Germany at the 2006–2008 European Nations Cup

Germany at the 2006–2008 European Nations Cup was the first time since 1981 that the German national rugby union team reached highest level of FIRA rugby, the European Nations Cup, by winning its group, the Division 2A in 2006–2008.Deutschland vor Rückkehr in Division 1 Rugby-Journal, accessed: 24 March 2010

Germany played eight competition games and three friendlies in its campaign. It won six of its eight competitive games, including all four home games, and all three friendlies. It played Switzerland twice, to contest the newly created Alpencup, which remained with Germany on both occasions.Deutsche U21-Auswahl soll Alpencup verteidigen totalrugby.de, published: 27 September 2008, accessed: 27 March 2010

With over 8,000 spectators, Germany's home game against the Netherlands in Hanover, at the Rudolf-Kalweit-Stadion, achieved the best crowd figures for a rugby match in Germany since the pre-Second World War days.Germany - Netherlands report totalrugby.de, accessed: 28 March 2010

Germany went into its campaign unbeaten at home, having last lost on 12 November 2000, to Ukraine. It maintained this record, which was only broken early in its next campaign, on 8 November 2008, when it lost to a Welsh XV.Deutschland vor Rückkehr in Division 1 Rugby Journal - Match report, accessed: 25 March 2010

Background The division Germany was playing in, Division 2A, consisted of five teams, of which Ukraine had been relegated to from the First Division in the previous edition of the European Nations Cup.

The winner, Germany, earned promotion to the First Division, while the last placed team, the Netherlands, were relegated to Division 2B.

Management and coaching At the beginning of Germany's ENC campaign, it was coached by a duo, made up of Rudolf Finsterer and Mark Kuhlmann, under the supervision of Peter Ianusevici, Germany's Director of Rugby.

In early 2008, the two were joined by Frenchman Bruno Stolorz.Kader für Lehrgang in Heidelberg nominiert scrum.de, published: 16 February 2008, accessed: 15 March 2010 Stolorz was seconded to the German team by the Fédération française de rugby to improve Germany's performance in the sport and is also a coach with French club team RC Orléans, where he fulfills the position of a Conseiller sportif auprès.Mark Kuhlmann nicht mehr DRV-Nationaltrainer Rugby-Journal, published: 9 March 2009, accessed: 25 February 2010Comité Directeur RC Orléans website, accessed: 15 March 2010

Debuts and retirements A number of German players made their final appearances for their country during the 2006-08 campaign, among them were regulars like Steffen Thier, Sascha Fischer and Klaus Mainzer.

The former were replaced by a number of debutants, among them the Zimbabwean Edmoore Takaendesa and the Australian Steve Williams.

Table Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference18602191124+672028602214147+672038503163157+61848305117128-11145800897226-1298

In the event of a tie the following rules apply: champion to be decided by 1. Winner of the games between tied teams 2. Best difference points for and against in all pool matches 3. Best difference between tried in all pool matches 4. Higher number of points 5. Higher number of tries FIRA-AER website - 2006/08 - ENC - Division 2 Germany was promoted because they won on aggregate in the two games played between them and Belgium (32 - 13 and 18 - 32 giving an aggregate of 50 - 45).

Games

ENC matches

Friendlies

Player statistics

Squad The following players were part of the German team during its 2006-08 campaign:Germany squad totalrugby.de, accessed: 28 March 2010

+ BacksPlayerPositionClub Mustafa Güngör Scrum-half RG Heidelberg Raphael Pyrasch Scrum-half DSV 78 Hannover Franck Moutsinga Scrum-half Berliner RC Christopher Parnham Scrum-half Clifton RFC Kieron Davies Fly-half Luton RFC Thorsten Wiedemann Fly-half TSV Handschuhsheim Lars Eckert Fly-half SC Neuenheim Friedrich Michau Fly-half FC St Pauli Benjamin Simm Centre DSV 78 Hannover Clemens von Grumbkow Centre RC Orléans Christopher Weselek Centre RG Heidelberg Colin Grzanna Centre Berliner RC Marten Strauch Centre SC Neuenheim Sebastien Chaule Wing TSV Handschuhsheim Markus Walger Wing RK Heusenstamm Matthieu Franke Fullback RC Orléans Edmoore Takaendesa Fullback RG Heidelberg Dennis Walger Fullback RK Heusenstamm

+ ForwardsPlayerPositionClub Klaus Mainzer Hooker SC Neuenheim Tim Coly Hooker RG Heidelberg Christian Baracat Prop SC 1880 Frankfurt Benjamin Krause Prop DSV 78 Hannover Marcus Trick Prop SC Neuenheim Alexander Widiker Prop RC Orléans Pierre Faber Prop Stade Dijonnais Steve Williams Prop SC Neuenheim Krystian Trochowski Prop Berliner RC Benjamin Danso Lock DRC Hannover Jens Schmidt Lock TSV Handschuhsheim Bodo Sieber Lock University of Cape Town Manuel Wilhelm Lock RG Heidelberg Sebastian Werle Lock RG Heidelberg Sascha Fischer Lock Le Bugue athletic club Rolf Wacha Lock SC 1880 Frankfurt Christian Hug Lock SC Neuenheim Kehoma Brenner Flanker RG Heidelberg Tim Kasten Flanker RG Heidelberg Alexander Hug Flanker TSV Handschuhsheim Alexander Pipa Flanker TSV Handschuhsheim Gerrit van Look Flanker Berliner RC Timur Tekkal Flanker DRC Hannover Steffen Thier Flanker RG Heidelberg Michael Kerr Flanker SC Neuenheim

Clubs listed are the club or clubs a player played for while playing for Germany in 2006-08, not current club.

