B Six Nations

Place Nation pld w d l BPs for against
1 Georgia (17) 4 4 0 0 1 126 52 +74 17
2 Romania (19) 4 4 0 0 1 105 56 +49 17
3 Russia (20) 4 2 0 2 1 67 84 -17 9
4 Portugal (22) 4 1 0 3 1 66 87 -21 5
5 Belgium (21) 4 0 1 3 2 60 88 -28 4
6 Spain (18) 4 0 1 3 1 63 120 -57 3

2 February 2013 Portugal 13 - 19 Romania
2 February 2013 Russia 13 - 9 Spain
2 February 2013 Belgium 13 - 17 Georgia

9 February 2013 Georgia 25 - 12 Portugal
9 February 2013 Romania 29 - 14 Russia
9 February 2013 Belgium 21 - 21 Spain

23 February 2013 Russia 9 - 23 Georgia
23 February 2013 Spain 15 - 25 Romania
23 February 2013 Portugal 18 - 12 Belgium

9 March 2013 Georgia 61 - 18 Spain
9 March 2013 Portugal 23 - 31 Russia
9 March 2013 Belgium 14 - 32 Romania

16 March 2013 Romania v Georgia
16 March 2013 Spain v Portugal
16 March 2013 Russia v Belgium


It is as you would expect at the top with Georgia and Rominia at the top both with 4 wins still to play each other. The interesting thing is that they both have only got one BP.

Portugal and Russia seem to be fighting it out for third and the all important thrid spot for the RWC. With the win against Portugal. The result with Spain and Portgal will leave one of them worried about relegation.

Belgium as new boys will be happy enough so far. They don't seem to be out of place results wise which is always good to see.

On an aside it you would wonder if each b 6 Nation team should get an Amlin spot.

Last season 2010-2012
1 Georgia 10 9 0 1 316 83 +233 6 42
2 Romania 10 6 0 4 302 118 +184 8 32
3 Spain 10 5 0 5 225 275 -50 6 26
4 Russia 10 5 0 5 212 257 -45 5 25
5 Portugal 10 4 0 6 215 230 -15 5 21
6 Ukraine 10 1 0 9 124 442 -318 1 5

1 Belgium 10 9 0 1 303 149 +154 39
2 Poland 10 6 1 3 238 189 +49 31
3 Moldova 10 5 1 4 194 211 -17 26
4 Germany 10 4 0 6 229 212 +17 22
5 Czech Rep 10 4 0 6 160 217 -57 20
6 Netherlands 10 1 0 9 153 299 -146 6

In 1B Germany have picked themselves up and are fighting it out with the Ukraine to get back up.

It is good to see the levels under the six nations getting better as a whole. I don't think they are ready to make the move up to 6 Nations but as a whole rugby on the whole is better and growing year on year which will been more money in the future for all European nations.

With Georgia now having a sevens team, it should hopefully help to improve their backs which is the only real thing holding them back as they have a really good pack.

Thanks very much for the post. Interesting reading... The Mighty Romania are still lurking and capable, I remember when they nearly beat the All Blacks.

Portugal had a good team in the RWC 2007, good to see they are on an even keel. Georgia are the impressive new boys of rugby, Russia in hot pursuit.

It is brilliant to see the expansion of the game.

Having spent a great deal of time in Italy over the last ten years it is wonderful to see how passionately they have adopted the game. Now you can chat rugby with most people in the north, even in Sardinia, where a number of the U20s games have been played.

The saxons should be playing these teams,would be mutually beneficial.The saxons get more game time together and the minnows gain from playing better opposition.
I think in time Georgia will become part of 7N or as someone suggested a playoff against Scotland sorry I meant the side that finishes bottom.

The Saxons isn't a test team though. These are all test matches.

Once again then

I think playing A Teams is degrading. These are full tests and should remain so.

That said opportunities for these teams to have a crack at a top ten nation outside of a RWC on a regular basis would help dramatically.

