EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP TEST RUGBY: Division 1A

11.02.2012
Russia v Portugal in Lisbon (ENC 1A)

Venue: National Stadium

Referee: I.Davies (Wales)

Preview
Portugal has a number of points to prove in this test match. They will want to defeat Russia convincingly and get it’s 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign underway. Russia attended the 2011 Rugby World Cup, effectively replacing Portugal as the third, and last, European Tier 2 nation to qualify.

Russia has kept to its word about blooding new players preparing for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The average age of the backline is 22. Having said that fourteen were with the Russian squad at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Gerasimov last played during the 2010 Churchill Cup.

‘Igor Klyuchnikov, Kirill Kushnarev, Sergey Popov and Alexander Voytov were not considered due to injury, while Russia's four English-based players – Vasily Artemyev (Northampton Saints), Victor Gresev, Vladislav Korshunov (both London Wasps), and Andrey Ostrikov – will remain with their Aviva Premiership sides. One other player not included is Evegenii Pronenko, although he will be considered in future following his 6-month suspension for a doping violation.’
http://www.rugby.ru/en/news/id_897/

Note; Gresev has been included in this team.

The bench is an experienced lot so perhaps if all goes pair-shaped first half some experience can be injected. The Russian side has a very experimental look about it and I’d expect them to struggle away from home against Portugal

Last Five Encounters
12.02.2011 Portugal 21-19 in Sochi (ENC 1A)
06.02.2010 Russia 14-10 in Sochi (WCQ Europe R5; ENC 1)
07.02.2009 Russia 18-14 in Lisbon (WCQ Europe R5; ENC 1)
01.03.2008 Russia 41-26 in Krasnodar (ENC 1)
12.05.2007 Russia 21-13 in Lisbon (ENC 1)

Portugal last defeated Russia in Lisbon back in 2006, winning 26-23

Russia Last Five
01.10.2011 v Australia L 22-68 in Nelson (World Cup, Pool C)
25.09.2011 v Ireland L 12-62 in Rotorua (World Cup, Pool C)
20.09.2011 v Italy L 17-53 in Nelson (World Cup, Pool C)
15.09.2011 v United States L 6-13 in New Plymouth (World Cup, Pool C)
18.06.2011 v United States in Gloucester (Churchill Cup, Playoff 5th-6th)

Portugal Last Five
13.11.2011 v Uruguay L 9-16 in Lisbon
15.06.2011 v Namibia L 23-29 in Bucharest (IRB Nations Cup)
10.06.2011 v Argentina ‘A’ L 21-25 in Bucharest (IRB Nations Cup)
19.03.2011 v Ukraine W 46-24 in Lisbon (ENC 1A)
12.03.2011 v Spain L 10-25 in Madrid (ENC 1A)

Data from www.rugbyinternational.net

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Russia 20th, Portugal 23rd
Europe Table-Portugal 10th, Russia 11th

IRB Ranking Points
Russia 61.93, Portugal 59.30

Prediction: Portugal by 7 points

Teams

Russia

15		Yuri Kushnarev	VVA-Podmoskovye
14		Vladimir Ostroushko	Yug Krasnodar
13		Dmitry Gerasimov	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
12		Alexander Makovetsky	Krasny Yar
11		Denis Simplikevich	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
10		Anton Ryabov	Krasny Yar
9		Alexander Yanyushkin	VVA-Podmoskovye
8		Victor Gresev	London Wasps, England
7		Andrew Garbuzov	Krasny Yar
6		Andrey Temnov	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
5		Vladimir Boltenkov	Imperia Penza
4		Denis Antonov	Slava Moscow
3		Evgeny Matveev	VVA-Podmoskovye
2		Valery Tsnobiladze	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
1		Vladimir Botvinnikov	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
16		Grégory Tsnobiladze	Krasny Yar
17		Innokenty Zykov	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
18		Paul Kvernadze	Spartak GM
19		Artem Fatahkov	VVA-Podmoskovye
20		Alexander Shakirov	VVA-Podmoskovye
21		Sergey Trishin	VVA-Podmoskovye
22		Mikhail Babaev	VVA-Podmoskovye
		HEAD COACH: Kingsley Jones

Portugal

15		António Aguilar	GD Direito
14		Goncalo Foro	CD University Lisboa
13		Frederico Oliveira	CD University Lisboa
12		Carl Murray	CD University Lisboa
11		Bernardo Silveira	CD University Lisboa
10		Yannick Ricardo	Castanet, France
9		Francisco Pinto Magalhães	CD University Lisboa
8		Juan Severino	Santboiana, Spain
7		Julien Bardy	Clermont-Auvergne, France
6		Vasco Uva	GD Direito
5		Gonçalo Uva (Capt.)	GD Direito
4		David Penalva	Montauban, France
3		Jorge Segurado	GD Direito
2		Michael Tadjer	Massy, France
1		Cristian Spachuk	Bourgoin, France
16		Vasco Marques	CD Universitário do Porto
17		Francisco Fernandes	Beziers, France
18		Juan Murre	St.Etienne, France
19		Rui D’Orey	GD Direito
20		Luis Sousa	GD Direito
21		José Pinto	GD Direito
22		Joseph Gardener	Honda Heat, Japan
		HEAD COACH: Errol Brain

http://maodemestre.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/xv-de-portugal-para-o-jogo-com-russia.html#more