TEST RUGBY RESULTS: 18 June

18.06.2011
England Saxons 37, Canada 6 in Gloucester (Churchill Cup, Final)
Italy ‘A’ 27,Tonga 18 in Gloucester (Churchill Cup, Playoff 3^rd-4^th)
United States 32, Russia 25 in Gloucester (Churchill Cup, Playoff 5^th-6^th)
Uganda 58, Madagascar 30 in Kampala (CAR Division 1B)
Reunion v Mauritius in Port Louis (Indian Ocean Championship)-no result yet

Briefly
England Saxons took out the Churchill Cup for 2011. Sadly, it has been announced that this will be the final year that the Churchill Cup will be played. It begs the question what happens to test rugby for United States and Canada? Their will certainly be a void in the North American calendar for 2012 unless something happens.

Italy ‘A’ grew in confidence as the tournament progressed. They defeated a disappointing Tong in the 3rd-4th playoff. This was not the top team Tonga could have produced. Many top players were not included in the Churchill Cup squad. It will be interesting to see how many Italians and Tongans from these two teams make the World Cup squads.

The USA finally got a win and left the Russian’s rueing their chances of a win at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The Russians gained confidence as the tournament progressed and would be pleased with some of their performances but losing this final game would be a blow.

Uganda completed Madagascar’s horror run at the CAR Division 1B tournament. Uganda led 48-7 at half time so the ‘Makis’ came back strongly in the second half. According to reports the ‘Makis’ lack height and extra muscle in the forwards but they are all magnificent runners with ball in hand, from 15 to 1. Madagascar survives to play in Division 1B again next year.

The result of the CAR 1B tournament is the Zimbabwe is promoted to CAR Division 1A for 2012. Ivory Coast was an automatic relegation to Division 1C for 2012 as they ‘no showed’ for this tournament.

TEST RUGBY FIXTURES THIS WEEKEND: 18-19 June

18.06.2011
Canada v England Saxons in Gloucester (Churchill Cup, Final)
Tonga v Italy ‘A’ in Gloucester (Churchill Cup, Playoff 3rd-4th)
United States v Russia in Gloucester (Churchill Cup, Playoff 5th-6th)
Uganda v Madagascar in Kampala (CAR Division 1B)
Reunion v Mauritius in ? (Indian Ocean Cup)

19.06.2011
Portugal v South Africa Kings in Bucharest (IRB Nations Cup)
Georgia v Namibia in Bucharest (IRB Nations Cup)
Romania v Argentina Jaguars in Bucharest (IRB Nations Cup)

CHURCHILL CUP: Test Rugby Results

08.10.2011
Tonga 44, United States 13 in Esher (Churchill Cup, Pool A)
Canada 34, Russia 18 in Esher (Churchill Cup, Pool B)

Briefly
A good result for Tonga. They are probably not at their strongest with this squad so on that basis they are going to be a handful again at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The USA have all sorts of problems and themselves probably not at full strength at this tournament. Unless they make some dramatic improvements they could be in for a torrid time come the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Canada is the leading North American side by far. Russia did well to stay with them and looked to be a vastly different side to that which went down in a heap in Tokyo. Comments on the FIRA-AER forum are suggesting that Russia could defeat the USA at the World Cup.

Churchill Cup fixtures next up
12 June
Tonga v England Saxons in Worcester
Italy ‘A’ v Russia in Worcester

CHURCHILL CUP TEST RUGBY: Russia Begins Tournament

08.06.2011
Russia v Canada in Esher (Churchill Cup, Pool B)

Venue: Moseley Road

Referee:

Preview
The Russians begin their 2011 Rugby World Cup preparations here in England. Invited to the 2011 Churchill Cup, the Russians will need to take very opportunity to mould their mostly experienced players into a unit worthy of taking their part in the Rugby World Cup. Their recent form in The European Nations Cup is mostly forgettable.

The Russians defeated only the lower placed teams in this competition, defeating Spain and Ukraine, but lost to Portugal, Romania and Georgia. Prior to that the Japanese took them apart 3-75 in Tokyo. They did some acclimatising in New Zealand in January. This team just needs to play at its best to convince all of their rightful place in world rugby. They will need to be at their best to handle the Canadians.

Canada defeated Italy ‘A’ 26-12 in their first game on Saturday. A win today will place them in the final on the 18th June. Head Coach Kieran Crowley has named French Top 14 player Jamie Cudmore in his line up. Cudmore last played for Canada at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Apart from Cudmore Crowley has given some of the lesser lights in the side a run.

These two teams have met only once before in a test match
28.11.2009 Canada 22-6 in Vancouver (Friendly)
GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Canada 16th, Russia 21st

IRB Ranking Points
Canada 69.19, Russia 63.17

Prediction: Canada by 13 points

Teams

Russia
15 Igor Kluchnicov (VVA-Podmoskovje) Age 28, 33 tests
14 Vasily Artemiev (Northampton Saints, England) 23, 19
13 Igor Galinovskiy (Krasny Yar) 24, 14
12 Alexey Makovetskiy (Krasny Yar) 28, 7
11 Vladimir Ostroushko (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk) 24, 11
10 Yuri Kushnarev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 26, 35
9 Alexander Shakirov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 30, 31
8 Vyacheslav Gratchev (Avenir de Bizanos, France) 38, 17
7 Andrey Garbuzov (Krasny Yar) 27, 26
6 Andrey Temnov (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk) 28, 10
5 Alexander Voitov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 29, 31
4 Vladimir Boltenkov (Imperia Penza) New cap
3 Ivan Prischepenko (Krasny Yar) 29, 23
2 Vlad Korshunov, Capt. (VVA-Podmoskovje) 28, 37
1 Sergey Popov (Slava Moscow) 28, 11
Replacements
16 Valery Tsnobiladze (Novokuznetsk) New cap
17 Alexey Travkin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 33, 29
18 Alexey Panasenko (VVA-Podmoskovje) 28, 17
19 Victor Gresev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 25, 23
20 Andrey Bykanov (Slava Moscow) ?, 1
21 Sergey Trishin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 26, 27
22 Anton Ryabov (Krasny Yar) New cap
Head Coach: Nik Nerush

