EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP: Division 1B

21.04.2012
Poland v Netherlands in Amsterdam (ENC 1B)

Venue: National Rugby Centre

Referee: Igotz Gallastegi (Spain)

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	DIFF	BT	BL	PT
BELGIUM	10	9	0	1	303	149	154	3	1	40
POLAND	9	5	1	3	206	170	36	2	2	26
MOLDOVA	10	5	1	4	194	211	-17	2	2	26
GERMANY	10	4	0	6	229	212	17	2	4	22
CZECH R.	10	4	0	6	160	217	-57	1	3	20
NETH.	9	1	0	8	134	267	-134	1	1	6

Preview.
Beware of a rejuvenated Netherlands rugby team! That’s the message following the Netherlands-Moldova game played in Chisinau earlier this month. After a period of slumber for the Netherlands national side that result was a welcomed turn around. But what does that result really mean? Is Netherlands on the way up? Was this a very poor performance by Moldova at home? We will get an answer following this game.

Netherlands is almost certain to face relegation. This is the final match in Division 1B. Poland can not hope for promotion to ENC 1A. That has already been decided. For the Netherlands it will be about pride in playing at home and about shrugging of the lethargy that has plagued this Netherlands side for the last two seasons.

Last Five Encounters
16.04.2011 Poland 32-18 in Gracovie (ENC 1B)
22.04.2006 Netherlands 23-20 in Amsterdam (WCQ Europe R3, Pool A)
25.04.2004 Netherlands 29-18 in Amsterdam (ENC 2A)
10.05.2003 Drawn 13-13 in Gdansk (ENC 2A)
26.10.1997 Netherlands 49-7 in Amsterdam (WCQ Europe Pool1, Round B)

Poland Last Five
07.04.2012 v Belgium L 13-20 in Brussels (ENC 1B)
19.11.2011 v Germany W 34-8 in Gdansk (ENC 1B)
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)

Netherlands Last Five
07.04.2012 v Moldova W 40-26 in Chisinau (ENC 1B)
25.02.2012 v Belgium L 0-58 in Brussels (ENC 1B)
19.11.2011 v Czech Republic L 10-22 in Prague (ENC 1B)
12.11.2011 v Germany L 7-23 in Hannover (ENC 1B)
30.04.2011 v Moldova L 15-22 in Chisinau (ENC 1B)

GWC Rugby Rankings
Europe Table-Poland 14th, Netherlands 16th

IRB Ranking Points
Poland 54.51, Netherlands 48.34

Prediction: Poland by 11 points.

Teams

Poland Squad

Forwards:
Kamil Bobryk, Jean Boutes, Grzegorz Janiec, Adrian Chróściel, Marcin Wilczuk, Tomasz Perski, Michał Krużycki, Merab Gabunia, Tomasz Hebda, Kacper Ławski, Mateusz Bartoszek, Stanisław Niedźwiecki, Tom Jankowski, Aleksander Nowicki;

Backs:
Łukasz Szostek, Benoit Ripert, Tomasz Stępień, Krzysztof Hotowski, Leandre Billaud, Alexandre Beccuau, David Chartier, Tomasz Gasik, Wojciech Piotrowicz, Łukasz Żórawski.
On standby: Paweł Najdek, Dawid Banaszek, Rafał Szrejber, Robert Kwiatkowski.

http://www.rugby.info.pl/artykul_2803_p ... a_holandie )

Netherlands squad not yet available