Poland won 33-10 in Luxembourg on Saturday to set up a tasty looking ‘winner takes all’ men’s Rugby Europe Trophy shootout with Sweden this coming weekend.
The hard fought triumph for Poland on the road means that they have won four games from four in the six-team Trophy and are top on 18 points.
Sweden have also won four from four and are second on 18 points so whoever wins the meeting of the two on April 12 in Trelleborg will be crowned champions.
Poland had to do their job in Luxembourg first though and they did that in the Stade de Luxembourg.
They had to do it the hard way though with the hosts making a flying start.
Second-row Gael Pujadas scored a try for the home side after just three minutes and although stand-off Fintan Lawlor missed the conversion and a penalty, they were 5-0 up and still on the front foot when Poland had their number 10 Dawid Banaszek yellow carded.
That was in the 19th minute and then full-back Gauthier Bares missed a penalty for Luxembourg before they made the man advantage count when winger Christian Olsen bagged their second try.
Bares could not convert though and soon after Luxembourg would start to regret the 10 points they had left out there through missed kicks.
While still down to 14 men a penalty from Poland centre Daniel Gdula got them on the scoreboard before, after returning to the field, Banaszek missed one himself.
Gdula did kick a second one just before half-time though and it was 10-6 to Luxembourg.
Whatever the Poland coaches and leadership group said at the interval it clearly worked as they went ahead after 43 minutes when back-row Krystian Mechecki scored a try converted by Gdula.
That seemed to get the visitors into their stride and Gdula kicked a third penalty before Luxembourg had tighthead prop Matthew Dennis-Soto yellow carded on the hour mark.
Gdula’s fourth penalty made it 19-10, but no more points were added when he was off so, heading into the final 10 minutes and back to 15 versus 15 it was still ‘game on’.
Thomas Toevalu scored a crucial try converted by Gdula to take the game away from the hosts in the 72nd minute and, at the death, Dennis-Soto received his second yellow card and, as a result, a red.
Poland scored their final try with the clock in the red when full-back
Lukasz Kornec went over and it was converted by Gdula, but 33-10 does not tell the full story here.
Meanwhile, in the men’s Rugby Europe Conference there were three matches on Saturday.
Israel won 16-15 in Malta to give them their first Pool D win and hand Malta their first loss while, in the same section, Andorra won 28-19 in Cyprus.
Bosnia & Herzegovina are unbeaten at the top of Pool E after a 77-10 triumph over winless Kosovo.
By Gary Heatly
Photos from RugbyEye by Karen Dewulf