Canada
15 James Pritchard (Bedford RFC, England) Age 31, 33 tests
14 Matthew Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons, Wales) 23, 10
13 Conor Trainor (British Columbia) New cap
12 Michael Sholtz (Ontario Blues) 22, 1
11 Justin Mensah-Coker (British Columbia) 27, 23
10 Ander Monro, Capt. (Ontario Blues) 29, 19
9 Sean White (British Columbia) 22, 8
8 Aaron Carpenter (Plymouth Albion, England) 28, 32
7 Chauncey O'Toole (The Rock) 25, 10
6 Jebb Sinclair (The Rock) 25, 14
5 Jamie Cudmore (Clermont Ferrand, France) 31, 19
4 Tyler Hoston (Plymouth Albion, England) 26, 17
3 Scott Franklin (Prairie Wolf Pack) 30, 6
2 Ryan Hamilton (British Columbia) 23, 1
1 Thomas Dolezel (Prairie Wolf Pack) 26, 6
Replacemets
16 Patrick Riordan (British Columbia) 31, 32
17 Andrew Tiedemann (Prairie Wolf Pack) 22, 9
18 Hubert Buydens (Prairie Wolf Pack) ?, 1
19 Mitchell Gudgeon (British Columbia) 25, 1
20 Nanyak Dala (Prairie Wolf Pack) 26, 9
21 Edward Fairhurst (British Columbia) 32, 42
22 Philip Mackenzie (Esher RFC, England) 24, 6
Head Coach: Kieran Crowley

Team lists adapted from http://www.churchillcuprugby.net/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientid=3731&leagueid=0&page=53380
Data from www.rugbyinternational.net

CHURCHILL CUP TEST RUGBY: Tonga Starts Campaign

08.06.2011
Tonga v United States in Esher (Churchill Cup, Pool A)

Venue: Moseley Road

Referee:

Preview
Tonga begins its 2011 Rugby World Cup preparations when they meet the USA in the Churchill Cup. This is Tonga’s first appearance in the Churchill Cup. They have been able to call upon a number of foreign-based players but a number are still missing. Tonga will also have the Pacific nations Cup, played in Fiji in July, to prepare.

USA coach Eddie O’Sullivan has made wholesale changes to the lineup that was crushed by the England Saxons in their first up encounter in the Cup. Things won’t get any easier as the hard-hitting Tongans will be out to impress and build confidence leading into the World Cup Finals.

Previous Encounters
12.09.2007 Tonga 25-15 in Montpellier (World Cup, Pool A)
08.07.2000 Tonga 29-6 in Nuku’alofa (Pacific Rim)
15.05.1999 USA 30-10 in San Francisco (Epson Cup-Pacific Rim)

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Tonga 14th, United States 17th

IRB Ranking Points
USA 67.69, Tonga 67.35

Prediction: Tonga by 10 points

Teams

United States
15 Roland Suniula (Boston Rugby) Age 24, 4 tests
14 Colin Hawley (Olympic Club) ?, 1
13 Paul Emerick (Life University) 31, 39
12 Andrew Suniula (Chicago Griffins) 24, 7
11 Kevin Swiryn (Agen, France) 26, 8
10 Valanese Malifa (Glendale) 25, 9
9 Timothy Usasz (Nottingham RFC, England) 27, 10
8 Nicholas Johnson (Unattached) 21, 10
7 Todd Clever, Capt. (Suntory Sungoliath, Japan) 28, 32
6 Inaki Basauri (L' Aquila, Italy) 26, 8
5 Scott Lavalla (Unattached) 22, 2
4 Louis Stanfill (Mogliano) 27, 21
3 Shawn Pittman (London Welsh, England) 23, 8
2 C. Biller Christopher Biller (San Francisco Golden Gate) 25, 8
1 Matekitonga Moeakiola (Park City Haggis) 33, 20
Replacements
16 Philip Thiel (Life University) 26, 5
17 E.Fry Eric Fry (Las Vegas Blackjacks) New cap
18 John van der Giessen (Utah Warriors) 29, 14
19 Patrick Danahy (Life University) 26, 2
20 Michael Petri (New York Athletic Club) 26, 17
21 Tai Enosa (Belmont Shore) New cap
22 Troy Hall (New York Athletic Club) New cap

Head Coach: Eddie O’Sullivan

Tonga
15 Matea Malupo (Marist) Aged 22, 2 tests (last in 2009)
14 Viliami Helu (Roma Olimpic, Italy) 25, 2
13 Sukanaivalu Hufanga (Limoges, France) 29, 17 (last in 2009)
12 Etueni Siua (Marist) ?, 2
11 Viliami Iongi (Canberra, Australia) New cap
10 Kurt Morath (Souths RFC, Australia) 26, 4
9 Soane Havea (Marist) 29, 25
8 Viliami Ma'afu (Mitsubishi, Japan) New cap
7 Pepa Koloamatangi (Counties Manukau, New Zealand) New cap
6 Pasuka Mapakaitolo Kobelco Steelers, Japan) 31, 2 (last in 2009)
5 Emosi Kauhenga (Ricoh Black Rams, Japan) 30, 9 (last in 2009)
4 Sione Timani (Carmarthen Quins, Wales) 26, 2 (last in 2009)
3 Kisi Pulu, Captain (Perpignan, France) 33, 22 (last in 2009)
2 Ilaisa Ma'asi (Counties Manukau, New Zealand) 29, 3 (last in 2009)
1 Tonga Lea'aetoa (Bayonne, France) 34, 20 (last in 2008)
Replacements
16 Atonio Halangahu (Randwick RFC, Australia) New cap
17 Ofa Fainga'anuku (Eastern Suburbs RFC, Australia) New cap
18 Joshua Afu (Newcastle Falcons, England) 24, 6 (last in 2009)
19 Paula Kaho (Souths RFC, Australia) New cap
20 Daniel Morath (North Harbour, New Zealand) 30, 2
21 Edward Paea (East RFC, Australia) New cap
22 Silivenusi Taumoepeau (Daito Bunka, Japan) New cap

Head Coach: Isitolo Maka

Adapted from http://www.churchillcuprugby.net/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientid=3731&leagueid=0&page=53381

Notes
Only five players appeared for Tonga in 2010-The Morath brothers, Havea and Siua.

Well-known players last known with overseas clubs not selected/not available/injured but possibly available for World Cup?

