Rugby Europe's top competition starts
The most interesting matches could well be in Cluj and Kutaisi, the closest match in Krasnodar.
The match in Cluj is interesting, for the Romanians will not have forgotten their opening match last year when Germany beat them 41-38, the tournament which Romania ended with a rare victory in modern times over Georgia – 8-7.
The current German side is nothing like the team which beat the Oaks last year. In fact there is only one player still in the starting XV – the present captain Julius Nostadt.
In Kutaisi, some 230 km northeast of the capital Tbilisi, Georgia play Belgium. When they met in Belgium last year the Lelos won a close 34-29.
In their match last year Russia beat Spain 13-3 in Madrid. This year it's a home match for the Bears.
Georgia won the competition six times in a row from 2011 to 2016, but in 2017 Romnaia were the winners. Before that, Romania had won in 2010. The Oaks have won five times and been second seven times this century. In 2004 Portugal were the surprise winner.
Georgia vs Belgium
Georgia: 15 Beka Tsiklauri, 14 Giorgi Pruidze, 13 Davit Katcharava, 12 Giorgi Kveseladze, 11 Sandro Todua, 10 Revaz Jintchvelashvili, 9 Gela Aprasidze, 8 Lasha Lomidze, 7 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, 6 Otar Giorgadze, 5 Nodar Tcheishvili, 4 Giorgi Nemsadze (captain), 3 Levan Chilachava, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Zurab Zhvania
Replacements: 16 Giorgi Tchqoidze, 17 Tornike Mataradze, 18 Giorgi Melikidze, 19 Mikheil Gachechiladze, 20 Guram Shengelia, 21 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 22 Lasha Malaghuradze, 23 Anzor Sitchinava
Belgium: 15 Dazzy Cornez, 14 Thomas Wallraf, 13 Guillaume Prion, 12 Nathan Bontem, 10 Vincent Hart, 9 Tom Cocqu, 8 Brieuc Corradi, 7 Amion Hamzaqui, 6 Bertrand Billi, 5 Sven D'Hooghe, 4 Guillaume Mortier, 3 Sydney Malumba, 2 Thomas Dienst, 1 Lucas Sotteau
Replacements: 16 Max Dubois, 17 Bastien Gallaire, 18 Tom Herenger, 19 Vincent Tauzier, 20 Isaac Montoisy, 21 Benjamin Cocu, 22 Louis Debatty, 23 Romain Pinte
Date: Saturday, 10 February 2018
Kick-off: 11:00 CET
Venue: Kutaisi Stadium, Kutaisi
Expected weather conditions: Sunny with a high of 14°C and a low of 5°C
Referee: Maxime Burlet (Belgium)
Assistant referees: John Catteau (Belgium), Kevin Sulejmani (Belgium)
Russia vs Spain
Russia: 15 Iurii Kushnarev, 14 German Davydo, 13 Igor Galinovskyi, 12 Dmitrii Gerasimov, 11 Vasily Artemyev (captain), 10 Ramil Gaisin, 9 Alexey Shcherban, 8 Anton Rudoi, 7 Andrey Temnov, 6 Gresev Viktor, 5 Andrey Ostrikov, 4 Evgeny Elgin, 3 Innokentiy Zykov, 2 Stanislav Selskii, 1 Andrei Polivalov
Replacements: 16 Valery Tsnobiladze, 17 Valery Morozov, 18 Magomed Davudov, 19 Andrei Garbuzov, 20 Tagir Gadzhiev, 21 Vasily Dorofeev, 22 Vladislav Sozonov, 23 Sergey Trishin
Spain: 15 Charlie Malie, 14 Bradley Linklater, 13 Fabien Perrin, 12 Ross Snee Daniel, 11 Sebastien Ascarat, 10 Mathieu Belie, 9 Guillaume Rouet, 8 Jaime Nava de Olano (captain), 7 Gautier Gibouin, 6 Pierre Barthere, 5 Lucas Guillaume, 4 David Barrera, 3 Jonathan Garcia, 2 Marco Pinto Ferrer, 1 Benat Auzqui
Replacements: 16 Fernando Lopez Perez, 17 Juan Anaya Lazaro, 18 Anibal Bonan, 19 Thibaut Visensang, 20 Sébastien Rouet, 21 Ignacio Contardi Medina, 22 Bastien Fuster, 23 Jesus Moreno Rodriguez
Date: Saturday, 10 February 2018
Kick-off: 13.00 CET
Venue: Stadium Junost, Krasnodar
Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a high of 11°C and a low of 1°C
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Stuart Gaffkin (Ireland), Chris Harrington (Ireland)
Romania vs Germany
Romania: 15 Catalin Fercu, 14 Fonovai Tangimana, 13 Paula Kinikinilau, 12 Sione Fakaosilea, 11 Ionut Dumitru,10 Florin Vlaicu, 9 Florin Surugiu, 8 Stelian Burcea, 7 Mihai Macovei (captain), 6 Valentin Ursache, 5 Marius Antonescu,4 Johannes van Heerden,3 Andrei Ursache, 2 Andrei Radoi, 1 Mihaita Lazar
Replacements: 16 Florin Bardasu, 17 Ionel Badiu, 18 Alexandru Tarus, 19 Alin Coste, 20 Andrei Gorcioaia, 21 Valentin Calafeteanu, 22 Stephen Shennan, 23 Jack Umaga
Germany: 15 Marvin Dieckmann, 14 Paul Pfisterer, 13 Robin Pluempe, 12 Yassin Ayachi, 11 Christopher Korn, 10 Daniel Koch, 9 Tim Menzel, 8 Luker Dyckhoff, 7 Rafael Lofinmakin-Dutta, 6 Falk Duwe, 5 Stefan Mau, 4 Eric Marks, 3 Paul Weiss, 2 Senzokuhle Ngubane, 1 Julius Nostadt (captain)
Replacements: 16 Sam Ramsay, 17 Felix Martel, 18 Marcus Bender, 19 Yasar Bauer, 20 Carsten Lang, 21 Jan Piosik, 22 Mark Sztyndera, 23 Clemens von Grumblow
Date: Saturday, 10 February 2018
Kick-off: 15.00 CET
Venue: Arena, Cluj
Expected weather conditions: Overcast and cold with a high of 4°C and a low of -3°C
Referee: Maxime Burlet (Belgium)
Assistant referees: John Catteau (Belgium), Kevin Sulejmani (Belgium)
