team-mate, wing three quarters Beshik Khamashuridze, both with 48 caps.

Natal Sharks and Namibia prop Kees Lensing captains a side which features in addition to several highly rated veterans, the likes of 40-cap wing forward Herman Lindvelt, centre and former skipper Corne Powell, winger Melrick Africa and the eternal Heino Senekal in the second row, six highly-rated novices at international level, including props Jane du Toit of Boland and Marius Visser of Border.

In the final match of day one, the hosts Romania entertain the Emerging Springboks – a side very much based on the skeleton of the South Africa Under 21 team, who were runners up in the IRB Under-21 World Championship 2006.

Three of the guests – Bradley Barritt and Ryan Kankowski of Natal Sharks and Heinie Adams of the Blue Bulls – played in the recent all-South Africa Super 14 final.

The Romanians, without their highly rated loosehead Petru Balan of Biarritz and centre and former skipper Romeo Gontineac, have managed nevertheless to bring home most of their “Foreign Legion” operating in France.

Hooker Marius Tincu will captain Romania against the Emerging Springboks, taking over from incumbent Sorin Socol, who has dropped out with injury. It will be the first time that Tincu, who alongside team-mate Ovidiu Tonita is one of French club Perpignan’s regulars, will captain his country.

Each of the six participants play three matches, with the winner declared at the end of the tournament on 16 June. Teams are awarded four points for a win, two for a draw, one bonus point for four or more tries scored and one bonus points for a defeat by seven points or less.

IRB Nations Cup Fixtures:

June 5
15:00 – Italy A vs Argentina A
17:00 – Georgia vs Namibia
19:00 – Emerging Springboks vs Romania

June 10
15:00 – Argentina A vs Namibia
17:00 – Georgia vs Emerging Springboks
19:00 – Italy A vs Romania

June 16
15:00 – Italy A vs Georgia
17:00 – Romania vs Namibia
19:00 – Argentina A vs Emerging Springboks

IRB Nations Cup Squads:

ROMANIA:
Forwards: Cezar Popescu, Bogdan Balan, Paulica Ion, Petrisor Toderasc, Razvan Mavrodin, Marius Tincu, Sorin Socol, Cristian Petre, Augustin Petrichei, Florin Corodeanu, Ovidiu Tonita, Stelian Burcea, Cosmin Ratiu, Costica Mersoiu.
Backs: Valentin Calafeteanu, Lucian Sirbu, Ionut Tofan, Ionut Dimofte, Catalin Dascalu, Csaba Gal, Dan Vlad, Catalin Fercu, Ioan Teodorescu, Gabriel Brezoianu, Iulian Dumitras, Florin Vlaicu.
Head coach: Daniel Santamans

NAMIBIA:
Forwards: Skipper Bardenhorst, Jacques Burger, Tinus du Plessis, Jane du Toit, Wolfie Duvenhage, Nico Esterhuizen, Hugo Horn, Wacca Kazombiaze, Kees Lensing, Herman Lindvelt, Jacques Nieuwenhuis, Jonny Redelinghuys, Heino Senekal, Jurgen van Lill, Marius Visser.
Backs: Melrick Africa, Heini Bock, Lu-wayne Botes, Stefan du Rand, du Preez Grobler, Eugene Jantjies, TC Losper, Corne Powell, Pieter Rossouw, Justinus van der Westhuizen, Ryan Witbooi.
Head coach: Johan Venter

GEORGIA:
Forwards: David Khinchagashvili, Mamuka Magrakvelidze, George Jgenti, David Dadunashvili, Levan Datunashvili, Viktor Didebulidze, Zura Mchedlishvili, Rati Urushadze, Ilia Maisuradze, Giorgi Chkhaidze, Elizbar Kuparadze, Irakli Chkonia, Shalva Sutiashvili.
Backs: Irakli Abuseridze, Bidzina Samkharadze, David Kacharava, Iralki Machkhaneli, Besiki Khamashuridze, Malkhaz Urjukashvili, Girogi Shkinin, Otar Barkalaia, Otar Eloshvili, Revaz Gigauri, Davit Gurgenidze.
Coaches: Malkhaz Cheishvili, David Chavleishvili, Paata Narimanashvili.

EMERGING SPRINGBOKS:
Heini Adams, Bradley Barritt, Nikolai Blignaut, Schalk Brits (Captain), Ashton Constance, Tonderai Chavhanga, Marius Delport, Eddie Andrews, Kabamba Floors, Bevin Fortuin, Peter Grant, Morgan Newman, Ernst Joubert, Louis Ludik, Hilton Lobberts, Bandise Maku, Jonathan Mokuena, Sangoni Mxoli, Howard Noble, Odwa Ndungane, Jaco Pretorius, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Solly Tyibilika, Jano Vermaak, Heine van der Merwe, Ross Skeate.
Head coach: Peter de Villiers

With thanks to the IRB