Soane Tonga'uiha (prop)
Kelekolio Paino Hehea (lock)
Christopher Hala’ufia (lock)
‘Aleki Lutui (hooker)
Hale T. Pole (flanker)
Nili Latu (flanker, 2007 World Cup captain)
Epeli Taione (centre)
Hudson Tonga’i’uiha (centre)
Vungakoto Lilo (fullback)
Seti Kiole (wing)
Pierre Hola (fly half)
Semesi Telefoni (prop)
Samiu Vahafolau (No.8)
Ailipate Fatafehi (wing)
Joseph Vaka (centre or wing)
Mani Vakaloa (wing)
Toma Toke (prop)
Opeti Fonua (No.8)
Peni Fakalelu (prop)
Alaska Taufa (wing)
Manu 'Ahota'e'iloa (wing or centre)
William Helu (wing)
Saia Fekitoa (centre)
Andrew Mailei (centre)
Ailipate Fatafehi (centre)
Samisoni Fisilau (halfback)
Sione Kalamafoni (No.8)
Sitiveni Mafi (lock)

CHURCHILL CUP RUGBY: Russian Squad

Russia squad:
Denis Antonov (Slava Moscow) Age 24, New cap
Vasily Artemiev (Northampton Saints, England) 23, 19 tests
Mikhail Babaev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 25, 28
Vladimir Boltenkov (Imperia Penza) 25, New cap
Andrey Bykanov (Slava Moscow) 31, 1 (last played 2006-07)
Alexey Chernyshov (Slava Moscow) 26, New cap
Igor Galinovskiy (Krasny Yar) 24, 14
Andrey Garbuzov (Krasny Yar) 27, 26
Vyacheslav Gratchev (Avenir de Bizanos, France) 38, 17
Victor Gresev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 25, 23
Igor Kluchnicov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 28, 33
Vlad Korshunov, Capt. (VVA-Podmoskovje) 28, 37
Yuri Kushnarev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 26, 35
Alexey Makovetskiy (Krasny Yar) 28, 7
Vladimir Ostroushko (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk) 24, 11
Alexey Panasenko (VVA-Podmoskovje) 28, 17
Sergey Popov (Slava Moscow) 28, 11
Ivan Prischepenko (Krasny Yar) 29, 23
Anton Ryabov (Krasny Yar) 22, New cap
Alexander Shakirov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 30, 31
Mikhail Sidorov (Slava Moscow) 24, New cap
Andrey Temnov (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk) 28, 10
Alexey Travkin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 33, 29
Sergey Trishin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 26, 27
Grigory Tsnobiladze (Novokuznetsk) 28, New cap
Valery Tsnobiladze (Novokuznetsk) 30, New cap
Alexander Voitov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 29, 31
Rushan Yagudin (Krasny Yar) 24, New cap
Head Coach: Nik Nerush

Adapted from http://sport.rian.ru/other_sport/201106 ... 50578.html
also http://www.rugby.ru/news/id_1547/
Data from www.rugbyinternational.net

Missing
Andrey Kuzin
Konstantin Rachov
Alexander Yanyushkin
Artem Fatakhov
Evgeny Matveev
Alexander Khrokin
Andrey Ostrikov

TEST RUGBY RESULTS: Saturday 4 June

04.06.2011
Barbarians (UK) RFC 31, Wales 28 in Cardiff (Wales 130^th Anniv.; Test match)
England Saxons 87, United States 8 in Northampton (Churchill Cup, Pool A)-Non test
Canada 26, Italy ‘A’ 12 in Northampton (Churchill Cup Pool B)-Non test
Hungary 21, Norway 5 in Budapest (ENC 2C)
Korea 58, Singapore 19 in Ansan (Asia Nations Div.1, Final)
Philippines 86, Malaysia 20 in Ansan (Asia Nations Div.1, Playoff 3^rd-4^th)

Briefly
It was not a happy day for Wales. The Barbarians ruined their celebration party by scoring a try in the last move of the match to win. After the match Wales named a 45 man squad to prepare for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The England Saxons walked all over the USA in the first rugby international of the 2011 Churchill Cup. A worrying result for coach Sullivan. Even given that it was not the USA’s strongest lineup, this was a case of you are only as good as your second best players. It was not a good look!

Canada showed every intention of being a difficult team to bundle out of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Italy ‘A’ was a handy side but their chances slumped in the second half with a player yellow-carded. Never the less, it was still a good win which backed up the Canadians second placing in last year’s Churchill Cup and their good results on the November 2010 European tour.

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	DIFF	BT	BL	PT
ISRAEL	4	3	0	1	77	55	22	0	0	12
DENMARK	4	2	1	1	78	76	2	0	1	11
HUNGARY	4	2	0	2	77	65	12	0	2	10
AUSTRIA	4	2	0	2	65	67	-2	0	1	9
NORWAY	4	0	1	3	31	65	-34	0	1	3

Hungary eased itself into the middle of the Division 2C points table with a good 21-5 win over the visiting Norwegians. The Hungarians are now within striking range of the competition leaders going into the second round of the competition. Norway, on the other hand, are firmly placed at the bottom of the table and will need to do something magical next season to avoid relegation.

In the Asia Nations Division 1 tournament all hell broke loose. The Koreans squashed Singapore to elevate themselves back into the top division of Asian rugby, whilst Malaysia slumped to another defeat, this time heavily to Philippines. The Philippines remain in Division 1 whilst Malaysia is relegated to Division 2. Questions will need answering as to why this Malaysian squad was not its strongest; a number of players from the leading club side COBRAS being unavailable, and the lack of impact the imported club players from New South Wales making little difference. We shall see.

CHURCHILL CUP RUGBY: USA Eagles Face the Saxons

04.06.2011
United States v England Saxons in Northampton (Churchill Cup-Non Test)

Venue: Franklin Garden

Referee

Preview
This may not be an official test match but it will be one of the toughest games the United States will play before the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The USA will be wanting to make a big impression leading up to the famous event whilst the young English players will want to make a claim for inclusion in the final 30 chosen to play for England at The World Cup.

Although the England Saxons are a young and relatively inexperienced side (only two players remain from the Churchill Cup winning side from last year) they are made up of players from the top tier of English professional rugby. make no mistake, they will be a handful for the USA.

