INTERNATIONAL TEST RUGBY: Poland v Czech Republic

09.10.2010
Poland v Czech Republic in Prague (ENC 1B)

Venue: Stadion RC Tatra Smíchov

Referee:

Preview
The Czech Republic will be without key players Nemecek, Rapant and Wognitsche of Oyonnax, who have not been released by the French club. Injury has meant Martin Jagr (Bordeaux Bègles) and Vaclav Jursík (Strasbourg, recovering from surgery) are not available.

Poland's warm up came in the form of a camp in France in August with a game, lost 21-26, against the French Police XV in St Nazaire. A number of France-based players are either injured or unable to get released by their clubs for this match.

Over the last two years these two teams have shared the honours winning their home games. Both sides have their injury and unavailability problems so that evens things out. The home side should win.

Last Five Encounters
25.10.2009 Czech Republic 19-5 in Varsovie (WCQ Euro. R4; ENC 2A)
15.11.2008 Poland 13-7 in Ostrava (WCQ Euro. R4; ENC 2A)
04.11.2000 Poland 34-15 in Gydnia (FIRA B)
20.05.2000 Czech Republic 39-13 in Prague (FIRA C)
24.10.1998 Drawn 18-18 in? (FIRA Pool E)

Poland last won in Prague in 1989, 26-12 against the then Czechoslovakia.

GWC Rugby Rankings
Europe Table-Czech Republic 13th, Poland 17th

IRB Rankings
Czech Republic 52.52, Poland 51.50

Prediction: Czech Republic by 14 points.

Teams

Czech Republic
15 Jan Rohlík (RC Ricany)
14 Michael Jirman (RC Slavia Prague)
13 Jan Kolar (RC Slavia Prague)
12 Peter Okleštěk (RK Petrovice)
11 Michael Schlanger (RC Ricany)
10 Paul Vokrouhlík (RC Sparta Praha)
9 Haiden Roche (Civil Service RFC, England)
8 Jiří Černý (RC Tatra Smíchov)
7 Jakub Procházka (RC Tatra Smíchov)
6 Madre Vlastimil (Havirov)
5 Thomas Holovský (St Raphael, France)
4 Robert Voves (Narbonne, France)
3 Paul Stastny (Perigeux, France)
2 Ondřej Kutil, Annecy, France
1 Roman Šuster, Capt. (Aurillac, France)
Replacements
16 Jan Benda (RC Sparta Praha)
17 Michal Průša (RC Tatra Smíchov)
18 Radim Backa (RC Praga)
19 Michal Kulhánek (RC Praga)
20 Pailodze Vachtang (RC Sparta Praha)
21 Čížek Petr (RC Praga)
22 Irakli Sulamanidze (RC Sparta Praha
Head coach: Martin Kafka

Adapted from http://www.ragby.cz/ceska-reprezentace-vyzve-v-sobotu-polsko

Poland Squad
Dawid Banaszek (Villeurbanne, France)
Mateusz Bartoszek (Albi, France)
Romuald Berthe (Bobigny, France)
Kamil Bobryk (Eperney, France)
David Chartier (Bayonne, France)
Łukasz Doroszkiewicz (Lechia Gdańsk)
Karol Hedesz (Lechia Gdansk)
Krzysztof Hotowski (Nevers, France)
Grzegorz Janiec (Lechia Gdańsk)
Piotr Jurkowski (?)
Sławomir Kaszuba (Lechia Gdansk)
Michael Krużycki (Lyon, France)
Fabien Kwarta (Morlass, France)
Robert Kwiatkowski (Lechia Gdańsk)
Kacper Ławski (Budowlani Łódź)
Wojciech Łukasiewicz (Orkan Sochaczew)
Michał Mirosz (Budowlani Łódź)
Paweł Nowak (Arka Gdynia)
Eric Piorkowski (Castres, France)
Wojciech Piotrowicz (Budowlani Lublin).
Bastien Siepielski (Marmande, France)
Tomasz Stepień (Budowlani Łódź)
Łukasz Szostek (Arka Gdynia)
Cedric Vaissiere (Albi, France)
Martin Wilczuk (Portsmouth RFC, England)
Head Coach: Tomas Putra

http://www.pzrugby.pl/reprezentacja/seniorzy/index.html