SOCHI, March 5 (R-Sport) – Russia are fighting to avoid rugby obscurity again, just over three years after stunning the international game by appearing in their first World Cup.
The Bears face Portugal in Sochi on Saturday in a match that could make or break their hopes of qualifying for the 2015 World Cup in England.
A win secures Russia a place in a playoff match for a trip to the sport's biggest competition. Defeat will leave them needing to beat a physical Belgian team on March 15.
“I expect a home victory. We need to win this game,” Russia’s Welsh coach Kingsley Jones, who led the team at their first World Cup in 2011, told R-Sport.
“It’s probably the most important game for Russia in a long, long time. Everyone understands how important it is for Russia to be in the Rugby World Cup, the biggest stage for rugby union, and to compete against the best teams in the world. This game is vital.”
Even with the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in town at Sochi’s wealth of shiny new Olympic venues, Jones hopes to attract a sizeable crowd to the dilapidated Soviet-era Central Stadium to cheer on the Bears.
“The support will give us an extra man, I am sure, if we can get as many people here as possible,” he said. “We are running through, practicing our patterns - we think we can see some weakness in Portugal - and also preparing for Portugal’s strengths.”
Russia have slipped down the rankings since breaking through with their debut at the 2011 World Cup, a tournament that saw them memorably run in 22 points in a battling defeat to Australia. Plans to usurp Romania and Georgia as the dominant European powers outside the Six Nations are on hold, Jones concedes.
“Romania and Georgia are a little bit in front of us,” he said. “We’ve got to come to terms with that and be realistic about that. Their players are playing in France, they’re playing at a higher level.”
Georgia have nine players in Europe’s top leagues and Romania four, plus many more who have European Challenge Cup Experience with Bucharest Wolves. Russia boasts just two players currently plying their trade outside their home country - the Sale Sharks pair of Andrei Ostrikov and Kirill Kulemin in England.
The star of the 2011 side, wing Vasily Artemyev, has returned to Russia after his career with English Premiership side Northampton ground to a halt. Jones says Russia’s pool of talent generally remains too shallow.
“We need to be able to make seven changes, eight changes at this level. All international sides are able to do so, and unfortunately we’re not,” he said. “We can’t compete for 80 minutes.”
This has been reflected in recent results, with Russia losing to Japan and Spain after holding strong first-half leads.
“We seem to make an error or concede some points and we lose some confidence and we lose our edge. This is not acceptable, the game is 80 minutes,” Jones said. “It’s an issue with concentration, depth of the squad.”
If Russia beat Portugal on Saturday, standing between them and a place at the World Cup will be the winner of a playoff between the Netherlands and another European team, likely to be either Germany or Moldova.