Other Previews
http://www.churchillcuprugby.net/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=3731&leagueID=10901&page=53327

Prediction: England Saxons by 7

Teams

United States
15 Mike Palefau (Utah Warriors)
14 Mile Pulu (San Francisco Golden Gate)
13 Tai Enosa (Belmont Shore)
12 Junior Sifa (Nottingham RFC)
11 Colin Hawley (Olympic Club)
10 Troy Hall (New York Athletic Club)
9 Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club, captain)
8 JJ Gagiano (Univ. of Cape Town)
7 Danny LaPrevotte (San Francisco Golden Gate)
6 Pat Danahy (Life University)
5 Scott LaValla (Stade Francais)
4 John van der Giessen (Utah Warriors)
3 Will Johnson (London Irish)
2 Phil Thiel (Life University)
1 Eric Fry (Las Vegas Blackjacks)
Replacements
16 Chris Biller (San Francisco Golden Gate)
17 Shawn Pittman (London Welsh)
18 Louis Stanfill (Mogliano)
19 Inaki Basauri (L' Aquila)
20 Tim Usasz (Nottingham RFC)
21 Roland Suniula (Boston Rugby)
22 Andrew Suniula (Chicago Griffins)

Head Coach: Eddie O’Sullivan

http://www.usarugby.org

England Saxons

15 Michael Brown (Harlequins)
14 Topsy Ojo (London Irish)
13 Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby)
12 William Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers)
11 Miles Benjamin (Worcester Warriors)
10 Rory Clegg (Harlequins)
9 Michael Young (Newcastle Falcons)
8 Jordon Crane, Capt. (Leicester Tigers)
7 Thomas Johnson (Exeter Chiefs)
6 James Gaskell (Sale Sharks)
5 David Attwood (Gloucester Rugby)
4 Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
3 Matthew Stevens (Saracens)
2 Joseph Gray (Harlequins)
1 Matthew Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
Replacements
16 David Paice (London Irish)
17 Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons)
18 Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors)
19 James Gibson (London Irish)
20 Paul Hodgson (London Irish)
21 Alex Goode (Saracens)
22 Charles Sharples (Gloucester Rugby)
Head Coach: Stuart Lancaster

Adapted from http://www.rfu.com/News/2011/June/News%20Articles/030611_Saxons_USA.aspx

CHURCHILL CUP RUGBY: Italians Take on Canadians

04.06.2011
Italy ‘A’ v Canada in Northampton (Churchill Cup-Non test)

Venue: Franklin Gardens

Referee:

Preview
For both selections the 2011 Rugby World Cup looms. The Italians are, mostly, the second squad behind the first batch of players, so selection into the top squad will be the aim of every Italian on the field. This will make for a very tough combination. Traditionally the Italians are very strong up front and will make life difficult for a Canadian side that is a mix of new players and experienced.

Prediction: Italy ‘A’ by 7 points

Teams

Italy “A”

15 Ruggero Trevisan (Parma)
14 Andrea Bacchetti (Rovigo) 2 caps
13 Denis Majstorovic (Cavalieri Prato)
12 Matteo Pratichetti (Aironi )22 caps
11 Michele Sepe (Treviso) 3 caps
10 Riccardo Bocchino (Aironi) 6 caps
9 Tito Tebaldi (Aironi) 14 caps
8 Manoa Vosawai (Benetton Treviso )8 caps
7 Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais, France) 84 caps
6 Valerio Bernabo', Capt.(Treviso) 19 caps
5 Marco Bortolami (Aironi ) 84 caps
4 Corniel Van Zyl (Treviso)
3 Fabio Staibano (Aironi) 9 caps
2 Tommaso D'apice (Rugby Roma)
1 Alberto De Marchi (Aironi)
Replacements
16 Andrea Manici (Parma)
17 Matias Aguero (Aironi) 17 caps
18 Dario Chistolini (Padova)
19 Joshua Furno (Aironi)
20 Francesco Minto (Treviso)
21 Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi) 5 caps
22 Durandt Gerber (Parma)
Head Coach: Gianluca Guidi

Adapted from http://www.churchillcuprugby.net/leagues/newsletter.cfm?page=53322&clientID=3731&leagueID=10901

Canada

15. James Pritchard
14. Ciaran Hearn
13. Conor Trainor
12. Ryan Smith
11. Phil Mackenzie
10. Ander Monro
9. Ed Fairhurst
8. Aaron Carpenter
7. Chauncey O'Toole
6. Jebb Sinclair
5. Brian Erichsen
4. Tyler Hotson
3. Jason Marshall
2. Pat Riordan (Captain)
1. Hubert Buydens
Replacements
16. Ryan Hamilton
17. Andrew Tiedemann
18. Mitch Gudgeon
19. Nanyak Dala
20. Sean White
21. Mike Scholz
22. Matt Evans
Head Coach: Kieran Crowley

http://www.churchillcuprugby.net/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientid=3731&leagueid=0&page=53326

CANADIAN RUGBY TEAM FOR CHURCHILL CUP

Canada Squad for 2011 Churchill Cup

Forwards

Hookers
Pat Riordan (British Columbia) Age 31, 32 tests
Ryan Hamilton (British Columbia) 23, 1

Props
Scott Franklin (Prairie Wolf Pack) 30, 6 (last played 2009)
Hubert Buydens (Prairie Wolf Pack) 1 test, back in 2008
Andrew Tiedemann (Prairie Wolf Pack) 22, 9
Jason Marshall (British Columbia) 26, 6
Tom Dolezel (Prairie Wolf Pack) 26, 6

Second Row
Tyler Hoston (Plymouth Albion, England) 26, 17
Brian Erichsen (British Columbia) 33, 3
Jamie Cudmore (Clermont Ferrand, France) 31, 19 (last played in 2007 World Cup)

Back Row
Sean Michael Stephen (Plymouth Albion, England) 28, 18
Jebb Sinclair (The Rock) 25, 14
Nanyak Dala (Prairie Wolf Pack) 26, 9
Chauncey O'Toole (The Rock) 25, 10
Aaron Carpenter (Plymouth Albion, England) 28, 32
Mitchell Gudgeon (British Columbia) 25, 1 (Added to squad)

Backs

Scrum-halves
Sean White (British Columbia) 22, 8
Edward Fairhurst (British Columbia) 32, 42

Fly-halves
Nathan Hirayama (British Columbia) 23, 6
Ander Monro (Ontario Blues) 29, 19

Centres
Ryan Smith (Prairie Wolf Pack) 31, 39
Conor Trainor (British Columbia) New cap
Philip Mackenzie (Esher RFC, England) 24, 6
Michael Sholtz (Ontario Blues) 22, 1 (Added to squad)

Wings
Justin Mensah-Coker (British Columbia) 27, 23
Ciaran Hearn (The Rock) 25, 14

Fullbacks
James Pritchard (Bedford RFC, England) 31, 33
Matt Evans (Newport Gwent Dragon, Wales) 23, 10

Head Coach: Kieran Crowley

Canada’s head coach is former
New Zealand All Black Kieran Crowley

Injured/Unavailable
Adam Kleeberger (Inj) – flanker
Stan McKeen (Exams) – flanker
DTH van der Merwe (Inj) - wing/centre
Taylor Paris (Inj) – wing

Adapted from http://www.rugbycanada.ca/leagues/newsletter.cfm?page=53175&clientID=3817&leagueID=13651

INTERNATIONAL RUGBY: Italy ‘A’ Squad at Churchill Cup

Italy "A" Churchill Cup squad
Note that Italian test veterans Marco Bortolami and Mauro Bergamasco are included. Bergamasco missed all the 2011 Six Nations competition through injury. So this is, along with all other squad players, a vital opportunity to force their way into the final Rugby World Cup squad of thirty.

