Rugby Test: France XV Too Good

02.09.2009
France XV 50, Brazil 6 in Embu (Friendly)

The touring French Federal team ended their Brazilian tour with a convincing win against the home side.

Image thanks to http://www.rugbymania.com.br/2009/ver_noticia08.asp?codigo=2452

Rugby Test: France XV Too Good for Brazil

The two teams prepare for the National anthems

29.08.2009
France XV 36, Brazil 3 in São Jose dos Campos (Friendly)

The touring France Amateur side won comfortably 36-3 against Brazil's national rugby team on Saturday.

Brazil win the ball at a ruck.

Images thanks to and full report at http://www.rugbymania.com.br/2009/ver_noticia08.asp?codigo=2428

Test Match Rugby: France Amateur in Brazil

The French Amateur rugby selection, based on non-professional players from competition Federale 1, will play two friendly tests in Brazil against the home national side.

Brazil participated, earlier in the year, in the World Cup Qualifying rounds of America Zones, held in Chile and Uruguay. This competition was also for CONSUR A.
Results
25 April v Chile in Santiago Lost 3-79
29 April v Uruguay in Montevideo L 3-71
2 May v Paraguay in Montevideo W 36-21 (Not WCQ, CONSUR A only)

The Brazilian team celebrate after their 2008 victory over Trinidad-Tobago which allowed them to qualify for the World Cup Qualifying tournament in Montevideo 2009.

29.08.2009
France Amateur v Brazil at l’Estádio da ADC Parahyba, São Jose dos Campos

Prediction: France Amateur by 30 points

Teams

France Amateur Squad
Mehdi Ameur (ES Catalane)
Bertrand Artero (Carcassonne)
Guillaume August (US Tyrosse)
Benat Auzqui (Peyrehorade)
Fabio Da Silva (Villeurbanne)
Renaud Delmas (Périgueux)
Guillaume Dulay (Valence D’Agen)
Rémi Escudier (Périgueux)
Nicolas Frecaut (SO Chambéry)
Jean Gourdouze (Chateaurenard)
Baptiste Giacobbi (AC Bobigny)
Bertrand Igau (ES Argelès Gazost)
Régis Laborde (Marmande)
Jean-Baptiste Lafite (Périgueux)
Julien Lesgourgues (Tyrosse)
Christophe Marchand (Marmande)
Nicolas Mateos (Marmande)
Joris Matheron (Chateaurenard)
Sylvain Peguillan (Lavaur)
Simon Pinet (Orléans)
Guillaume Pszonak (Montluçon)
Clément Rivier (Stade Dijon)
Vincent Roitg (ES Catalane)
David Vaudaine (Marseille)
Richard Wild (USA Limoges)
Ludovic Zanni (Chateaurenard)

Head Caoch: Yves Ajac

Brazil Squad
Alejandro Arce (Desterro)
Fabio Bernardis (São José)
Erick Cogliandro (São José)
Rejes Comoretto (Desterro)
João Luis Da Ros (Desterro)
Gabriel Cristiano da Silva (Unibrasil/CRC)
Henrique Dantas (São José)
Rafael Dawailibi (São José)
Gregory Dornelles (San Diego)
André Fujita (São José)
Daniel Gregg (Niterói)
Danilo Lima (Rio Branco)
Diego Lopes (Pasteur)
Aleksander Lotto (SPAC)
Fernando Martins (São José)
Julian Menutti (Bandeirantes)
Ramiro Mina (Bandeirantes)
Julian Morales-Meletti (Pasteur)
Fernando Portugal (Bandeirantes)
Lucas Rodrigues Duque (São José)
Pedro Rosa (Bandeirantes)
Bruno Rossi (São José)
Leonardo Serrano (Bandeirantes)
Juan Tomas (Bandeirantes)
Felipe Zeni (Pasteur)

Head Coach: Pierre Paparemborde

Rugby Test: Spain v Russia

08.11.2008
Spain v Russia in Moscow (ENC 1)

Previews
Spain warmed up for this game with a 27-20 win over Cambridge University last weekend. Russia, on the other hand, has probably cooled down somewhat since their last test match, a 28-29 loss to a strong French Amateur side in early September.

The Spanish team of last season developed into a useful combination, losing by only 2 points to eventual Cup winners Georgia in Georgia, and then ended the season with a 21-17 win over World Cup attendants Portugal. They were defeated 42-16 by Russia in Russia in April. They could well find the Russians just as formidible in early November.

