With four Rugby Europe competition matches being played over Friday and Saturday we knew there would be drama, we just did not know it would come in the first game.
In the men’s Conference clash in the Vassil Levski National Stadium in Sofia, hosts Bulgaria scored a try with the clock in the red after 80 minutes to defeat Moldova 18-17.
The Moldova side had built up a 17-13 lead and looked like they might secure their third win from three in Pool C, but Bulgaria had other ideas.
They took a tap penalty and, after a number of phases, centre Ricardo Attye found space to go over for an unconverted try and give them a home victory.
Before that late drama, a penalty from Bulgaria stand-off Petar Nikolov had put them up early on before Moldova winger Ion Copitov received yellow cards in the ninth and 22nd minutes and, as such, was red carded.
Against the 14-man visitors, Bulgaria stretched their lead to 13-0 by half-time thanks to unconverted tries from winger Tsvetostin Tsvetkov and scrum-half Vasil Borisov.
Bulgaria then lost tighthead prop Ludovic Traykov to the sin bin in the 49th minute and, with it being 14 versus 14 for 10 minutes, Moldova were able to get on the scoreboard thanks to a five-pointer from centre Andrei Cebotari.
Bulgaria returned to 15 men, but the try gave Moldova momentum and they scored another through replacement Adrian Adam on the hour mark.
That made it 13-10 and then Bulgaria missed a penalty before Moldova went ahead with just five minutes left.
Sergiu Vicol was the scorer and suddenly it was 15-13 to them before the even later drama.
Bulgaria are fourth in the four-team pool and Moldova are top after two previous wins before this loss and this game will not be forgotten in a while.
On Saturday in the same competition, Montenegro and Slovenia met in a Pool E clash.
Slovenia made it two wins from two and are topping the section after a 39-22 triumph while Montenegro sit third in the four-team pool.
Denmark then hosted Latvia at Erritsø Rugby Club in Pool A.
This was a closely fought contest with Denmark just edging it 13-10 meaning that they are top of the five-team section with three victories from three. Latvia are second and this was their first defeat after two wins.
In the women’s Championship on Saturday, Netherlands made sure of a second placed finish in the four-team event behind winners Spain by thumping Sweden 90-3.
The match was placed at the Trelleborg Rugby Arena and the visitors dominated from the outset.
Anouk Veerkamp, the loosehead prop, set the tone after two minutes when she went over for a try converted by Pleuni Kievit and by half-time Netherlands were 57-0 up.
Sweden did get on the scoreboard with a penalty after 44 minutes, but by then it was 64-3 and it finished 90-3, the last of Netherlands 14 tries coming from replacement Elizabeth Shermer on 80 minutes converted by Kievit.
As a result of this reverse, Sweden finished fourth in the standings.
By Gary Heatly
Photos: Nick Tenev (Bulgaria v Moldova), Christer Thorell (Sweden v Netherlands)