Forwards

Matias Aguero (Aironi, 17 caps), Dario Chistolini (Padova), Alberto De Marchi (Aironi), Fabio Staibano (Aironi, 9 caps), Tommaso D'Apice (Roma), Andrea Manici (Parma), Valerio Bernabo (Treviso, 19 caps)(C), Marco Bortolami (Aironi, 84 caps), Joshua Furno (Aironi), Cornelius Van Zyl (Treviso), Nicola Belardo (Cavalieri), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Français, 84 caps), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Manoa Vosawai (Treviso, 8 caps).

Backs

Edoardo Padovani (Marchiol Mogliano), Tito Tebaldi (Aironi, 14 caps), Riccardo Bocchino ( Aironi, 6 caps), DuRandt Gerber (Parma), Andrea Bacchetti (Rovigo, 2 caps), Angelo Esposito (Tarvisium), Denis Majstorovic (Cavalieri ), Gilberto Pavan ( Aironi,), Andrea Pratichetti (Treviso) Matteo Pratichetti (Aironi, 22 caps), Michele Sepe (Treviso, 3 caps), Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi, 5 caps), Ruggero Trevisan (Crociati), Giovanbattista Venditti (Aironi).

Italy ‘A’ plays..

4 June v Canada in Northampton
12 June v Russia in Worsester
18 June Finals round in Gloucester

TEST RUGBY: Churchill Cup, Finals Day

The preliminary rounds were held in Glendale, Colorado. The finals day is being held in Harrison, New Jersey.

19.06.2010
England Saxons v Canada (Final)

Preview
Canada has reached the final for the first time since the Cup was launched in 2003. Canada has not fared well when playing England 'A' or the Saxons as they are now known.
2006-England A won 41-11 2005 England A won 29-5 2004 England A won 48-23 and in 2003 England A won 47-3.

Canada has emerged as the most improved team in this tournament. This could well be the year that belongs to Canada.

Prediction-Canada A by 7 points

Teams

Canada
M Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons, Wales); C Hearn (The Rock), DTH van der Merwe (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland), P Mackenzie (Esher, England), J Mensah-Coker (un-attached); A Monro (Ontario Blues), S White (BC Bears), D Wooldridge (Ontario Blues), P Riordan (BC Bears, capt), A Tiedemann (Prairie Wolf Pack), L Tait (Un-attached), B Erichsen (BC Bears), C O'Toole (The Rock), A Kleeberger (Rotherham, England), A Carpenter (Un-attached)
Replacements: R Hamilton (BC Bears), J Marshall (BC Bears), T Hotson (Plymouth Albion, England), N Dala (Prairie Wolf Pack), E Wilson (BC Bears), R Smith (Praire Wolf Pack), J Pritchard (Bedford RFC, England) .
Head Coach: Luke Lancaster

England Saxons:
A Goode (Saracens); J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), J Clarke (Northampton Saints), A Allen (Leicester Tigers) , N Abendanon (Bath); S Myler (Northampton Saints), L Dickson (Northampton Saints); N Wood (Gloucester), A Titterrell (Leeds Carnegie) , A Corbiserio (London Irish), J Hudson (Newcastle Falcons), G Skivington (London Wasps, capt), T Wood (Worcester Warriors), A Saull (Saracens), L Narraway (Gloucester Rugby)
Replacements: R Vickers (Newcastle Falcons), D Bell (Bath), G Kitchener (Worcester Warriors), K Myall (Leeds Carnegie), M Young (Newcastle Falcons), O Smith (Harlequins), T Varndell (London Wasps)
Head Coach:Kieran Crowley

United States v France A( Playoff 3rd-4th)

Prediction: France A by 15 points

Teams

U.S. Lineup:
15. Chris Wyles (Saracens, England)
14. Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz Olympique, France)
13. Alipate Tuilevuka (Provo Steelers)
12. Junior Sifa (Middleton RFC)
11. Paul Emerick (Parma RFC, Italy)
10. Nese Malifa (Belmont Shore)
9. Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club)
1. Mate Moeakiola (Sporting Club Albi, France)
2. Phil Thiel (Life University)
3. Shawn Pittman (Bayside RFC)
4. John Van Der Giessen, Capt. (Sporting Club Albi, France)
5. Scott Lavalla (Dublin University, Ireland)
6. Louis Stanfill (Canberra Royals, Australia)
7. J.J. Gagiano (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
8. Nic Johnson (Denver Barbarians)
Reserves
16. Chris Biller (San Francisco Golden Gate)
17. Tony Purpura (Boston Rugby Club)
18. Patrick Danahy (Life University)
19. Dan LaPrevotte (San Francisco Golden Gate)
20. Tim Usasz (Nottingham RFC, England)
21. Volney Rouse (Te Kawau, New Zealand)
22. Andrew Suniula (Chicago Griffins)
Head Coach: Eddie O'Sullivan

France A

Russia v Uruguay (Playoff 5th-6th)

This will be an interesting rugby test. Previous encounters have been close and there is not much between them on the rankings.

Previous Encounters
21.06.2009 Russia 29-26 in Bucharest (IRB Nations Cup)
20.06.2008 Uruguay 23-19 in Bucharest (IRB Nations Cup)

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Russia 20th, Uruguay 22nd
IRB Rankings-Russia 19th (64.64), Uruguay 20th (62.37)

Prediction: Russia by 6 points

Teams

Russia
1. Sergey Popov 2. Vladislav Korshunov (c) 3. Alexey Travkin 4. Alexander Voytov 5. Artem Fatakhov 6. Victor Gresev 7. Kirill Kushnarev 8. Nikita Medkov 9. Alexander Yanyushkin 10. Yury Kushnarev 11. Vasily Artemyev 12. Alexey Makovetskiy 13. Mikhail Babaev 14. Andrey Kuzin 15 Igor Klyuchnikov
Replacements 16. Evgeny Mateev 17. Vladimir Botvinnikov 18. Alexander Khrokin 19. Sergey Sergeev 20. Alexander Shakirov 21. Alexey Korobeynikov 22. Sergey Trishin
Head Coach:

Uruguay
1. Alejo Corral 2. Carlos Arboleya (c) 3. Pablo Lemoine 4. Juan Pablo Horta 5. Diego Magno 6 Santiago Deicas 7. Ignacio Grignola 8. Matias Fonseca 9. Manuel Martinez 10. Emiliano Caffera 11. Gaston Mieres 12. Juan DeFreitas 13. Juan Martin Llovet 14. Leandro Leivas 15. Ivo Dugonjc
Replacements 16. Juan Pablo Ruffalini 17. Juan Pedro Rombys 18. Edgardo Benitez 19. Nicolas Badano 20. Matias Braun 21. Nicolas Morales
Head Coach:

RUGBY TESTS: Churchill Cup Day 2

13.06.2010
England Saxons 32, United States 9 in Glendale
Canada 33, France A 27 in Glendale

Briefly
England Saxons continued their winning ways whilst Canada provided a major upset, turning over a very formidable France A side.

