Preview - Iberian end to 6N B
Spain and Portugal bring down the curtain on the European Nations Cup Division 1 (Six Nations B) when they meet in Madrid on Saturday. This after the competition has run its two-year course.
The match will not really affect the championship as Georgia have already won, but it does affect the mood of the two Iberian countries.
At present Spain and Portugal each have 15 points on the log, Portugal with a slightly better points difference – 7 points.
Spain went to the World Cup in 1999, Portugal in 2007. There is a lot of similarity and hence a lot of competition and next season may see a competition involving the clubs of both countries.
When the teams met last season, in the first round, Portugal won 21-18 in Lisbon. Saturday’s match is in Madrid.
With a young side, Spain ran Georgia close in Tblissi and now it has some experienced players back – Andrew Ebbet, David Hernández, César Bernasconi, Ion Insausti and Juan González as well as three-quarter David Mota. The new players Ger Glynn has blooded this year have come through well – Jesus Moreno, who plays for Bayonne in France, and Juan González Marruecos.
The Spanish players who play abroad are Moreno, Mathieu Gratton and Rafael Álvarez, who play in France and scrumhalf Pablo Feijóo who is at Leicester Tigers.
Portugal have more abroad. Cristian Spachuk, Vasco Uva, Goncalo Uva, Duarte Cardoso Pinto and Antonio Aguilar play in France, Juan Murre and Jose Pinto in Italy and Diogo Gama in Spain.
Of the Portuguese side the following were in France for the 2007 World Cup: Antonio Aguilar, Pedro Cabral, João Correia, Juan Murre, Cristian Spachuk, Vasco Uva, Gonçalo Uva, João Uva, Tiago Girão, Jose Pinto, Duarte Cardoso Pinto, Pedro Leal, Diogo Mateus, David Mateus, Diogo Gama and Gonçalo Foro.
Spain and Portugal have been playing since 1935. They have met 29 times. The Lions of Spain have won 21 times, the Lobos of Portugal seven times ands there was a draw in 1984.
Spanish squad: José Maria Bohorquez, Juan González Marruecos, Manuel Mazo, Rafael Camacho, Leandro Fernández-Aramburu, Iván Criado, Ion Insausti, Manuel Serrano, Sergio Souto, César Bernasconi, Víctor Marlet, Andrew Ebbet, Jaime Nava, Juan Cano, Javier Canosa, Juan González, Javier Salazar, César Sempere, David Mota, David Hernández, Jesús Moreno, Mathieu Gratton, Rafael Álvarez, Pablo Feijóo.
Portuguese squad: João Correia, Bernardo Duarte, Juan Murre, Cristian Spachuk, Diogo Fialho, Valter Jorge, Vasco Uva, Gonçalo Uva, Sebastião Cunha, Tiago Girão, Antonio Duarte, João Uva, Jose Pinto, Duarte Cardoso Pinto, Pedro Leal, Pedro Cabral, Diogo Mateus, David Mateus, Diogo Gama, Gonçalo Foro, Aderito Esteves, Antonio Aguilar
Date: Saturday, 10 May 2008
Kick-off: 16.30
Venue: Estadio Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid
Expected weather conditions: Rain with a high of 14°C, dropping to 8°C, and a northwester of 14 km/h dropping.
Referee: Eric Darrière (France)
Touch judges: Jérôme Lamirand (France), Didier Dussaut (France)
