EUROPEAN NATIONS RUGBY TEST: Germany Face Poland

19.11.2011
Germany v Poland in Gdansk (ENC 1B)

Venue: Stadion Lechii MOSiR

Referee: Gallestegi (Spain)

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	DIFF	BT	BL	PT
BELGIUM	6	5	0	1	178	88	90	2	1	23
MOLDOVA	6	4	1	1	132	108	24	2	0	20
POLAND	7	4	1	2	159	142	17	0	1	19
CZECH R.	7	3	0	4	115	175	-59	0	1	13
GERMANY	6	2	0	4	132	124	8	0	3	11
NETH.	6	0	0	6	81	161	-80	0	1	1

Preview
This is the first of the European Nations Cup, Division 1B test matches this weekend.

Germany gained a moral-boosting 23-7 win over Netherlands last weekend. With the inclusion of their highly regarded France-based player Robert Mohr they could well be a match for the Poles.

Poland did well to draw 17-17 with Moldova away last weekend. This is a team undefeated in their last 6 matches at this level of European rugby.

Poland has the edge over the Germans. It was they who inflicted their first loss last year over a newly relegated German side.

I expect a close contest with a vastly improving German side to score a win against the Poles by the slimmest of margins.

Last Five Encounters
20.11.2010 Poland 22-17 in Frankfurt (ENC 1B)
16.05.2004 Germany 34-10 in Hannover (ENC 2A)
29.03.2003 Germany 37-15 in Gdansk (ENC 2A)
06.04.2002 Poland 20-12 in Warsaw (WCQ/FIRA Europe R2, Pool B)
21.10.2000 Poland 26-13 in Berlin (FIRA B)

Germany Last Five
12.11.2011 v Netherlands W 23-7 in Hannover (ENC 1B)
02.04.2011 v Moldova L 15-28 in Chisinau (ENC 1B)
19.03.2011 v Belgium L 25-28 in Brussels (ENC 1B)
12.03.2011 v Czech Republic L 23-29 in Heidelberg (ENC 1B)
11.12.2010 v Hong Kong W 34-13 in Heidelberg (Friendly)

Poland Last Five
12.11.2011 v Moldova D 17-17 in Chisinau (ENC 1B)
15.10.2011 v Czech Republic W 20-13 in Nowy Sacz (ENC 1B)
16.04.2011 v Netherlands W 32-18 in Gracovie (ENC 1B)
12.03.2011 v Belgium W 22-17 in Gdansk (ENC 1B)
20.11.2010 Germany W 22-17 in Frankfurt (ENC 1B)

GWC Rugby Rankings
Europe Table-Poland 12th, Germany 15th

IRB Ranking Points
Poland 54.01, Germany 52.75

Prediction: Germany by 2 points

Teams

Germany
15 Mustafa Güngör (TV Pforzheim)
14 Bastian Himmer (RG Heidelberg)
13 Olivier Galli (RC Orléans, France)
12 Anjo Buckman (Heidelberger RK)
11 Rafael Pyrasch (Heidelberger RK)
10 Raynor Parkinson (RC Hilversum, Netherlands)
9 Sean Armstrong (Heidelberger RK)
8 Robert May (TSV Handschuhsheim)
7 Alexander Hauck (SC Frankfurt 1880)
6 Kehoma Brenner (Heidelberger RK)
5 Robert Mohr (La Rochelle, France)
4 Callum Sauer (TV Pforzheim)
3 Stephane Kohler (CA Lannemezan, France)
2 Alexander Widiker, Capt. (Heidelberger RK)
1 Benjamin Krause (Hannover 78)
Replacements
16 Mika Tyumenev (Mont de Marsan, France)
17 Patrick Schliwa (Heidelberger RK)
18 Benjamin Danso (Heidelberger RK)
19 Manuel Wilhelm (RG Heidelberg)
20 Timothy Menzel (TSV Handschuhsheim)
21 Carlos Soteras-Merz (TV Pforzheim)
22 Mark Sztyndera (SC Frankfurt 1880)
Head Coach:

Adapted from http://www.totalrugby.de/content/view/4797/37/

Poland Squad

Romuald Berthe (Bobigny, France)
Kamil Bobryk (Eperney, France)
Jean Bouthe (Bayonne, France)
Jurij Bukhalo (Lechia Gdańsk)
David Chartier (Bayonne, France)
Adrian Chrósciel (Budowlani Lublin)
Merab Gabunia (Budowlani Łódź)
Tomasz Gasik (Orkan Sochaczew)
Tomasz Hebda (Posnania Poznań)
Krzysztof Hotowski (Nevers, France).
Tom Jankowski (Ampthill RUFC, England).
Grzegorz Janiec (Lechia Gdańsk)
Michał Kruzycki (Bobigny, France)
Kacper Ławski (Macon, France)
Wojciech Łukasiewicz (AZS AWF Warszawa)
Paweł Najdek (Posnania Poznań)
Stanisław Niedźwiecki (Budowlani Lublin)
Eric Piórkowski (Castres, France)
Piotr Psuj (Budowlani Lublin)
Tomasz Stępień (Budowlani Łódź)
Łukasz Szostek (Arka Gdynia)
Cedric Vaissiere (Albi, France)
Rafał WItoszynski (Lechia Gdańsk)
Etienne Zyk (Sain-Etienne Case Rugby, France)

Adapted from http://pzrugby.pl/?p=3850 and http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3950