RUSSIA v UNITED STATES: IRB Rugby Series

09.11.2012
This is the first of four rugby test matches to be played in the IRB’s International Rugby Series. The tournament is to be staged in Colwyn Bay, North Wales.

The other teams are Canada, Samoa and Tonga. The first series is today 9th November with the second being on the 17th November.

The first games this Friday are Canada v Samoa and Russia v USA

Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)

Preview
Russia has selected an experienced side whilst USA has five new test players in their squad for this match.

These teams last met at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in pool play. USA won 13-6 in New Plymouth.

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table: Russia 18th, USA 20th

IRB Ranking Points
USA 66.61, Russia 61.07

Prediction: USA by 3 points

TEAMS

United States

15		Christopher Wyles	Saracens, England
14		Cornelius Dirksen	Life University RFC
13		Paul Emerick	London Wasps, England
12		Andrew Suniula	Chicago Griffins RFC
11		Luke Hume	Old Blues RFC
10		Tobias L'Estrange	New York Athletic Club
9		Robert Shaw	Richmond RFC, England
8		Todd Clever (Capt.)	NTT Shining Arc, Japan
7		John Quill	Boston RFC
6		Scott Lavalla	Stade Francais, France
5		Louis Stanfill	Vicenza Gers, Italy
4		Brian Doyle	New York Athletic Club
3		Eric Fry	Manawatu, New Zealand
2		Christopher Biller	Unattached
1		Shawn Pittman	Unattached
16		Zachary Fenoglio	Glendale Raptors RFC
17		Nicholas Wallace	St Mary's RFC
18		Anthony Purpura	Boston RFC
19		Inaki Basauri	Tarbes Pyrenees Rugby, France
20		Peter Dahl	Belmont Shore RFC
21		Michael Petri	New York Athletic Club
22		Roland Suniula	FC Auch, France
23		Gearoid McDonald	Old Belvedere RFC, Ireland
		HEAD COACH: Michael Tolkin

Russia

15		Igor Klyuchnikov	VVA-Podmoskovje
14		Denis Simplikevich	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
13		Vasily Artemyev	Northampton Saints, England
12		Alexander Makovetsky	Krasny Yar
11		Vladimir Ostrushko	Kuban Krasnodar
10		Sergey Sugrobov	Slava Moscow
9		Alexey Scherban	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
8		Victor Gresev	Krasny Yar
7		Pavel Butenko	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
6		Andrey Temnov	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
5		Kirill Kulemin	London Welsh, England
4		Alexander Voytov (Capt.)	VVA-Podmoskovye
3		Evgeny Pronenko	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
2		Valeriy Tsnobiladze	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
1		Gregory Tsnobiladze	Krasny Yar
16		Vladislav Korshunov	VVA-Podmoskovye
17		Alexey Volkov	VVA-Podmoskovye
18		Innokenty Zykov	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
19		Andrey Garbuzov	Krasny Yar
20		Ramil Gaysin	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
21		Gleb Babkin	Slava Moscow
22		Vladimir Boltenkov	Imperia Penza
23		Dmitry Gerasimov	Enisey-STM-Krasnoyarsk
		HEAD COACH: Kingsley Jones