Tier 2 News

I started this thread to talk about Tier 2 events and post news or link to streams with games.

First event is the qualifier for Americas 2 to RWC 2015.

GAME 1
Estadio Charrua, Montevideo, Uruguay. Saturday, 22March 2014, kick-off 4.00pm local time, 3pm US ET, 12pm US PT.
Link: http://www.irb.com/live/video.html
21:00 Romanian hour, I suppose it's 19:00 UK timezone

GAME 2
Fifth Third Bank Stadium, Kennesaw State University, Atlanta, USA. Saturday, 29 March 2014, kick-off 3.00pm local time, 12pm US PT.
21:30 (ora Romanian hour) - 19:30 UK
Link: http://www.irb.com/live/video.html


USARFU promo video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gYL9vgnLOs&feature=youtube_gdata

Article on RugbyMag
http://www.rugbymag.com/usa-men/10724-tolkin-names-travel-squad-for-qualifiers.html

Mike Tolkin has chosen his 26 member squad to travel to Uruguay.
Forwards: Todd Clever (NTT Shining Arcs), Tom Coolican (Richmond), Cam Dolan (Northampton), Eric Fry (London Scottish), Olive Kilifi (Seattle-OPSB), Titi Lamositele (Saracens), Scott LaValla (Stade Francais), Samu Manoa (Northampton), Hayden Smith (Saracens), Lou Stanfill (Seattle-OPSB), Kyle Sumsion (BYU), Phil Thiel (Life), Tai Tuisamoa (OMBAC), Nick Wallace (James Bay)

Backs: Miles Craigwell (Seattle-OPSB), Luke Hume (Narbonne), Seamus Kelly (Cal), Toby L'Estrange (London Welsh), Tim Maupin (Olympic Club), Folau Niua (Glasgow), Mike Petri (NYAC), Blaine Scully (Leicester), Robbie Shaw (London Scottish), Andrew Suniula (London Wasps), Shalom Suniula (Seattle-OPSB), Chris Wyles (Saracens)

Again no Ngwenya. He's club is virtually assured of being relegated anyway already so it has to be I think that he just hasn't been selected rather than being unavailable. Ironically, his servitude to Biarritz might just lose him his place at the RWC though still some time on his side though possibly not that many Eagle test opportunities.

Squads for the match:

Uruguay
1 Alejo Corral
2 Arturo Avalo (c)
3 Oscar Durán
4 Mathias Palomeque
5 Santiago Vilaseca
6 Juan Gaminara
7 Diego Magno
8 Alejandro Nieto
9 Agustín Ormaechea
10 Felipe Berchesi
11 Jerónimo Etcheverry
12 Andrés Vilaseca
13 Joaquín Prada
14 Leandro Leivas
15 Gastón Mieres

16 Nicolás Klappenbach
17 Rodolfo De Mula
18 Mario Sagario
19 Cristofer Soares De Lima
20 Franco Lamanna
21 Juan De Freitas
22 Alejo Durán
23 Francisco Bulanti

United States
1 Olive Kilifi
2 Phil Thiel
3 Eric Fry
4 Hayden Smith
5 Samu Manoa
6 Todd Clever (c)
7 Scott LaValla
8 Cameron Dolan
9 Mike Petri
10 Toby L'Estrange
11 Tim Maupin
12 Andrew Suniula
13 Folau Niua
14 Blaine Scully
15 Chris Wyles

16 Tom Coolican
17 Nicholas Wallace
18 Titi Lamositele
19 Louis Stanfill
20 Kyle Sumsion
21 Shalom Suniula
22 Seamus Kelly
23 Luke Hume

Another news is that our champion club, RCM Timisoara will probably start a partnership with Saracens.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/10714959/Saracens-ready-to-take-rugby-world-by-storm.html

Uruguay face a massive task to take on the USA. I think the USA are ahead 11-1 on their head-to-head record. That said Uruguay are likely to score points, so maybe, just maybe they can set up the next game nicely

HT in Atlanta

USA 3-13 Uruguay

Shocker. Really shocking first half result.

Well, the second half was also shocking with 26 unanswered point by Uruguay; they have some skilled players but their level of playing is obviously suffering from their amateurism and isolation; hopefully Argies will start develop their internal competition and Uruguay will be in the mix.

I think that would be best for Arg and the rest of the south americas, similar to Rom, one main country with guest teams from the others.

There could well be scope to involve Canadian and US teams. Even playing within Canadian or US borders you're not far removed from getting on a plane for away matches, and once you've done that and you're in basically the same timezone why not fly South a little

With no doubt, an All Americas competition with franchises would be interesting. Not sure about sponsorship but I think it's easier to find a big company with activities on the same continent.

As far as I know, all Americans (US, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay) don't have any pro competition so they have the same star if such championship will be ever formed.

Might even give a home for Japan who are a clear #1 in Asia, but also miles off being able to play Oz and Kiwi teams at any sensible level. It'd be a lot more travel with Japan involved, but potentially too a lot more money.

