Georgia remained undefeated once again during the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship, but there were also a few brilliant matches in the final weekend. It’s time to look at the final hot stats of the season.
Tackles made: 162
The Lelos might have scored more tries as they overcame a fired-up Spain at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, but it was their tackling that would be key to driving them towards another title.
Georgia found themselves on the losing side before the half hour mark, with Spain mounting a sensational strategy that rattled the locals. However, Georgia’s defence came in guns blazing, dropping dominant tackles all over the pitch, which would end up forcing Spain to concede territory and ball possession.
Yes, Tabutsadze and Karkadze landed a hat-trick each, but five of those tries started in sensational defensive efforts, turning over the ball from Spanish possession to theirs.
We have already stated in a previous article that a good attack can push your team over the try-line, but a superb defence can help to win titles, which has been the case of Georgia in the last eight years.
Penalties: 8
In what was one of the biggest games of the final weekend of the 2025 Men’s Rugby Europe Championship was undoubtably between Belgium and the Netherlands. It was the men from Belgium who provided a spectacular performance to qualify for the World Rugby Final Qualification Tournament.
The Diables Noirs were simply the best team on the pitch, and it all started with discipline. The visitors only conceded 8 penalties whilst Netherlands committed 17 infractions, seven of those led allowed Belgium to score all their four tries and one penalty.
Belgium’s discipline was a main issue across the pool stage games, but it was refined in time to help them pull the rug under the Dutch and claim their spot to qualify for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.
Jens Torfs's on-point leadership made things even smoother, with his side keeping calm even when the Dutch were on the charge for a comeback. There is no doubt that this was one of the most complete performances, even toppling their astonishing victory over Portugal one year ago.
Drop goal: 1
It might not look much, but that one and only drop goal meant two things: A first-ever victory in a Men’s Rugby Europe Championship and finishing in 7th place! Jules Porcher's drop goal was a wonder to behold, with the fly half pulling a sensational kick out of the fire when the clock was in the red!
The drop goal is still one of the most mesmerizing details of the game, and the fact that it changed Switzerland’s course in such a pivotal game only helps its cause. Porcher’s technique was on point, slotting the 3-pointer under intense conditions.
What was even more astonishing was the fact that Switzerland went from their in-goal area to Germany’s 22 without losing control of the ball, keeping focused on delivering something special for their fans.
History was written in Heidelberg, and Porcher and his team’s efforts will be forever remembered as a fantastic moment by the Rugby Europe community.
Metres made: 442
The Stejarii have put an end to a three-game losing streak against Portugal and defeated their long-time rivals in Lisbon with a powerful performance that ended in a 21-07 affair.
The Romanians dominated every single metric, mastering the basics well, especially in what concerned carrying the oval ball and winning the gainline when it mattered.
The visitors accumulated 442 running meters, with Marius Simionescu and Hinckley Vaovasa leading Romania's attacking strategy. They danced through the Portuguese ranks and set up a series of great plays to feed the Stejarii's attack.
It was inspiring to see how David Gérard’s men didn’t take their foot off the gas, dominating the collision battle and making sure that Portugal wasn’t able to have space or time to set up a successful counter move.
Romania's offensive strategy was sound and resilient, pushing their rivals backwards, creating enough opportunities to slot the necessary points to claim Bronze in this year’s competition.