RUGBY TOURNAMENT: Churchill Cup Day 2

09.06.2010
England Saxons v Russia in Glendale
France A v Uruguay in Glendale

Previews
I would expect England Saxons and newcomers to the tournament France A to have little difficulty with their opponents. Uruguay and Russia showed themselves to be a level below that of Canada and USA with their first day performances.

Uruguay, despite the return of a few overseas-based players were no match for Canada. Russia's squad is missing a few name players being rested and they were defeated by the USA, who lost to Canada on point aggregate in the World Cup qualifiers last year. Russia has already qualified for the World Cup Finals. Uruguay still has to playoff against Kazakhstan in the repecharge first round.

England Saxons and France A are dripping with up-and-coming stars of the future.

England Saxons v Russia

Prediction: England too much grunt up front and speed out wide, by 30 points

Teams

Russia
15. Igor Klyuchnikov
14. Vasily Artemiev
13. Mikhail Babaev
12. Alexey Makovetsky
11. Dmitry Gerasimov
10. Yury Kushnarev
9. Alexander Yanyushkin
8. Nikita Medkov
7. Kirill Kushnarev
6. Viktor Gresev
5. Artem Fatakhov
4. Alexander Voitov
3. Evgeny Pronenko
2. Vladislav Korshunov (c)
1. Carlo Maglakelidze
Replacements
16. Evgeny Matveev
17. Vladimir Botvinnikov
18. Alexander Khrokin
19. Sergey Sergeev
20. Alexander Shakirov
21. Alexey Korobeynikov
22. Andrey Kuzin
Head Coach: Nikolay Nerush

Adapted from http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3484

England Saxons
15 Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby)
14 James Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester Rugby)
13 Jon Clarke (Northampton Saints)
12 Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers)
11 Tom Varndell (London Wasps)
10 Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints)
9 Micky Young (Newcastle Falcons)
8 Luke Narraway (Gloucester Rugby)
7 Phil Dowson, Capt. (Northampton Saints)
6 Tom Wood (Worcester Warriors)
5 George Skivington (London Wasps)
4 Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors)
3 Duncan Bell (Bath Rugby)
2 Rob Vickers (Newcastle Falcons
1 Nick Wood (Gloucester Rugby)
Replacements
16 Andy Titterrell (Leeds Carnegie)
17 Alex Corbiserio (London Irish)
18 Nathan Catt (Bath Rugby)
19 Kearnan Myall (Leeds Carnegie)
20 Andy Saull (Saracens)
21 Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
22 Alex Goode (Saracens)
Head Coach: Stuart Lancaster

Adapted from http://www.rfu.com/News/2010/June/News%20Articles/070610_Saxons_team.aspx

France A v Uruguay

Much the same as the above game. France A has lost a few top class backs called into the French team in South Africa. All these players play at the top level in France which puts them light years ahead of the Uruguyans, who boast only one playing at that level, their 35 year old prop lemoine.

Prediction: Pain for Uruguay against Canada last weekend. Pain again v France A. France A by 25 points.

France A
15 Benjamin Thiery (Montpellier HRC).
14 Adrien Plante (USA Perpignan)
13 Henri Chavancy(Racing Métro 92)
12 Lionel Mazars (Aviron Bayonnais)
11 Yohan Audrin (Castres Olympique)
10 Jonathan Wisniewski (Racing-Métro 92)
9 Julien Dupuy (Stade Français)
8 Jérôme Schuster(USA Perpignan)
7 Benjamin Kayser, Capt. (Stade Français),
6 Clément Baiocco (Racing Métro 92)
5 Joselino Suta (RC Toulon)
4 Guillaume Vilaceca (USA Perpignan)
3 Antoine Battut (US Montauban)
2 Sylvain Nicolas (CS Bourgoin-Jallieu)
1 Florian Faure (Biarritz OPB)
Replacements
16 Jean-Philippe Genevois (CS Bourgoin-Jallieu)
17 Rabah Slimani (Stade Français)
18 Yoann Maestri (Stade Toulousain)
19 Damien Chouly (Perpignan)
20 Florian Cazenave (Perpignan)
21 Lionel Beauxis (Stade Français)
22 Julien Arias (Stade Francaise)
Head Coach: Fabien Pelous

Adapted from http://www.ffr.fr/index.php/ffr/historique/2010/france_a__1

Uruguay Squad
Carlos Arboleya (Trébol)
Santiago Arocena (Old Christian's)
Nicolas Badano (Old Boys)
Edgardo Benitez (Trébol)
Mathias Braun, (PSG)
Emiliano Caffera (Champagnat)
Alejo Corral (San Isidro Club, Argentina)
Juan De Freitas (Champagnat)
Santiago Deicas (Old Christian's)
Ivo Dugonjic (PSG)
Martin Espiga (Old Christian's)
Matias Fonseca (Los Cuervos)
Ignacio Grignola (Trébol)
Juan Pablo Horta (Old Christian's)
Leandro Leivas (Old Christian's)
Pablo Lemoine (Valence d'Agen, France)
Adrian Lewis (Los Cuervos)
Juan Martin Llovet (Old Christian's)
Diego Lussich (Trébol)
Diego Magno (Montevideo Cricket Club)
Nicolas Martinez (PSG)
Manuel Martinez (Old Christian's)
Gaston Mieres (Lobos)
Nicolas Morales (Trébol)
Juan Pedro Rombys (Trébol)
Juan Pablo Ruffalini (Los Cuervos)
Head Coach: Gonzalo Camardon

Adapted from http://www.uru.org.uy/noticias/438/plantel_confirmado

RUGBY TOURNAMENT: Churchill Cup

Each year a number of tier 2 nations along with some 'A' teams from tier 1, meet up somewhere in North America (usually), to do battle for this prestigious cup.

Churchill Cup. Previous winners.