The Russians have played more test matches than the Spanish since they last met in April. A young Russian side found the going tough at the IRB Nations Cup tournament held in Bucharest in June, losing all their games. Still, it meant a number of younger players were blooded into international rugby and I suspect the Russians will be more than ready for the Spaniards.
Last Five Encounters
08.03.2008 Russia 42-16 in Krasnodar (ENC 1)
10.02.2007 Russia 39-14 in Madrid (ENC 1)
14.02.2004 Russia 36-6 in Krasnodar (ENC 1)
15.02.2003 Russia 52-19 in Madrid (ENC 1)
24.11.2002 Spain 38-22 in Krasnodar (WCQ Europe R5)

GWC Rugby Rankings: World Table-Spain 19th, Russia 28th
Europe Table-Russia 9th, Spain 10th

Prediction: Russia by 21 points

Teams

Russia Squad
Michael Babaev (VVA-Podmoskovje) Age 22, 10 tests
Sergey Bazhenov (Enisey STM-Krasnoyarsk) 23, 1
Vladimir Botvinnikov (Enisey STM-Krasnoyarsk) 24, 7
Dmitry Gerasimov (Enisey STM-Krasnoyarsk) , New Cap
Victor Gresev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 22, 8
Alexander Gvozdovskiy (Krasniy Yar-Krasnoyarsk) 27, 5
Alexander Khrokin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 32, 31
Igor Kluchnikov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 27, 20
Oleg Kobzev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 27, 8
Vladislav Korshunov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 25, 19
Kirill Kulemin (Castres Olympique, France) 27, 2
Yuriy Kushanrev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 23, 16
Andrey Kuzin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 29, 17
Andrey Lugin (Slava Moscow) 28, 5
Evgeniy Matveev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 24, 5
Victor Motorin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 32, 16
Alexey Panasenko (VVA-Podmoskovje) 25, 3
Evgeniy Pronenko (Enisey STM-Krasnoyarsk) New Cap
Alexander Shakirov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 27, 11
Oleg Shukaylov (Krasniy Yar-Krasnoyarsk) ?, 3
Alexey Travkin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 31, 19
Sergey Trishin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 23, 8
Alexander Voytov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 26, 11
Head Coach Nikolay Nerush

Shukaylov last played for Russia v Portugal in Lisbon, October 2006.
http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2896

Spain Squad

César Bernasconi (CRC Madrid) Age 32, 15 tests
José Mª Bohorquez (CR Ciencias) 32, 21
Rafael Camacho (CR Ciencias) 30, 25
Juan Cano (CRC Madrid) 23, 16
Javier Canosa (CRC Madrid) 25, 27
Iván Criado (Cetransa El Salvador) 28, 49
Damien Elgoyhen (Avirón Bayonnais, France) 22, New Cap
Pablo Feijoo (CRC Madrid) 26, 42
Leandro Fernández-Aramburu (CR Ciencias) 28, 6
Juan González (CRC Madrid) 26, 23
Mathieu Gratton (Graulhet RC, France) 26, 6
Ion Insausti (Cetransa El Salvador) 24, 20
Juan Gónzalez Marruecos (CR Ciencias) 22, 1
Hernán Quirelli (La Vila RC) 34, New Cap
Sebastián Hattori (CR Ciencias) 26, New Cap
Ignacio Martín (Gran Parma RC, Italy) 24, 22
Manuel Mazo (CR Ciencias) 23, 10
Marco Pinto (Clermont Auvergne, France) 20, New Cap
Javier Salazar (CRC Madrid) 31, 53
César Sempere (CRC Madrid) 23, 30
Sergio Souto (Cetransa El Salvador) 31, 42
Julien Tortoulou (Colomiers RC, France) 24, 5
Matías Tudela (CRC Madrid) 24, 1
Head Coach: Ged Glynn

Adapted from http://www.ferugby.com/documento_index.php?volver=si&titulo=null&fichero=/noticias/2008-2009/11-noviembre/CONVOCATORIA%20Rusia%208%20nov-2008.pdf
Stats from http://www.rugbyinternational.net/
Extra data from Andrés Domínguez, Gabinete de Prensa, Federación Española de Rugby

For a full list of all Spain's and Russia's rugby test results go to http://www.rugbyinternational.net/