Both NH and SH teams should do so much more to spread the game and improve the game outside of the top ten teams.

IRB please step in and assist.

Wales dont have an A team - the Chuchill cup worked very well for the USA, Canada, the Saxons and the other A teams involved and there is no reason why something similar might work here. If teams like Georgia regularly knock over the A teams then full tests are a must

maestegmafia wrote:Both NH and SH teams should do so much more to spread the game and improve the game outside of the top ten teams.

IRB please step in and assist.

In complete agreement

Aim towards fully developed leagues in all of Europe (from an NH perspective) and a Euro competition; the prospect would be a great great specticle. If the sport takes off in Germany we might just see more than the (now very old and rather boring) Anglo-Welsh bickering, with occasional tonkings by the French

IRB don't rest on your laurels!

lostinwales wrote:Wales dont have an A team - the Chuchill cup worked very well for the USA, Canada, the Saxons and the other A teams involved and there is no reason why something similar might work here. If teams like Georgia regularly knock over the A teams then full tests are a must

A Teams or some other countries sent Barbarians or Emerging teams to tour the nations of the second tier of International rugby.

I think this competition needs to stand alone to grow.

The IRB needs to find a way to encourage the top twenty teams to interact more frequently.

interesting, thanks.

I agree that we need to get the Saxons involved, it would be beneficial in creating more attention and media coverage. Whats the branding like on this teir 2 tourney, I wonder how much coverage it gets. We don't hear nowt about it here.

AlastairW wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Both NH and SH teams should do so much more to spread the game and improve the game outside of the top ten teams.

IRB please step in and assist.

In complete agreement

Aim towards fully developed leagues in all of Europe (from an NH perspective) and a Euro competition; the prospect would be a great great specticle. If the sport takes off in Germany we might just see more than the (now very old and rather boring) Anglo-Welsh bickering, with occasional tonkings by the French

IRB don't rest on your laurels!

Agree completely. Especially with the current HC debating, now we good be a good time to unveil a plan to link up the whole of Europe's club and international scenes. There needs to be a pyramid from top to bottom in both. Currently a few Italian/Spanish/Romanian clubs compete in the Amlin which is a good start but there should be an Amlin plate below that with the winner stepping up to the Amlin.

I think there should be a play off between the 6N losers and the 6NB winners personally, although I can see why some teams might not go for that. Failing that, the top tier of 6NB should be invited into the 'A' league seeing as not all countries bother to put a team out. Then when/if Geogia/Romania start winning that, thought can be given to the play off.

Bathman_in_London wrote:..... the top tier of 6NB should be invited into the 'A' league seeing as not all countries bother to put a team out. Then when/if Geogia/Romania start winning that, thought can be given to the play off.

Fantastic idea - so obvious

Keep the Saxons and any other A teams away from this competition they have the Churchill cup that's enough, playing A teams is unfair, what should happen is who ever wins this competition should be promoted to the 6 nations and who ever finishes bottom of the 6 nations should be put in this competition, it gives these nations a reason to improve makes it more competitive

We shouldn't forget that the IRB are getting the The pacific cup too include the USA and Canada

They are also doing more to get the euro teams playing those in the new pacific cup in the AIs.

I do think the winners of the B6N should get to play the bottom of the 6N in the AIs

Was on the a site about the North Sea Cup which has teams from Belgium, Netherlands and Germany competing. It said that the euro federation had five designated areas to do sure cups.

Also many may not know that the u18s is set up as a divisional competition, with 8 in each division.

I don't think that the gap is close enough to promote Georgia to the 6N but they should get to play some of the teams in the 6N every year.

Who played in the cup in Wales with Samoa and Canada and how did they do

But if they promote the winning team then they will get a chance to compete against the best and then if they get relegated with out winning as long as they give a solid account of them selves then that's showing they have improved then their going go back to this tournament and everyones going want beat them and will have to improve to so that makes it win win

Italy had good results before they entered the 6N but they still struggled. I would like to see the year the loins tour is on to have a euro competition for the top 12/16 teams in Europe.

