INTERNATIONAL RUGBY: Austrians Battle to Avoid Relegation

24.04.2010
Austria v Denmark in Odense (ENC 3B)

Venue: Odense Atletikstadion

Referee: Craenen (Sweden)

Preview

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	DIFF	PT
HUNGARY	6	4	0	2	151	108	43	14
SLOVENIA	6	4	0	2	113	96	17	14
NORWAY	6	3	0	3	81	80	1	12
DENMARK	6	3	0	3	113	121	-8	12
AUSTRIA	6	1	0	5	54	106	-52	8

Austria's fate could be in this game. They need to win their next two games to have any chance of avoiding relegation to ENC 3C for 2010-12.

Denmark won the first round encounter 27-6 away. They are also in with a chance of winning this pool as four teams are only within two points of each other. There other game is against Slovenia away. Injuries may play an important part in Denmark's chances. Regular Fly half Michaelson is injured.

Previous Encounters
24.04.2009 Denmark 27-9 in Linz (WCQ Europe R1; ENC 3B)
08.04.2006 Denmark 16-5 in Frederika (ENC 3A)
09.04.2005 Denmark 16-3 in Frederika (WCQ Europe R2, Pool B)

GWC Rugby Rankings
Europe Table-Denmark 29th, Austria 32nd.

Prediction: Denmark by 21 points

Teams

Denmark
15 Bradley Diamandis (RK Speed) 2 tests
14 Rasmus Mortensen (Aarhus RK) 13
13 Andy Nielsen (Aalborg RK) 14
12 Jesper G. Jensen (Lindø RSC) 20
11 Peter Madsen (CSR/Nanok) 7
10 Dominick Wilson (Barnes RFC, England) 20
9 Alfi Escobarte (CSR/Nanok RK) New Cap
8 Nathanael Smalley (Aarhus RK) 10
7 Johannes Soussan (CSR/Nanok) 13
6 Kristian Riberholdt (Holstebro RK) 6
5 Jonas Haaning (Frederiksberg RK) 31
4 Nicolas Eerholm (Lindø RSC) 1
3 Søren Brobyskov (RC Odense) 34
2 Kasper Vad Pedersen (Aarhus RK) 24
1 Niels B Jensen (CSR/Nanok) 7
Replacements
16 Niels Gotfredsen (Aarhus RK) 5
17 Matias Dinesen (Frederiksberg RK) 3
18 Stephen Leitch (Aarhus RK) 2
19 Emad Libis (CSR/Nanok) New Cap
20 Kenneth Steel (RC Odense) 11
21 TBC
22 Gerard Hounou (RK Speed) 1

Head Coach: Christopher Adby

Not available injured after selection
Sylvester Michaelsen (Aalborg RK)

Adapted from http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3441

Austria played a warm-up match last Saturday against RC Bezigrad of Slovenia which they won 45 - 7.

If flight plans fail the Austrian team will bus to Denmark

http://www.rugby.dk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1154&Itemid=2

Austria Squad
Forwards:
Max Müller (RC Stade Viennois)
Milad Farkhondeh-Fal (RC Stade Viennois)
Wilfried Payer (RC Bad Reichenhall, GER)
Sebastian Borer (RC Donau)
Alberto Gomez Nowak (RC Stade Viennois)
Andreas Gaul (RC Donau)
Christoph Forchtner (RC Donau)
Clemens Kaindl (RC Stade Viennois)
Alexander Krauchenberg (RC Donau)
Sebastian Freydell (RC Donau)
Ferdinand Richter (Vallee du Girou, FRA)
Amir Yassari (RC Stade Viennois)

Backs:
Matthias Dachler (RC Donau)
Musheg Aslanyan (Vienna Celtic RFC)
Yvan Wever (RC Donau)
Michael Kerschbaumer (RC Donau)
Rudi Glock (RC Donau)
Alexis Rigaud (RC Stade Viennois)
Martin Leidl (RC Wombats Wr. Neustadt)
Georg Kaiser (RC Stade Viennois)
Max Navas (RC Donau)
Nicolas Bignotti (AC BB, FRA)
Head Coach: Gael Mouysset
from http://www.rugby-austria.at/content/deu ... e099c2.php