Games The following players have been selected for Germany from 2006 to 2008 in the country's European Nation Cup Second Division campaign and in friendlies: Player Caps Rugby international news accessed: 24 February 2009 2006 2007 2008 Swi 2 Mol Bel W XV Ukr Ned Swi Bel Mol Ukr Ned Benjamin Krause 26 Neues vor dem Länderspiel II: Minister Niebel kommt totalrugby.de, published: 10 December 2009, accessed: 19 March 2010 x 3 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 Tim Coly 23 2 2 2 2 2 2 Alexander Widiker 27Widiker: “Für mich zählt nur der Aufstieg” Rugby-Journal, published: 19 November 2010, accessed: 21 November 2010 1 1 1 3 3 1 3 3 3 Manuel Wilhelm 20 19 4 5 5 4 4 4 Jens Schmidt 33 Jens Schmidt made his 35th appearance for the German team against Spain on 15 November 2008 . x 5 (c) 5 (c) 7 (c) 8 (c) 7 (c) 5 (c) 4 18 5 Tim Kasten 17 Tim Kasten, Markus Walger and Lars Eckert received the silver merrit of the DRV after each playing their 15th game for Germany against Molavia on 24 November 2007. Stephen Williams debut for Germany in this game. x 6 8 6 6 6 6 6 Gerrit van Look 15 Marten Strauch (5), Gerrit van Look (15), Bodo Sieber (15) and Christopher Weselek (25) received awards for set number of games after the Germany versus Netherlands game on 26 April 2008. x 7 6 8 6 6 7 8 7 7 Bodo Sieber 15 4 4 8 5 5 8 Mustafa Güngör 20 Güngör neuer Kapitän der National-XV Rugby-Journal, published: 8 December 2009, accessed: 24 March 2010 x 9 9 14 9 9 9 9 9 9 Lars Eckert 17 x 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 Matthieu Franke 9 Matthieu Franke DRV website, accessed: 30 April 2012 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 14 11 Colin Grzanna 22 x 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 (c) 12 (c) 12 (c) 12 (c) Kieron Davies 23 21 21 13 13 Christopher Weselek 25 x 14 14 11 11 11 14 13 14 22 14 Edmoore Takaendesa 2 15 15 Steve Williams 3 2 16 16 Benjamin Danso 10 x 18 18 4 16 19 4 18 18 19 17 Alexander Pipa 7 8 18 Rolf Wacha 2 Dennis Walger, Thorsten Wiedemann, Raphael Pyrasch, Rolf Wacha, Christian Baracat and Alexander Hug all made their debut in Germany's game against Switzerland on 29 September 2007. 6 19 Sebastien Chaule 14 Sebastien Chaule beendet Rugby-Karriere Rugby-Journal, published: 30 October 2009, accessed: 27 February 2010 x 11 11 15 21 21 20 20 Markus Walger 16 x 11 11 11 21 21 Marten Strauch 5 21 20 20 13 22 22 22 Clemens von Grumbkow 18 13 12 (1) 13 13 14 13 11 Kehoma Brenner 4 Kehoma Brenner made his debut for Germany against Moldova on 11 November 2006. 17 17 17 17 17 17 Steffen Thier x 8 7 8 7 Christian Baracat 3 17 3 16 16 Timur Tekkal x 7 8 19 19 Franck Moutsinga 10 Franck Moutsinga BRC website, accessed: 2 March 2010 x 20 20 9 21 21 9 20 20 Pierre Faber 18 3 3 2 Sascha Fischer 27 5 5 Klaus Mainzer x 16 16 2 18 16 1 Krystian Trochowski 16 16 Christian Hug x 4 19 18 Alexander Hug 1 19 Raphael Pyrasch 1 20 Thorsten Wiedemann 1 21 Dennis Walger 1 22 Benjamin Simm 7 22 13 14 14 Marcus Trick 19 x 17 17 Sebastian Werle 19 20 18 Friedrich Michau 22 22 Michael Kerr 18 Christopher Parnham 20 Christian Doering x 22 Hendrik van Look x Michael Döries x Alexander Luft x Rene Engelhardt x Number of caps as of end of ENC campaign, 26 April 2008, not overall. 1 Clemens von Grumbkow was injured prior to the match and Germany only went with 21 players into the game. 2 Only squad known for the Switzerland game, no positions. Bold numbers indicate player played in the game. Italics indicates did not play. denotes substituted off. denotes substituted on. (c) denotes captain. denotes sin bin.

Scorers (ENC)

Try scorers Tries Name Pld6Mustafa Güngör83Colin Grzanna82Matthieu Franke81Timur Tekkal3Marten Strauch4Steffen Thier4Sebastien Chaule5Tim Kasten6

Points scorers Points Name Pld96Matthieu Franke833Mustafa Güngör818Colin Grzanna89Kieron Davies45Timur Tekkal3Marten Strauch4Steffen Thier4Sebastien Chaule5Tim Kasten6Lars Eckert8

References

External links Deutscher Rugby-Verband - Official Site TotalRugby.de German rugby website with news and results Germany results at scrum.com