Russia v. Canada

Tonga have just thrashed USA to overtake them in the World Rankings. Russia v. Canada are soon to kick off. I imagine Russia are underdogs for this game but can they pull of a win?

Canada

15 James Pritchard
14 Matt Evans
13 Conor Trainor
12 Mike Scholz
11 Justin Mensah-Coker
10 Ander Monro (c)
9 Sean White
8 Aaron Carpenter
7 Chauncey O'Toole
6 Jebb Sinclair
5 Jamie Cudmore
4 Tyler Hotson
3 Scott Franklin
2 Ryan Hamilton
1 Tom Dolezel
Substitutes:
16 Pat Riordan
17 Andrew Tiedemann
18 Hubert Buydens
19 Mitch Gudgeon
20 Nanyak Dala
21 Ed Fairhurst
22 Phil Mackenzie

Russia

15 Igor Klyuchnikov
14 Vasily Artemiev
13 Igor Makovetskiy
12 Alexey Makovetskiy
11 Vladamir Ostroushko
10 Yuri Kushnarev
9 Sergey Sergeev
8 Vyacheslav Grachev
7 Andrey Garbuzov
6 Andrey Temnov
5 Alexander Voytov
4 Vladimir Boltenkov
3 Ivan Prischepenko
2 Vladislav Korshunov (c)
1 Sergey Popov
Substitutes:
16 Valery Tsnobiladze
17 Alexey Travkin
18 Alexey Panasenko
19 Victor Gresev
20 Andrey Bykanov
21 Sergey Trishin
22 Anton Ryabov

Really good win for Tonga with quite an understrength side.

I really can't see Russia winning this one but I do hope they play the positive brand of rugby that has been instilled in them.

Jamie Cudmore is back with the Canadians which is interesting.

Maybe Russia can take a lead while Canada are down to 14.

It was a weakened US team as well (although stronger than the one against the Saxons)

It was a weakened US side but not to the same extent as Tonga.

An interesting match up in this game will be the two stand offs, who are quite similar, with a good range of passing skills.

Just found out that Cudmore used to be a debt collector for a drug dealer.

Not really a surprise.

Reference - Sky Sports build-up program. Moderators -Feel free to delete if uncomfortable with that.

Thunor - can't see anything wrong with that, I'm watching the same programme as you (other mods if you want to delete it, go ahead)

Is it bad that when I look at that Russian line up all I can think is - Good luck commentators?

rugbydreamer wrote:
Is it bad that when I look at that Russian line up all I can think is - Good luck commentators?

Nigel Owens to ref.

Russia kick off

Nigel's reffing!

Looking forward to this one, really interested to see how Russia go, I've never seen them play before.

Good beard on Canadian 6.

Knock-on by Canada

1st Russian scrum - solid

Knock-on by Russia

Didn't think that was early engagement. I can see problems with Nigel's made up hand signals if the Russians don't speak much English

Another scrum for accidental off-side

Pretty loose so far. Russian scrum solid again but forward pass

4th scrum in 5 minutes

Thunor - try, Nige does have strange hand signals, but not the strangest I've seen!

Bit of a strange start, too many mistakes from both sides so far.

Russia scrum seems to have the edge but too early to say for sure and it's not a vast advantage. Another knock-on!

REALLY scrappy. The handling was good in the earlier game; hopefully this one improves. It's perfect conditions.

Lovely break for the Russian scrum half off the lineout. Good tackling kept out winger

Note I'm not even trying to spell the names

oooo that was a great break and move by the Russians, good last ditch tackle by Canada though.

Really good turnover for Canada there though to clear their lines.

Break for Canada. Last ditch tackling keeping them for now.



Try

A try Canada.

Russia forcing it too much and drop a pass and Canada pounce on the ball. Some good tackling on their line initially but Canada find the space to go over.

That's O'Toole again. Key man for them. If he'd shown that when he was at Glasgow he might have got a longer contract- didn't do that with the weegies!

