Georgia and Belgium recorded men’s Rugby Europe Championship wins on Sunday as the pool phase came to an end.
The knock-out stage will take place in March and, in the Grand Final last four, Georgia have earned themselves a home tie with Romania.
And Spain, who Georgia beat this weekend, will be away to Portugal at the same stage.
In the rankings semi-finals, Belgium will be at home to Switzerland while Germany, who Belgium beat in this round of games, will be away to Netherlands.
The first game on Sunday was the Pool A decider between Spain and Georgia and the Estadio Central UCM in Madrid and it was the visitors who came out on top 62-32 with a bonus point.
As a result, Georgia won the pool with Spain second.
Back-row Ilia Spanderashvili’s unconverted try gave Georgia an early lead before a try was scored by Spain second-row Manex Ariceta. Gonzalo Vinuesa, the stand-off, converted the latter and the home side were 7-5 up.
In the 15th minute, Georgia scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze broke away to score his side’s second unconverted try and, four minutes later, winger Akaki Tabutsadze scored his 45th Test try to make it 15-7.
Vinuesa’s two penalties made it 15-13 before, in the 27th minute, Georgia’s fourth try came from hooker Vano Karkadze and stand-off Davit Niniashvili kicked his first conversion of the day to make it 22-13.
Six minutes before half-time tighthead prop Luka Japaridze was next to score and as he went over tempers boiled over from both sides.
A player from each side was yellow carded before Niniashvili’s conversion made it 29-13.
Before half-time a sixth try came for Georgia, Niniashvili the scorer this time before more bad blood between the sides and more yellow cards were handed out. Niniashvili’s conversion made it 36-13 and it was 13 men versus 13.
Back to 14 versus 14, there was an excellent finish from Tabutsadze which was his 46th in Test rugby in the 45th minute.
Matthew Foulds’ try, converted by replacement Iñaki Mateu, made it 41-20 in the 50th minute before Georgia centre Giorgi Kveseladze was handed his second yellow card and was red carded. Álvaro García, the Spain hooker, was also yellow carded in this crazy game.
just before the hour mark it was the Georgians who bagged their eighth try when the pack rumbled through and Niniashvili went over. Full-back Dachi Papunashvili converted to make it 48-20.
Niniashvili then showed great dancing feet to bag his hat-trick try, Papunashvili’s extra two points making it 55-20.
With 14 minutes to go winger Martiniano Cian scored a consolation unconverted try for Spain and Georgia had another man yellow carded in the build up.
With Spain back to 15, it meant it was 15 versus 13, but it was the shorthanded visitors who scored next when replacement Irakli Kvatadze scored their 10th try with Papunashvili converting.
Vicente Boronat, the Spanish sub, scored the final try with Mateu converting to finish things off.
Niniashvili was named player of the match.
The Pool B match between Germany and Belgium then took place at the Auestadion in Kassel with the visitors winning 39-19.
As a result, Belgium finished third in the pool with Germany fourth.
An early penalty from stand-off Hugo De Francq put Belgium up 3-0.
Then, in the 15th minute, a good break from back-row Jeremie Brasseur put centre Florian Remue into space and he fed winger Dazzy Cornez who finished well in the corner for an unconverted try.
Markus Bachofer was then yellow carded for Germany and De Francq’s penalty made it 11-0.
Back to 15 men, Germany then played a part in their own downfall when they tried to pass the ball out of their own in goal area. Belgium No.8 Felipe Geraghty read a pass and intercepted it to dot down. De Francq converted and it was 18-0 at half-time.
Germany needed a good start to the second period, but it was Belgium who did.
Replacement Hugues Bastin spun out of a tackle to score their third try and De Francq converted for 25-0.
Germany were not giving up here though and, in the 49th minute, centre Leo Wolf scored a try from a charge down and converted it too.
Belgium were not going to be caught though and they scored a converted try of their own when Charles-Henri Berguet, the loosehead prop later named player of the match, crashed over and De Francq added the extras.
With 13 minutes to go, Belgium scrum-half Isaac Montoisy then bagged their fifth try and De Francq’s conversion gave them a 39-7 advantage.
There was still time for Belgium sub Seppe Verelst to be yellow carded and Germany scored a converted try via second-row Luis Ball.
And, with the clock in the red, they scored again through full-back Cameron McDonald as it ended 39-19.
The next matches take place on the weekend of March 1 and 2.
By Gary Heatly