I don't think Japan really needs to be linked with Americans. They have a good pro championship and one championship of universities which is also at a decent level. I'd look to Japan to field some SR franchises in the near future, maybe one at the beginning. I'd look to link Korea, HK or other Asians countries of Japan. They're too big to be added to Americas and as a future RWC host I think we should give them more credit. One Japanese and one Argentinian franchise would not be an issue...although some SH officials looks to be against expansion.

Mind you, they 3 players now in SR and resolved their issues in the scrum so with few implants from abroad I am sure they can field a good SR franchise.

Not exactly Tier 2 but might be soon:

http://aviewfrombehindthescrum.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/moldovan-rugby-on-the-brink-of-greatness/

Craig Felston is Moldovan fly-half (his parents emigrated in UK) and Moldova has real chances to promote to ENC;

Emerging Ireland Squad for IRB Nations Cup

PROPS
Rodney Ah You (Connacht)
Michael Bent (Leinster - 3 caps)
Callum Black (Ulster)
John Ryan (Munster)
James Tracy (Leinster)

HOOKERS
Niall Annett (Ulster)
Bryan Byrne (Clontarf)

LOCKS
Robin Copeland (Cardiff Blues)
David Foley (Munster)
Mick Kearney (Connacht)

BACKROW
Paddy Butler (Munster)
Sean Dougall (Munster)
Mike McCarthy (Leinster - 16 caps)
Tommy O'Donnell (Munster - 4 caps)
Dominic Ryan (Leinster)

SCRUMHALVES
Paul Marshall (Ulster - 3 caps)
Luke McGrath (Leinster)

FLYHALVES
JJ Hanrahan (Munster)
Ian Keatley (Munster - 2 caps)

CENTRES
Eoin Griffin (Connacht)
Brendan Macken (Leinster)
Noel Reid (Leinster)

WINGERS
Michael Allen (Ulster)
Craig Gilroy (Ulster - 6 caps)

FULLBACKS
Andrew Conway (Munster)
Johne Murphy (Munster - 2 caps)

I think it's a stronger squad than last year at Tbilisi.

http://rugbyeurope.eu/

Rugby Europe was born yesterday in Split, Croatia. Let's hope other aspects, and not only that logo will improve at least half as much as it.

June 22, 19.00 local time (16.00 GMT)
Arcul de Triumf Stadium, Bucharest
Live on TVR 2, http://www.rugbytv.ro and http://www.tvrplus.ro/live-tvr-2 (with the Hola Unblocker addon for Chrome or Firefox)
Referees: Ian Davies (Wales) assisted by Robert Diaconescu and Ionut Bodea, TMO Razvan Iordachescu

Romania
1 Horatiu Pungea (Scarlets)
2 Eugen Capatana (RCM Timisoara)
3 Constantin Pristavita (Baia Mare)
4 Valentin Poparlan (RCM Timisoara)
5 Marius Sirbe (Tarbes)
6 Viorel Lucaci (Steaua)
7 Mihai Macovei (C) (Massy)
8 Daniel Carpo (RCM Timisoara)
9 Valentin Ivan (CSM Bucuresti)
10 Florin Vlaicu (Farul Constanta)
11 Ionut Dumitru (Steaua)
12 Csaba Gal (Baia Mare)
13 Catalin Robert Dascalu (Steaua)
14 Stephen Hihetah (Baia Mare)
15 Gabriel Conache (RCM Timisoara)

16 Alexandru Oancea (Baia Mare)
17 Alexandru Tarus (RCM Timisoara)
18 Marius Antonescu (CSM Bucuresti)
19 Vlad Nistor (Castres)
20 Andrei Ilie (Farul Constanta)
21 Florin Surugiu (CSM Bucuresti)
22 Filip Lazar (St. Jean D'Angely)

Emerging Ireland
15 - Johne Murphy (Young Munster/Munster) *
14 - Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster)
13 - Eoin Griffin (Galwegians/Connacht) *
12 - Stuart McCloskey (Dungannon/Ulster) *
11 - Andrew Conway (Blackrock College/Munster) *
10 - Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster)
9 - Paul Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster)
1 - John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) *
2 - James Tracy (UCD/Leinster) *
3 - Michael Bent (Dublin University/Leinster)
4 - Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster) *
5 - David Foley (UL Bohemians/Munster) *
6 - Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster) (capt) *
7 - Sean Dougall (Dolphin/ Munster) *
8 - Robin Copeland (Cardiff Blues) *

16 - Bryan Byrne (Clontarf/Leinster) *
17 - Ricky Lutton (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *
18 - Paddy Butler (Shannon/Munster) *
19 - Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
20 - Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *
21 - JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemians/Munster) *
22 - Brendan Macken (Blackrock College/Leinster) *

I think the Irish are heavy favorites in this match but I hope the Oaks can at least make them work for it. Howells seems fed up with Surugiu's bad form and Ivan will start as scrum half, with Vlaicu at number 10. It will be a big defensive test, especially for Dumitru, Hihetah and Conache. Romania will have a very young and unexperienced bench for this one, including three possible debutants.

Last matches of the tournament:
Romanian 10 - 31 Emerging Ireland.
http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/220531.html
Russia 6 - 13 Uruguay
http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/220533.html