	Winner	Second	Third
2003	England 'A'	United States	Canada
2004	NZ Maori	England 'A'	Canada
2005	England 'A'	Argentina Jaguars	USA
2006	NZ Maori	Scotland 'A'	Ireland 'A'
2007	England Saxons	NZ Maori	Ireland 'A'
2008	England Saxons	Scotland 'A'	Ireland 'A'
2009	Ireland 'A'	England Saxons	Argentina Jaguars

Teams come and go each year. This year France 'A', Uruguay and Russia are the new teams in, whilst regulars Canada, USA and England Saxons return.

The teams are organised into two pools, A and B.
Pool A-Canada, Uruguay, France A
Pool B-England Saxons, Russia, USA

Teams in each pool play each other in the first 3 rounds, to be played in Denver, USA. The finals round, sees 1st place in each pool play the final, 2nd places play for the Bowl, 3rd places play for the plate. The finals round is being played in Harrison, New York City.

The tournament begins today, Wednesday 9 June. All games in the first 3 rounds are played in Infinity Park.

Round 1
England Saxons v Russia
France A v Uruguay

RUGBY TEST RESULTS: Saturday 5 June

05.06.2010
South Africa 34, Wales 31 in Cardiff
Australia 49, Fiji 3 in Canberra
Romania 61,Ukraine 7 in Botosani (WCQ Europe R5, Final 2^nd leg)
Canada 48, Uruguay 6 in Glendale (Churchill Cup, Pool A)
United States 36.Russia 22 in Glendale (Churchill Cup, Pool B)-Updated Result
Philippines 34,India 12 in New Delhi (Asia Nations Div.2, Final)
Thailand 56, China 3 in New Delhi (Asia Nations Div.2, Playoff 3^rd-4^th)

Briefly
Wales just missed out on defeating the Springbox in a close and exciting game. Australia too good for the Fijians.Romania win easily against the Ukraine and will now play Tunisia in the first of the repechage matches. Canada win easily against Uruguay whilst the USA is still playing Russia. An finally, The Philippines will play in Asia Nations Division 1 next year after defeating hosts India, whilst China is relegated to Division 3 after being thumped again, this time by Thailand.

TEST RUGBY: Churchill Cup Game 2

05.06.2010
Canada v Uruguay in Glendale

Referee:

Preview
Both teams have a lot to play for in the open match of the 2010 Churchill Cup. Canada are still building a side that it is hoped will do them credit at the 2011 Rugby World Cup whilst Uruguay, also in a rebuilding stage, has yet to qualify.

Uruguay is fresh from the CONSUR A tournament held in Santiago Chile last month. They came away with a good 36-19 win over Chile but lost 0-38 to the Argentina Jaguars. This is a young side with a number of players from last season retiring. Back into this squad comes Pablo Lemoine who will add grunt and leadership to a forward pack that was outplayed by the Jaguars.

Uruguay were defeated by the USA last November in the America's qualifying round which saw the losers earn the right to play in the repecharge round. Uruguay will face Kazakhstan in July. The winner of that match will face the winner of Romania-Tunisia for the right to fill the final place at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Pablo Lemoine. Can he fire up the Uruguayans? Image thanks to www.ole.clarin.com

Canada fields a team with a good mix of experience and youth. The worry is the bench which has very little test rugby experience

Last Five Encounters
23.08.2003 Canada 21-11 in Buenos Aires (Pan American)
24.08.2002 Uruguay 25-23 in Montevideo (WCQ America R4)
10.08.2002 Canada 51-16 in Edmonton (WCQ America R4)
15.08.1998 Canada 38-15 in Buenos Aires (WCQ America. Classification)
07.03.1995 Canada 28-9 in Montevideo (Pan American)

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Canada 15th, Uruguay 22nd
IRB Ranking Points-Canada 68.80, Uruguay 62.99

Prediction: Canada by 12 v Uruguay

Teams

Canada
15. James Pritchard (Bedford, England) Aged 30, 29 tests
14. Ciaran Hearn (The Rock) 24, 9
13. DTH van der Merwe (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) 24, 12
12. Phil Mackenzie (Coventry, England) 23, 1
11. Justin Mensah-Coker (Moseley, England) 26, 19
10. Ander Monro (Ontario Blues) 28, 16
9. Ed Fairhurst (British Colombia Bears) 31, 41
8. Aaron Carpenter (Unattached) 27, 28
7. Adam Kleeberger (Rotherham, England) 26, 22
6. Chauncey O'Toole (The Rock) 24, 5
5. Tyler Hotson (Plymouth Albion, England) 24, 13
4. Luke Tait (Unattached) 28, 16
3. Andrew Tiedemann (Prairie Wolf Pack) 21, 5
2. Pat Riordan, Capt. (British Colombia Bears) 30, 27
1. Doug Wooldridge (Ontario Blues) 24, 4
Replacements
16. Ryan Hamilton (British Colombia Bears) New cap
17. Jason Marshall (British Colombia Bears) 25, 1
18. Tom Dolezel (Prairie Wolf Pack) 25, 1
19. Brian Erichsen (British Colombia Bears) 32, 1
20. Nanyak Dala (Prairie Wolf Pack) 25, 8
21. Sean White (British Colombia Bears) 21, 3
22. Matt Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons, Wales) 22, 9
Head Coach: Kieran Crowley

Uruguay
15. Ivo Dugonjic (Pucarú-Stade Galuois) Age 24
14. Leandro Leivas (Old Christians) 21
13. Juan Martin Llovet (Old Chrisrians) 24
12. Juan DeFreitas (Champagnat) 20
11. Gaston Mieres (Los Lobos Rugby) 20
10. Emiliano Caffera (Champagnat) 31
9. Manuel Martinez (Old Christians) 25
8. Ignacio Grignola (Trébol Rugby) 27
7. Juan Pablo Horta (Old Christians) 23
6. Santiago Deicas (Old Christians) 23
5. Diego Magno (Montevideo Cricket Club) 21
4. Nicolas Badano (Old Boys) 26
3. Pablo Lemoine (Valence D’Agen, France) 35
2. Carlos Arboleya, Capt. (Trébol Rugby) 24
1. Alejo Corral (San Isidro, Argentina) 28
Replacements
16. Martin Espiga (Old Christians) 25
17. Juan Rombys (Trébol Rugby) 23
18. Edgardo Benitez (Trébol Rugby) 21
19. Matias Braun (Pucarú-Stade Galuois) 23
20. Nicolas Morales (Trébol Rugby) 26
21. Diego Lussich (Trébol Rugby) 24
22. Juan Pablo Ruffalini (Los Cuervos) 21
Head Coach: Gonzalo Camardón

TEST MATCH: Churchill Cup Game 1

05.06.2010
Russia v United States in Glendale

Venue: Infinity Park

Referee:

Preview
The first match of the 2010 Churchill Cup puts two teams on the paddock that last met 6 years ago. Since then Russia has qualified for the Rugby World Cup finals for the first time whilst the USA has been in rebuilding mode after a number of key players retired after the 2007 event.

