TEST MATCH: Sweden Safe

01.05.2010
Croatia v Sweden in Enkoping (ENC 2B)

Venue: Enkoping Rugby Club

Referee: Morton (Norway)

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	DIFF	PT
NETHERLANDS	8	7	0	1	219	90	129	22
CROATIA	7	6	0	1	147	97	50	19
MALTA	8	4	0	4	132	156	-24	16
LATVIA	8	1	0	7	97	237	-140	10
SWEDEN	7	1	0	6	130	150	-47	9

Preview
There is not a great deal hinging on this test match. Both teams are safely in Division 2B for the 2010-12 tournament. A win to Croatia would not be enough to overtake the Netherlands on the table, whilst Sweden has enough points on aggregate to send Latvia down to ENC 3A.

Croatia played strongly last weekend to inflict the first loss of the competition to leaders Netherlands. It wasn't enough to knock the Dutch off the top of the ladder as The Netherlands has a better points aggregate between the two teams.

For Sweden a win would give the team a great boost in their last game of the season, and a good platform for the new competition.

Previous Encounter
02.05.2009 Croatia 23-13 in Split (WCQ Europe R3; ENC 2B)

GWC Rugby Rankings
Europe Table-Croatia 19th, Sweden 23rd

Prediction: Croatia by 16 points

Teams

Sweden Squad
Thomas Ardvisson (Bordeaux, France)
Ivar Bengtsson (Hammarby IF Rugby)
Tobias Borg (Enköping RK)
Andrew Daish (Nuneaton RFC, England)
Robert Dibell (Enköping RK)
Ian Gowland (Stockholm Exiles RFC)
Daniel Legge (Cambridge RFC, England))
Rikard Johansson (Hammarby IF Rugby)
Timothy Johansson (Enköping RK)
Robert Nave (Enköping RK)
Stefan Obradovic (Attila)
Ricky Okpu (Enköping RK)
Richard Örnberg (Vänersborg RK)
Viktor Pettersson (Enköping RK)
Lee Sandberg (North Walsham RFC, England)
Paul Sullivan (Stockholm Exiles RFC)
Alexander Taylor, Capt. (Nuneaton RFC, England)
Sebastian Taylor (Old Haberdashers RFC, England)
Mathias Thorhand (Hammarby IF Rugby)
Jim Wetterström (Enköping RK)
Peter Wiklund (Vänersborg RK)
Matthew Youngman (Enköping RK)
Head Coach: Mike Tatu

Adapted from http://www.erk.nu/

Croatia Squad
Carl Banks (North Shore RFC, NZ)
Ante Blažević Bandov (RK Nada)
Mate Borozan (RK Nada)
Nick Brajkovich (North Shore RFC, NZ)
Tomislav Burazin (RK Nada)
Tonči Buzov (RK Nada)
Goran Čulić (RK Nada)
Dominik Draženović (RK Mladost)
Tvrtko Dumančić (RK Mladost)
Duje Grubišić (RK Nada)
Nik Jurišić (RK Mladost)
Špiro Matić (RK Nada)
Andrej Mihalj (RK Mladost)
Filip Mijić (RK Zagreb)
Ivan Nola (Waitemata RFC, NZ)
Ante Olujić (RK Nada)
Alek Osmanović (RK Makarska Riviera)
Ivan Rešetar (RK Nada)
Ivica Šimić (RK Makarska Riviera)
Ivan Šuta (RK Mladost)
Marin Tvrdić (RK Nada)
Filip Ujaković (RK Mladost)
Michael Zovko (Souths RFC, Australia)
Head Coach: Jakša Lovreta

Adapted from http://nada-rugby.hr/content/view/9289/2/