Test Rugby: Poland Travel to Moldova

16.09.2009
Poland v Moldova in Chisinau (WCQ Euro.R4; ENC 2A)


Venue: "Dinamo" Stadium, Chişinău


Preview
Both teams languish at the bottom of the points table as this division nears the half-way stage. World Cup qualifying takes effect at the completion of the next round at the end of 2009-10.


Poland lost by one point to competition leaders Ukraine at the start of the season. The Poles then won convincingly against the Czech Republic. They have two matches in hard but they will both be tough asignments, today against Moldova away and then against Belgium at home.

The Polish squad spent time in France in February and then played a French Police side in Sochaczew, May 6, losing 16-22 (ht 10-9)


Moldova began promising enough with a good 20-8 win over high-flyers belgium. But since then they have lost to Czech Republic and then were swamped 32-0 by Ukraine last week, minus three key players from Russian Clubs. The good news for Moldova is that Vadim Cobîlaş, Alexei Cotruţa and Veaceslav Titica are available this week.


Previous Encounter
08.04.2006 Moldova 27-13 in Sochaczelo (WCQ Euro.R3, Pool A)


GWC Rugby Rankings: Europe Table-Poland 13th, Moldova 17th


Prediction: Moldova by 7 points


Teams

Poland Squad

Dawid Banaszek (Bourgoin, France)
Romuald Berthe (RC Rouen, France)
Kamil Bobryk (St Etienne, France)
Grzegorz Falk (Juvenia Kraków)
Donald Gargasson (Toulon, France)
Krzysztof Hotowski (Beaurepaire, France)
Piotr Jurkowski (Lechia Gdańsk)
Michał Krużycki (Bourgoin, France)
Stanislas Krzesinski (Albi, France)
Fabien Kwarta (U.S. Morlaas Rugby, France)
Yaan Levandowski (Cahors, France)
Kacper Ławski (Budowlani Łódź)
Wojciech Łukasiewicz (Folc AZS Warszawa)
Ciril Monarcha (C.A. Riberacois, France)
Stanisław Niedźwiecki (Budowlani Łódź)
Paweł Nowak (Arka Gdynia)
Dawid Popławski (Lechia Gdańsk)
Kazimierz Raszpunda (Pogoń Siedlce)
Rafał Sajur (Lechia Gdańsk)
Bastien Siepielski (?)
Tomasz Stępień (Budowlani Łódź)
Łukasz Szostek (Arka Gdynia)
Cedric Vaissiere (Albi, France)
Marcin Wilczuk (Old Belvedere, Ireland)
Head Coach: Tomasz Putra

Moldova Squad

Dumitru Arhip (Dinamo Bucureşti, Romania)*
Adrian Baltag (USEFS Blumarine)*
Anton Bajutin (Krasniy Yar-Krasnoyarsk, Russia)*
Vadim Braga (USEFS Blumarine)*
Alexandru Bulgac (USEFS Blumarine)*
Ion Buşilă (USEFS Blumarine)*
Nicolae Caburgan (USEFS Blumarine)*
Sergiu Castraveţ (Novocuznetc, Russia)*
Nicolae Chirilă (Krasniy Yar-Krasnoyarsk, Russia)*
Maxim Cobîlaş (VVA-Podmoskovje, Russia) *
Vadim Cobîlaş (VVA-Podmoskovje, Russia)
Alexandru Colţ (Krasniy Yar-Krasnoyarsk, Russia)*
Alexei Cotruţa (VVA-Podmoskovje, Russia)
Vitalie Gîra (UTM Chişinău)*
Ştefan Leco (USEFS Blumarine)
Vasile Leu (UTM Chişinău)*
Veaceslav Lozinschii (USEFS Blumarine)*
Octavian Manoli (UTM Chişinău)*
Alexandr Matveev (USEFS Blumarine)*
Alexandru Şîşcan, Capt. (Slava Moscow, Russia)*
Pavel Titarenco (Olimp Electromaş Tiraspol)*
Veaceslav Titica (Krasniy Yar-Krasnoyarsk, Russia)
Eduard Toderica (Olimp Electromaş Tiraspol)*
Gheorghe Volosciuc (USEFS Blumarine)
Head Coach: Vasile Revencu

* Played v Ukraine last week