Sports weekend
The latest from rugby and domestic football
Florin Orban, 11.03.2022, 13:45
Romanias national rugby team in Bucharest on Saturday goes against Georgia. The fixture counts towards Rugby Europe Championship, Europes second-tier rugby competition. For our national squad, the game is extremely important since The Oak Leaf Knights are in dire need of a win if they want to keep their hopes alive for a direct qualification to the 2023 edition of the World Cup in France. In recent years, Georgias trail in Rugby Europe Championship has been a win-all one. Head-to-heads has revealed that 2017 was the year when Romania last won a match against Georgia; the score was 8 to 7. Advancing to the 2023 edition of the World Cup will be the first two teams that have qualified for the Rugby Europe Championships 2021 and 2022 editions combined. With 22 points in 8 games played, Romania is 3rd-placed according to the as-it-stands table. With 31 points in 7 games, Georgia is at the top of the table, followed by Spain, with 25 de points in 8 confrontations. Romanias game against Georgia will be followed by a match against the Low Countries team next Saturday, a fixture Romania stands a great chance to win. Having rather unexpectedly outclassed Romania two weeks ago, Spain is a favorite to becoming the runner-up team in the group, yet two difficult fixtures lay ahead for Spain, this coming Sundays match against Portugal, to be played in Madrid, and the match against Georgia on March 20 in Tbilisi. Since it entitles the teams involved to playing the repechage for the World Cup, the 3rd position in the group is also at stake in the match pitting Spain against Portugal, but also for Romania.
This coming weekend will see matches being played, counting towards the first round of League Ones domestic football championship, Group 1 / Group 2 stages. At stake in Group 1 is the title and the access to Europe Conference League. On Friday, Universitatea Craiova take on FC Argeș. On Saturday, defending champions CFR Cluj play a home game against FC Voluntari. On the National Arena in Bucharest, on Sunday FCSB face Farul Constanta. Ahead of Group 2, CFR have 38 points, while second-placed team FCSB have 31. Following in descending order is Universitatea Craiova, with 27. FC Argeș, Farul Constanța and FC Voluntari have 24 points each.
In Group 2 on Friday, UTA Arad face Academica Clinceni. On Saturday in Ploiesti, Chindia Târgoviște are pitted against FC U Craiova. On Sunday, Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe play a home fixture against CS Mioveni. The Bucharest derby pitting Rapid against Dinamo will also be played on Sunday. Scheduled in Mioveni, in the south, the match will be played in empty stadium because of clashes involving both teams fans, during the previous match pitting Rapid against Dinamo. In the rounds last fixture on Monday, FC Botosani play Gaz Metan Mediaș. In Group 1, teams go at all lengths to avoid second league positions so, at the end of the competition, the first two teams in Group 1 prove their mettle in a play-off fixture. The winner takes on the 3rd team in Group 2. At stake in the confrontation is a place in Europe Conference League.
(EN)