For Russia it will be their first trial of strength outside the European Nations Cup Tournament, where they came second and automatically qualified for the 2011 Rugby World Cup finals. They have a team mixed with youth and experience. It will be in the forwards that they hold their strength.

The USA is fielding a team mixed with new caps and experience but without leader Todd Clever injured they may struggle. never underestimate a team playing at home in front of a home crowd.

If last years tournament, held at the same venue, is anything to go by, expect hot dry conditions in Denver.

Previous Encounters
30.05.2004 United States 41-14 in Tokyo (Superpowers Cup, Playoff 3rd-4th)
25.09.1988 Russia 31-16 in Moscow

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-United States 16th, Russia 19th
IRB Ranking Points-USA 67.05, Russia 65.45

Prediction: US by 13 points.

Teams

United States
15. Chris Wyles (Saracens, England) Age 26, Tests 20
14. Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz Olympique, France) 24, 14
13. Junior Sifa (Middleton RFC) 27, 6
12. Andrew Suniula (Chicago Griffins) 23, 4
11. Paul Emerick (Parma RFC) 30, 36
10. Ata Malifa (Belmont Shore) 24, 6
9. Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club) 25, 14
8. Nic Johnson (Denver Barbarians) 20, 7
7. Matt Hawkins (Belmont Shore) New cap
6. Louis Stanfill (Canberra Royals, Australia) 26, 18
5. Scott Lavalla (Dublin University, Ireland) New cap
4. John Van de Giessen, Capt. (Sporting Club Albi, France) 28, 12
3. Shawn Pittman (Bayside RFC) 22, 5
2. Phillip Thiel (Life University) ?, 2
1. Mate Moeakiola (Sporting Club Albi, France) 32, 17
Replacements
16. Chris Biller (San Francisco Golden Gate) 24, 5
17. Tony Purpura (Boston Rugby Club) New cap
18. Patrick Danahy (Life Univeristy) 25, 1
19. J.J. Gagiano (University of Cape Town, South Africa) 24, 9
20. Tim Usasz (Nottingham RFC, England) 26, 7
21. Volney Rouse (Te Kawau, New Zealand) New cap
22. Alipate Tuilevuka (Provo Steelers) 29, 10
Head Coach: Eddie O’Sullivan

http://www.churchillcuprugby.net/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=3731&leagueID=10901

Russia
15. Vasily Artemyev (VVA-Podmoskovye) Age 22, 12 tests
14. Andrey Kuzin (VVA-Podmoskovye) 32, 45
13. Mikhail Babaev (VVA-Podmoskovye) 23, 24
12. Sergey Trishin (VVA-Podmoskovye) 24, 28
11. Dmitry Gerasimov (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk) ?, 5
10. Yury Kushnarev (VVA-Podmoskovye) 24, 34
9. Alexander Yanyushkin (VVA-Podmoskovye) 27, 33
8. Artem Matveev (?), New cap
7. Evgeny Matveev (VVA-Podmoskovye) 24, 19
6. Victor Gresev (VVA-Podmoskovye) 23, 24
5. Georgi Minadze (Penza) 27, 1
4. Alexander Pronenko (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk)
3. Evgeny Pronenko (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk) 25, 12
2. Vladislav Korshunov (C) (VVA-Podmoskovye) 26, 37
1. Sergey Popov (?), ?, 2+?
Replacements
16. Alexander Khrokin (VVA-Podmoskovye) 33, 40
17. Alexey Travkin (VVA-Podmoskovye) 32, 33
18. Sergey Sergeev Jnr (Montauban, France) ?, 1
19. Kirill Kushnarev (VVA-Podmoskovye) 26, 10+?
20. Alexander Shakirov (VVA-Podmoskovye) 28, 37
21. Alexey Korobeynikov (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk) 31, 35
22. Alexey Makovetskiy (Krasny Yar) 26, 4
Head Coach: Steve Diamond

http://www.churchillcuprugby.net/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=3731&leagueID=10901&page=44949

TEST RUGBY COMING UP

As there was no official test rugby this weekend (England played the Barbarians in a non-test match) I have had a short break away from the computer.

June is one of the busiest months on the international rugby calendar.

02.06.2010
China v India in New Delhi (Asia Nations Div.2; Semi-final 1)
Thailand v Philippines in New Delhi (Asia Nations Div.2, Semi-final 2)

Briefly
The two most populous nations in the world play each other in test rugby for the first time. If you had said to me 20 years ago that this event would occur I would have thought you crazy. These two nations actually fought a brief war in 1962 over territorial claims in India's North-East regions. There has always been tensions between these two nations. Of recent the Tibetan issue springs to mind.

This will be the first international 15's rugby tournament that India has hosted. I would expect Thailand to prevail. They have the longest history in the game.

05.06.2010
Wales v South Africa in Cardiff
Fiji v Australia in Canberra
Ukraine v Romania in Bucharest (WCQ Europe R5; Semi-final 2nd leg)
Canada v Uruguay in Glendale (Churchill Cup, Pool A)
Russia v United States in Glendale (Churchill Cup, Pool B)
Final of the Asia Nations Div.2 tournament in New Delhi
Playoff for the above tournament

Briefly
For the first time a Southern Hemisphere side will play in the Northern Hemisphere in June. South Africa kicks their 2010 season away for the first time that I can recall. The clash also begins Wales' southern tour!

Fiji and Australia begin their 2010 international rugby season. It will be a tough game for the Fijians as they struggle to field their best players. The Churchill Cup begins in the USA with the favourites the England Saxons (or England 'A') starting on Sunday week. I'd expect Romania to walk all over the Ukraine and progress to the World Cup repecharge stage whilst the finals of Asia Nations Division 1 will see who is promoted and who is relegated.

Test Rugby Results: Churchill Cup

21.06.2009
Ireland 'A' 49, England Saxons 22 in Denver (Final)
Argentina 'A' 46, Canada 29 in Denver (Playoff 3rd-4th)
United States 31, Georgia 13 in Denver (Playoff 5th-6th)

Reviews
Ireland 'A' surprised everybody by storming home to take the Churchill Cup from England. Argentina 'A' were too good for Canada whilst the USA registered their first win of the season (and for a while) against a disappointing Georgia. The results for Canada and the USA were better than last year's placings, which were 5th-6th respectively.