Off-side at the restart, penalty Russia

3-7 to Canada

Off-side at the restart, penalty Canada

3-10 to Canada

Game on

Soft try, 10-8. Another Canadian error.

Seems like a harsh penalty. Canada were piling forward and then it collapsed. How could the Russian get out of the way?

I don't really like Owens as a ref

Try Russia. From Canadian handling error

10-10

yay, try Russia! Well done that full back Igor. Really good making the most of the Canadians mistake.

10 - 10

HammerofThunor wrote:S

I don't really like Owens as a ref

actually I can understand why you don't, occasionally he really irritates me, think he's one of the better refs out there (although not a fan of him when it comes to scrums).

Canada an inch from the tryline and Russia got a turnover (not sure if it was legal)

More good counter-rucking for Russia

Ahh Artemiev in for a score! The Irish-Russian man

I don't like to see the grubber in that situation, it's a low percentage option but just occasionally you get a lucky break like that.

Try for Russia. Long pass followed by a grubber. Picked up and put down by winger Artmiev (?)

15-10 to Russia

HammerofThunor wrote:Try for Russia. Long pass followed by a grubber. Picked up and put down by winger Artmiev (?)

15-10 to Russia

Vasily Artemiev. Former team mate of Luke Fitzgerald in Schools Rugby, member of the Leinster Academy and soon to be a Northampton Saint.

Notch wrote:I don't like to see the grubber in that situation, it's a low percentage option but just occasionally you get a lucky break like that.

Not always. Andy Goode was awesome at it. Pretty good option if the kick is proficient (much like drop goals)

Artemiev's going to Northampton after the World Cup they said. He is a real talent and may thrive in that sort of full time environment.

I've been impressed by what I've seen, although the Americans were well below par

Does that conversion look good to anyone else? Should have gone upstairs.

O'Toole is their talisman, every time he gets on the ball he's dangerous.

HammerofThunor wrote:

Notch wrote:I don't like to see the grubber in that situation, it's a low percentage option but just occasionally you get a lucky break like that.

Not always. Andy Goode was awesome at it. Pretty good option if the kick is proficient (much like drop goals)

He picked his moments very well though, being able to spot when the fullback was fractionally out of position. Pritchard basically should have had that one covered, albeit he had to turn. It was a good kick.

Notch - am surprised they didn't go upstairs myself, hope it doesn't come back to haunt the Russians.

Am really, really enjoying this game, wasn't sure I was going to.

Looked good from the kicking tee but the curve may have made it look that way. I hope it was much clearer for the ARs.

Try canada

Russian forwards are starting to look very very tired.

15-15

Last kick of the 1st half
18-15 Russia

I'm really getting behind Russia here- they're doing so well.

Good old Duke Nukem

Also behind Russia.

Been very pleasantly surprised by Russia, didn't know what to expect but didn't think they'd be this good. Happy to see it.

Just had a quick look at Russian Rugby Union Team wikipedia entry. Apparantly the USSR didn't play much rugby because of it's Western Capitalist morals

To me it's all about each player doing their bit for the collective team to perform. That's more socialism isn't it?

I would've thought so. Very much dependent on teamwork and the collective over the individual.

And yet they invested so much in their football team...

Here that comment about the Llanelli fans dreamer?

Probably a bad referee...

HammerofThunor wrote:Just had a quick look at Russian Rugby Union Team wikipedia entry. Apparantly the USSR didn't play much rugby because of it's Western Capitalist morals

To me it's all about each player doing their bit for the collective team to perform. That's more socialism isn't it?

Russia are a bit of a mixed bag they have regressed in terms of 6 Nations B results, and they lost by 60 points to Japan not long ago however, it's worth noting their players do play professionally and most of their top clubs apparently have budgets of several million euroes.

It's the Turks' (the Welsh kind) fault rugby didn't take off in Russia. Should have known.