EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP: Russia v Spain

05.02.2011
Russia v Spain in Madrid (ENC 1A)

Venue: Estadio Universidad Complutense

Referee: S.Mancini (Italy)

Poster pinched fromhttp://www.ferugby.com/index_n.php

Preview
The experiment continues for Spain. Their new coach cleaned out the cupboard of 2010 for the two November internationals against Canada and Namibia. In came a swathe of new players, mostly France-based of Spanish origin. The experiment seemed to flounder at the Canadian hurdle, the side going down 22-60. Namibia, not at full strength, went down 20-33 to a second Spanish side again changed from that which played Canada. Now to February and four new caps are listed, three on the bench. The rebuild continues.

Russia has the benefit of a months camp in New Zealand, acclimatising themselves to New Zealand conditions heading into the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Pity it was in New Zealand’s summer when cricket and cicada’s rule. Still, they will certainly be two matches and a number training runs ahead of Spain. They will want to rease the memory of a 3-75 thrashing at the hands of Japan in early November. There can be no weak efforts like that from a team priming themselves for their first Rugby World Cup finals tournament.

History doesn’t favour Spain in this match. Russia has a long line of successes against their Iberian foes.

Last Five Encounters
13.02.2010 Russia 38-20 in Madrid (WCQ Europe R5; ENC 1)
08.11.2008 Russia 42-15 in Moscow (WCQ Europe R5; ENC 1)
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)

Spain last defeated Russia in 2002, 38-22 in Krasnodar, in winter! They last defeated Russia in Madrid back in 1996, a whopping 52-6!

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Spain 19th, Russia 23rd
Europe Table-Russia 9th, Spain 11th

IRB Ranking Points
Russia 65.56, Spain 58.64

Prediction: Spain to cause the upset of the day, and win by 9 points

Spain
15 Remi Delgado (F.C. Oloron, France) Age 22, 1 test
14 Sergi Aubanell (ASM Clermont Auvergne, France) ?, 1
13 Martín Heredia (Costa Del Sol R.C.) 25, 4
12 Javier Canosa (CRC Madrid) 27, 38
11 Matías Tudela (Ampo Ordizia) 26, 3
10 Andoni Jorajuria (Biarritz Olimpique, France) ?, 1
9 Adrien Ayestaran (Biarritz Olimpique, France) ?, New cap
8 Matthew Cook (C.R. La Vila) 32, 7
7 Gauthier Gibouin (Unión Bourdeaux Begles, France) 21, 5
6 Martín Aceña, Capt. (C.R. La Vila) 27, 10
5 Federico Negrillo (Bizkaia Gernika R.T) 28, 6
4 Jesús Recuerda (Lille Metropole Rugby, France) 24, 8
3 Mattín Auzqui (US Dax, France) 28, 1
2 Beñat Auzqui (US Tyrosse, France) 27, 1
1 Anthony Pradalie (Rugby Perigeux, France) 24, 5
Replacements
16 Stéphan Vitalla F.C. Oloron, France) 26, 1
17 Jesús Moreno (Leeds Carnegie, England) 24, 6
18 Sylvain Antequera (US Orthez, France) ?, New cap
19 Maxime Samson (US Tyrosse, France) ?, New cap
20 Sébastien Rouet (FC Lourdais, France) 26, 2
21 Ignacio Gutiérrez-Muller (VRAC Quesos Entrepinares) 24, 3
22 Mathieu Amoros (Béziers R.C., France) ?, New Cap

http://www.ferugby.com/index_n.php?maqueta=NTCA&id_noticia=2923&imagen_cab=img/tt_noticias.jpg

Russia Squad
Vasily Artemiev (VVA-Podmoskovje) Age 23, 14 tests
Mihail Babaev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 24, 24
Artem Fatakhov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 31, 26
Igor Galinovsky (Krasny Yar) 25, 9
Andrei Garbuzov (Krasny Yar) 27, 21
Victor Gresev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 24, 20
Alexander Khrokin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 34, 40
Igor Klyuchnikov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 28, 28
Andrey Kuzin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 32, 30
Kirill Kushnarev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 28, 23
Yuri Kushnarev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 25, 30
Carlo Maglakelidze (Penza) 33, 4
Alexey Makovetskiy (Krasny Yar) 27, 6
Evgeny Matveev (VVA-Podmoskovje) 24, 18
Andrey Ostrikov (Aurillac, France) 23, 11
Vladimir Ostroushko (Yug Krasnodar) 24, 6
Evgeny Pronenko (Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk) 26, 9
Konstantin Rachkov (Mountauban, France) 32, New Cap?
Alexander Shakirov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 30, 26
Alexey Travkin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 32, 24
Valery Tsnobiladze (Novokuznetsk) New cap
Alexander Voitov (VVA-Podmoskovje) 29, 26
Alexander Yanushkin (VVA-Podmoskovje) 28, 20
Head Coach: Nikolay Nerush

Note: Scrum.com data on Russian players only goes back as far as 2002. Players like Fatakhov, Khrokin, Kuzin, Rachkov, Travkin and others, could well have played more tests.

Not selected-Injury or otherwise
Vladislav Korshunov-hooker and captain 33 tests
Sergey Trishin-centre 27
Alexander Gvozdovskiy-back 26
Alexey Korobeynikov-fly half 24
Ivan Prishepenko-prop
Alexey Panasenko-prop/lock 16
Igor Galinovsky last played for Russia v Georgia, March 2008.

Milestones
It’s Carlo Maglakelidze’s 33rd birthday today.