6NB: Decision time
It is the last round of the European Nations Cup, sometimes refereed to as the Six Nations B, and it is the time to decide who the champion will be. There will also be a clearer view of who will end third and thus have a chance to go to New Zealand via répechage.
The latter will not necessarily be decided this weekend as Romania still have to play their postponed match with Spain.
The third decision is to work out who will be relegated. It will be a huge surprise if it is not Germany.. Germany will be relegated. Division 2A still has several matches to play but Ukraine look best placed for promotion.
Log at present
The FIRA-AER competitions give 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw and one for taking part
1 Georgia 24
2 Russia 24
3 Portugal 20
4 Romania 17
5 Spain 10
6 Germany 9
Spain and Romania have a game in hand.
Germany vs Spain
Surely Spain, even with an experimental squad and even though Germany have been strengthened, will win this one.
German squad: Benjamin Krause (DSV von 1878 Hannover), Robert Mohr (La Rochelle), Alexander Widiker (Orleans), Damien Tussac (Toulon), Kehoma Brenner (RG Heidelberg), Tim Coly (RG Heidelberg), Manuel Wilhelm (RG Heidelberg), Alexander Hauck (SC Frankfurt 1880), Jamie Houston (SC Frankfurt 1880), Alexander Pipa, Jens Schmidt (TSV Handschuhsheim), Bodo Sieber (UCT/Südafrika), Michael Poppmeier (Villager FC, Capoe Town, Kieron Davies (Amphtill, England), Raphael Hackl (Berliner RC), Rafael Pyrasch (DSV von 1878 Hannover), Benjamin Simm (DSV von 1878 Hannover), Clemens von Grumbkow (Prato, Italy), Gilles Pagnon (Orléans), Mustafa Güngör(RG Heidelberg), Christopher Weselek(RG Heidelberg), Fabian Heimpel (RG Heidelberg), Benjamin Ulrich (RK 03 Berlin), Mark Sztyndera (SC Frankfurt 1880)
Spain squad: Carlos Arenas Muñiz (Cajasol Rugby Ciencias), José Maria Bohorquez Gómez-Millan (Cajasol Rugby Ciencias), Rafael Camacho Bilbao (Cajasol Rugby Ciencias), Leandro Fernandez-Aramburu Rodríguez (Cajasol Rugby Ciencias), Manuel Mazo Cañas (Cajasol Rugby Ciencias), Jesús Recuerda Núñez (Cajasol Rugby Ciencias), Martín Emir Heredia (Costa Del Sol), Víctor Javier Acevedo (VRAC Quesos Entrepinares), Benjamín Pardo García (VRAC Quesos Entrepinares), César Bernasconi (CRC Madrid), Juan Cano Rodríguez-Arias (CRC Madrid), Javier Canosa Schack (CRC Madrid), David Gurgenadze (CRC Madrid), Martín Ignacio Aceña Colaneri ( La Vila), Matthew Cook (La Vila), Igor Mirones Truan (Bizkaia Gernika), Federico Negrillo Kovacevich (Bizkaia Gernika), Pedro Martin Enrique (Bayonne), Gautier Gibouin Fontana (Bordeaux-Begles), César Sempere Padilla (Montpellier), Mathieu Cidre Baroni (Carcassonne), Ignacio Martín Goenaga (Parma)
Date: Saturday, 20 March 2010
Kick-off: 14.00
Venue: Heidelberg
Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Assistant referees: Claudio Castagnoli (Italy), Ettore Reale (Italy)
Georgia vs Russia
This is the battle for the crown. At the end of two seasons of competition., it all depends on this match in ancient Trabazon on the Black Sea.
Teams:
Russia squad: Vladimir Botvinnikov (Enisey-STM), Alexander Khrokin (VVA), Evgeny Pronenko (Enisey-STM), Alexey Travkin (VVA), Vladislav Korshunov (VVA), Evgeny Matveev (VVA), Alexander Voytov (VVA), Artem Fatakhov (VVA), Nikita Medkov (Slava), Victor Gresev (VVA), Kirill Kushnarev (VVA), Alexey Panasenko (VVA), Andrey Temnov (Enisey-STM), Alexander Yanushkin (VVA), Alexander Shakirov (VVA), Yuriy Kushnarev (VVA), Alexey Korobeynikov (Enisey-STM), Vladimir Ostroushko (Yug Krasnodar), Vasily Artemiev (VVA), Andrey Kuzin (VVA), Sergey Trishin (VVA), Mikhail Babaev (VVA), Alexey Makovetskiy (Krasny Yar), Igor Kluchnikov (VVA)
Date: Saturday, 20 March 2010
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Akçaabat Fatih Stadium, Trabazon, Turkey
Referee: Jérôme Garces (France)
Assistant referees: Patrick Pechambert (France), Jérôme Lamirand (France)
Portugal vs Romania
More than winning the championship, it is the winning of this match that is important. If Portugal win it, They will in all likelihood keep their World Cup hopes alive by going into répechage. If they lose they must hope for Spain to rescue them.
Romania threw themselves a ;lifeline last week by beating Georgia. With their best side they will surely beat Portugal.
Teams
Romania: 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
Portugal squad: Antonio Aguilar (Direito), Bernardo Duarte (Agronomia), Conrad Stickling (Cascais), Diogo Mateus (Belenenses), Duarte Cardoso Pinto (Agronomia), Eduardo Acosta (Direito), Francisco Fernandes (Tyrosse, France), Frederico Oliveira (CDUL), Gonçalo Foro (CDUL), Gonçalo Uva (Direito), João Correia (Direito) (captain), João Junior (CDUL), Joe Gardener (Agronomia), Jorge Segurado (Direito), Jose Pinto (Direito), Juan Severino (Agronomia), Miguel Portela (Direito), Pedro Cabral (CDUL), Pedro Leal (Direito), Pedro Silva (Belenenses), Salvador Palha (Direito), Tiago Girão (CDUL), Vasco Uva (Direito), Thomas da Costa (Lourdes, France), David Mateus (Belenenses)
Date: Saturday, 20 March 2009
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Estaduio Universitario in Lisbon
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: Huw David (Wales), Chris Williams (Wales)