Would also help get them better ready for the World Cup as it would be every two years instead of every four

erm.. the Churchill cup isn't being played for any more is it?

I think there needs to be a reality check regarding the standard.

Portugal came to Ravenhil a couple of years back and they were the worst side we have played in the professional era.

We scored 50+ points without breaking sweat.

For promotion/relegation to occur, a few things need to change:

1) The Six Nations needs to take the ENC format of a home and away competition over 2 years. No scheduling needs to change, but a final table needs to be produced after 10 games.

2) The Six Nations and the ENC need to then share branding and a website, so everybody knows that there are levels below the Six Nations.

3) Promotion/relegation needs to be decided on a play-off system, not an automatic one-up, one-down. No way should a strong Six Nations team be swapped for an ENC team if that ENC team is just going to take thrashing after thrashing. Beating the incumbent will show that the team coming up is more suited to a spot in the tournament.

4) More needs to be done to increase the exposure of ENC nations, and that may mean a European Championship. Not only will this help the ENC nations get up to the required standard, it will also help any of the Six Nations that may get relegated from falling into obscurity and the financial implications that brings.

I am all for promotion/relegation, but it needs to be properly implemented. Right now the structure just isn't right.

welshboii15 wrote:Keep the Saxons and any other A teams away from this competition they have the Churchill cup that's enough, playing A teams is unfair, what should happen is who ever wins this competition should be promoted to the 6 nations and who ever finishes bottom of the 6 nations should be put in this competition, it gives these nations a reason to improve makes it more competitive

Churchill cup is gone sadly. Playing A teams is a way of trying to give these new teams more exposure while trying to level the playing field. If they start beating the A teams then they can think about moving up - 'simples'. What is the point in a full strength England or Wales putting 80 points past Portugal?

I think we all agree that only Georgia and Rominia are going to be anywhere near coming up so the rest of the teams are not an issue.

I think that Samoa, Canada, & Tonga as the best three nations outside the top ten teams should have to each play either Georgia or Rominia as part of their AI tour. It is unfair that Samoa, Tonga and Fiji get to play the big boys but Canada, USA, Georgia and Rominia don't.

Hopefully the inclusion of North American into the Pacific cup will give them more games and inturn give the secon teir of Europe more games.

I know the IRB scraped the Churchill cup but could European Ruby not organise it.

As I have stated before I think that In europe we need to do our own thing has half the members of the IRB are in europe which is the richest, smallest contenient in the world.

We also could offer to inculde the middle east and north Africa as they use to be apart of us and they would fit in better. Middle east also has the money and alot of the players come from the uk and ireland so would rather play a european team then an asian team.

I know alot of members of the FIRA feel that the 6 Nations does what it wants and is doing nothing to help rugby grow in europe. We often give out to our southern brethern for not including teams that are futher away then most of europe.

First things first, not in favour of promotion and relegation between the main 6 Nations and the 'B' 6 Nations. But imagine if it had existed this year, and it was a smile case of bottom drops down, top rises up. No play off. We'd have swapped France for Georgia!!!!

GLove39 wrote:First things first, not in favour of promotion and relegation between the main 6 Nations and the 'B' 6 Nations. But imagine if it had existed this year, and it was a smile case of bottom drops down, top rises up. No play off. We'd have swapped France for Georgia!!!!

Well if the system was an extention of the ENC promotion/relegation, it wouldn't be decided on this one season. Personally I'd be fine with it; fine with going down if we deserved to (I doubt the RFU would see it that way (or any union) so it would never happen unless the IRB forced it).

The Churchill Cup was probably good for US and Canada however partaking in the PNC is probably better for them. Not sure how useful for the Saxons it was (or how useful the Saxons is in general). However for Georgia, etc, the Churchill Cup wasn't really a fair competiton as they rarely if ever had their best players available. They need to play in the international window so they can get their team together in full test matches.