INTERNATIONAL RUGBY; World Cup in Europe

10.04.2010
Moldova v Poland in Sochaczew (WCQ Europe R4; ENC 2A)

Venue: National Rugby Stadium

Referee: Patrick Beuriot (France)

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	DIFF	PT
UKRAINE	6	5	0	1	106	53	53	16
BELGIUM	7	3	1	3	79	89	-10	14
POLAND	6	3	0	3	81	89	-8	12
CZECH REPUBLIC	7	2	1	4	109	126	-17	12
MOLDOVA	6	2	0	4	105	125	-20	10

Preview
This is the second match in this vital level of World Cup qualifying games.

This is another level of European competition where all the teams are very level. Last weekend Belgium defeated the Czech Republic which opened this competition wide. The winner of this competition will face Lithuania, and then Romania, to reach the repecharge section of the 2011 Rugby World Cup qualifications.

Although in 3rd place the Poles are in a good position as they have a game in hand over 2nd placed Belgium. Poland and Belgium are realistically the teams to challenge Ukraine. The Polish squad has been involved in a great deal of preparation for this part of the competition.

Firstly the team played against an invitation side in February to open the new National Rugby Stadium.They won 33-5. Then in March the team, many of whom play professionally in France, travelled to France for a training camp and two warm up games. On March 13 they played LOU Espoirs and lost 19-50, and then on March 16 they played Bourg-en-Bresse, losing 22-33. With this amount of preparation and playing in their new stadium, Poland look favoured to win.

The Moldovans will be without some of the Russian-based players as leading Russian club VVA-Podmoskovje is in England. This could well weaken the side. The Poles sneaked home 30-28 against the Moldovans in Chisinau during the first round.

Poland lost to Moldova four years ago 13-27. Image thanks to Krzysztof Lewandowski

February 19 Poland v Invitation XV 33-5 in Gydnia to open the new National Rugby Stadium.Image thanks to Michael Golomb

Previous Encounters
16.05.2009 Poland 30-28 in Chisinau (WCQ Europe R4; ENC 2A)
08.04.2006 Moldova 27-13 in Sochaczew (WCQ Europe R3A, Pool A)

GWC Rugby Rankings
Europe Table-Moldova 14th, Poland 16th

Prediction: Poland by 7 points

Teams

Moldova Squad
Dumitru Arhip (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk, Russia)
Victor Arhip (Farul Constanţa, Romania)
Vitalie Baleca (USEFS Blumarine)
Alexandru Baltag (USEFS Blumarine)
Andrian Baltag (Farul Constanţa, Romania)
Alexandru Breazu (R.C. Ciorescu)
Alexandru Bulgac (Farul Constanţa, Romania)
Ion Buşila (USEFS Blumarine)
Nicolae Caburgan (USEFS Blumarine)
Sergiu Castraveţ (RC Lokomotiv “Spartak’’ Russia)
Nicolae Chirilă (Imperia Penza, Russia)
Vadim Cobîlaş (VVA-Podmoskovje, Russia)
Maxim Cobîlaş (VVA-Podmoskovje, Russia)
Alexei Cotruţă (VVA-Podmoskovje, Russia)
Ghenadi Evteev (Olimp Electromaş Tiraspol)
Alexandru Gagauz (Olimp Electromaş Tiraspol)
Maxim Gargalîc (Farul Constanţa, Romania)
Mihai Gheorghieş (UTM Chişinău)
Ştefan Leca (USEFS Blumarine)
Veaceslav Lozinschi (USEFS Blumarine)
Alexandru Matveev (USEFS Blumarine)
Oleg Perpeliţă (RC Lokomotiv “Spartak’’ Russia)
Andrei Romanov (VVA-Podmoskovje, Russia)
Alexandru Sîscan (UTM Chişinău)
Veaceslav Titica (Krasny Yar, Russia)
Eduard Toderică (Olimp Electromaş Tiraspol)
Dumitru Vasilachi (RC Kredo 63, Ukraine)
Gheorghe Volosciuc (USEFS Blumarine)
Head Coach: Vasile Ravenco

Adapted from http://www.rugby.md/index.php?pagina=7&articol=169

Poland
15. Dawid Banaszek (Villeurbanne, France)
14. Krzysztof Hotowski (Nevers, France)
13. Robert Kwiatkowski (Lechia Gdańsk)
12. Wojciech Lukasiewicz (Orkan Sochaczew)
11. Donald Gargasson (Toulon, France)
10. David Poplawski (Albi, France)
9. Cedric Vaissiere (Albi, France
8. Stanislas Krzesińska (Mazamet, France)
7. Kazimierz Raszpunda (Portsmouth RFC, England)
6. Mateusz Bartoszek (Albi, France)
5. Michael Krużycki (Lyon, France)
4. Paweł Nowak (Arka Gdynia)
3. Sławomir Kaszuba (?)
2. Yann Lewandowski (Cahors, France)
1. Kamil Bobryk (Epernay, France)
Replacements
16. Martin Wilczuk (Portsmouth RFC, England)
17. Michał Królikowski (Budowlani Łódź)
18. Michał Mirosz (?)
19. Lukasz Doroszkiewicz (Lechia Gdansk)
20. Charles Hedesz (Lechia Gdansk)
21. Łukasz Żórawski (Budowlani Łódź)
22. Tomasz Stepien (Budowlani Łódź)
Head Coach: Thomas Putra

David Chartier (Bayonne, France) out injured

Adapted from http://www.pzrugby.pl/seniorzy.reprezentacja.html