Rugby Europe Championship/Trophy

[Yeeb]

So Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Romania the 4 Europe RWC qualifiers. Deservedly so, they have ruled Tier 2 European rugby for ages.

5th place gives a ticket to the repechage tournament. Last two seasons it was the Dutch who took 5th place, but Belgium look good this year and The Netherlands are not quite on top of their game. Germany a dangerous outsider, Switzerland the also-rans.

Be interesting to see how any of these sides would do against the current Wales team.
Personally I’d love to see some 6N relegation.

[SaintK]

So Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Romania the 4 Europe RWC qualifiers. Deservedly so, they have ruled Tier 2 European rugby for ages.

5th place gives a ticket to the repechage tournament. Last two seasons it was the Dutch who took 5th place, but Belgium look good this year and The Netherlands are not quite on top of their game. Germany a dangerous outsider, Switzerland the also-rans.

Be interesting to see how any of these sides would do against the current Wales team.
Personally I’d love to see some 6N relegation.

Georgia beat Wales in Cardiff November 2022. They may do it again. Can't see any of the others getting within 20 points.

[clydecloggie]

So Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Romania the 4 Europe RWC qualifiers. Deservedly so, they have ruled Tier 2 European rugby for ages.

5th place gives a ticket to the repechage tournament. Last two seasons it was the Dutch who took 5th place, but Belgium look good this year and The Netherlands are not quite on top of their game. Germany a dangerous outsider, Switzerland the also-rans.

Be interesting to see how any of these sides would do against the current Wales team.
Personally I’d love to see some 6N relegation.

Georgia beat Wales in Cardiff November 2022. They may do it again. Can't see any of the others getting within 20 points.

Portugal were decent in the RWC, would be closer than 20 points. Who knows where Spain are? Maybe if they start playing 15 Spaniards we can find out.

[tabascoboy]

Late posting for various reasons such as the server going down!

Georgia will host Spain in the final on March 15th while Romania will be away to Portugal in the Grand Finals third/fourth place play-off on the same weekend.









5th Place final will be contested as expected By Netherlands and Belgium, NL beat Germany 38 - 9 and Belgium beat Switzerland 38 - 5

[tabascoboy]

Late update of an eventful weekend...

Starting with the lowest ranking games

Switzerland provided something of an upset to beat Germany for their first REC victory, thanks to a converted 76th minute try and a drop goal in stoppage time





Belgium dominated the 5th place match against the Netherlands to win 31 - 10





In the Bronze medal game, Romania showed a big improvement to beat Portugal 21 - 7





And in the Final, Georgia led narrowly against Spain at half-time but pulled away in the 2nd half to win 46 - 28

[clydecloggie]

Belgium have looked good in this year's REC - not far off Portugal / Romania level. Depending on which team comes to the Repechage from the Americas, Belgium might well make it to the RWC.

[Lobby]

Richard Cockerill's not wasted any time in asking for Georgia to be given the opportunity to play Wales with the winner then playing in the next 6N.

Wales won 43 -19 the last time they met (in the World Cup in 2023), but Georgia have beaten Wales in Cardiff before. Wales are also significantly worse than they were 2 years ago and Georgia are now ranked above them in the WR rankings (Georgia are 11th with 74.69 points; Wales are 12th with 73.39 points), so Georgia would have a very good chance of beating Wales at present.

As rugby in Wales is completely dependent on funding from its International games, falling out of the 6N really would be the death knell for the game in Wales.

[Biffer]

Richard Cockerill's not wasted any time in asking for Georgia to be given the opportunity to play Wales with the winner then playing in the next 6N.

Wales won 43 -19 the last time they met (in the World Cup in 2023), but Georgia have beaten Wales in Cardiff before. Wales are also significantly worse than they were 2 years ago and Georgia are now ranked above them in the WR rankings (Georgia are 11th with 74.69 points; Wales are 12th with 73.39 points), so Georgia would have a very good chance of beating Wales at present.

As rugby in Wales is completely dependent on funding from its International games, falling out of the 6N really would be the death knell for the game in Wales.

Which is why it’ll never happen.

Funny though, I’d been saying to my mates that the whole relegation playoff discussion seemed to have miraculously disappeared since it stopped being Scotland at the bottom. Cockers must have been listening

[tabascoboy]

Richard Cockerill's not wasted any time in asking for Georgia to be given the opportunity to play Wales with the winner then playing in the next 6N.

Wales won 43 -19 the last time they met (in the World Cup in 2023), but Georgia have beaten Wales in Cardiff before. Wales are also significantly worse than they were 2 years ago and Georgia are now ranked above them in the WR rankings (Georgia are 11th with 74.69 points; Wales are 12th with 73.39 points), so Georgia would have a very good chance of beating Wales at present.

As rugby in Wales is completely dependent on funding from its International games, falling out of the 6N really would be the death knell for the game in Wales.

Which is why it’ll never happen.

Funny though, I’d been saying to my mates that the whole relegation playoff discussion seemed to have miraculously disappeared since it stopped being Scotland at the bottom. Cockers must have been listening

The clamour was strong when Italy regularly finished bottom too - and that was largely from the English dominated press