2003–04 European Nations Cup First Division
The 2003–04 European Nations Cup was the fourth edition of the newly reformed European Championship for tier 2 and 3 rugby union nations.
This was the second two-year cycled championship, the first to be planned from the start.
| Date | 16 February 2003 – 27 March 2004 |
|---|---|
| Countries |  Czech Republic  Georgia Portugal  Romania  Russia  Spain |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Portugal |
| Antim Cup | Romania (2003, 2004) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 29 |
| Tries scored | 128 (4.41 per match) |
← 2001–02 2004–06 → | |
The title was won by Portugal for the first time, with their Iberian neighbours Spain being relegated. Portugal won all their games, except to a loss abroad to Romania. The Championship saw another new face in the Czech Republic who replaced the relegated Netherlands.
Table
| Place | Nation | Games | Points | Table points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Difference | |||
| 1 | Portugal | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 245 | 180 | +65 | 28 |
| 2 | Romania | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 320 | 123 | +197 | 26 |
| 3 | Georgia | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 193 | 148 | +45 | 21 |
| 4 | Russia | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 198 | 175 | +23 | 15 |
| 5 | Czech Republic | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 139 | 263 | −124 | 15 |
| 6 | Spain | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 129 | 335 | −206 | 11 |
Results
Week 1
| 16 February 2003 |
| Portugal | 34–30 |  Georgia |
| Try: Gonçalves Da. Mateus Di. Mateus Con: Malheiro (2) Pen: Malheiro (5) | Try: Abuseridze Katsadze (2) Zedginidze Con: Jimsheladze (2) Pen: Jimsheladze Drop: Jimsheladze |
| Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
| 16 February 2003 |
| Spain | 19–52 | Russia |
| Try: Penalty try Con: Cascarra Pen: Cascarra (3) | Try: Fedchenko Grachev Kuzin A. Sergeev S. Sergeev Con: Rachkov (3) Pen: Rachkov (6) Drop: Rachkov |
| Inca, Mallorca Referee: Daniel Pruvot (France) |
| 22 June 2003 |
| Czech Republic | 5–42 | Romania |
| Try: Stastny | Try: Brezoianu Ghioc Popescu Săuan Tofan Con: Dumbravă (4) Pen: Dumbravă (3) |
| Tatra Smichov Rugby Club, Prague Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Dave Pearson (England) |
- The match between the Czech Republic and Romania, originally scheduled for 15 February, was postponed.
Week 2
| 22 February 2003 |
| Georgia | 34–3 | Spain |
| Try: Gundishvili Shvelidze Yachvili Zibzibadze (2) Con: Jimsheladze (3) Pen: Jimsheladze | Pen: Cascarra |
| Tbilisi Attendance: 10,000 Referee: G. Doyle (Ireland) |
| 22 February 2003 |
| Portugal | 16–15 | Romania |
| Try: Garvão Con: Malheiro Pen: Malheiro (2) Drop: Tomé | Try: Manta Țincu Con: Tofan Pen: Tofan |
| Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Referee: G. Doyle (Ireland) |
| 14 June 2003 |
| Czech Republic | 27–13 | Russia |
| Try: Camrda Pekarek Rohlik Con: Kafka (3) Pen: Kafka (2) | Try: Lubkov Con: Rachkov Pen: Rachkov (2) |
| Tatra Smichov Rugby Club, Prague Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Nereo Dordolo (Italy) |
- The match between the Czech Republic and Russia, originally scheduled for 22 February, was postponed.
Week 3
| 8 March 2003 |
| Portugal | 43–10 | Czech Republic |
| Try: Malheiro (2) Da. Mateus Di. Mateus Vieira Con: Malheiro Cardoso Pinto (2) Pen: Malheiro (4) | Try: Zak Con: Krejci Pen: Krejci |
| Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Referee: Sean Mallon (Netherlands) |
| 9 March 2003 |
| Russia | 17–23 | Georgia |
| Try: Sergeev Pen: Rachkov (2) Drop: Rachkov (2) | Try: Jimsheladze Pen: Jimsheladze (6) |
| Stadium Junost, Krasnodar Referee: Giovanni Morandin (Italy) |
| 9 March 2003 |
| Spain | 6–31 | Romania |
| Pen: Díez Drop: Velazco Querol | Try: Petrechei Socol Tofan Con: Tofan (2) Pen: Tofan (4) |
| Campo Universitário, Madrid Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Antonio Lombardi (Italy) |
Week 4
| 22 March 2003 |
| Czech Republic | 15–30 | Georgia |
| Pen: Kafka (4) Drop: Kafka | Try: Khamashuridze Labadze Shvelidze Zedginidze Zibzibadze Con: Jimsheladze Pen: Jimsheladze |
| Tatra Simchov Rugby Club, Prague Attendance: 1,400 Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy) |
| 22 March 2003 |
| Romania | 23–12 | Russia |
| Try: Petrache Vioreanu Penalty try Con: Tofan Pen: Tofan (2) | Pen: Rachkov (4) |
| Dinamo Stadion, Bucharest Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Daniel Dartigeas (France) |
| 23 March 2003 |
| Portugal | 35–16 | Spain |
| Try: Cunha Sousa Con: Malheiro (2) Pen: Malheiro (5) Drop: Malheiro (2) | Try: Tuineau Iloa Con: Cascarra Pen: Cascarra (2) Drop: Kovalenco |
| Estádio Municipal, Coimbra Referee: Jean-Luc Rebollal (France) |
Week 5
| 29 March 2003 |
| Russia | 14–25 | Portugal |
| Try: Dymchenko Pen: Akulov | Try: Cunha Con: Malheiro Pen: Malheiro (5) Drop: Malheiro |
| Stadium Junost, Krasnodar Referee: Mircea Paraschivescu (Romania) |
| 30 March 2003 |
| Georgia | 6–19 | Romania |
| Pen: Jimsheladze (2) | Try: Brezoianu Gontineac Maftei Con: Tofan (2) |
| Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Daniel Gillet (France) |
| 30 March 2003 |
| Spain | 38–40 | Czech Republic |
| Try: Beltrán Rodriguéz Cascarra Loubsens Monreal Izquierdo Zarzosa Con: Cascarra (2) Pen: Cascarra (3) | Try: Rohlik Stastny Suster Syrovy Con: Kafka (4) Pen: Kafka (4) |
| Campo Universitário, Madrid Referee: Jeremy Schauder (Israel) |
Week 6
| 14 February 2004 |
| Romania | 55–11 | Czech Republic |
| Try: Baraulea (2) Gheara Gontineac Săuan Teodorescu (2) Zebega Con: Dumbravă (6) Pen: Dumbravă | Try: Rohlik Pen: Kafka Krejci |
| Dinamo Stadion, Bucharest Referee: Jean-Luc Rebollal (France) |
| 14 February 2004 |
| Georgia | 14–19 | Portugal |
| Try: Ghvaberidze Kopaliani Con: Kvnikhidze Urjukashvili | Try: Aguilar Con: Malheiro Pen: Malheiro (3) Drop: Malheiro |
| Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Antonio Lombardo (Italy) |
| 14 February 2004 |
| Russia | 36–6 | Spain |
| Try: Fedchenko Grachev Korobeynikov Korshunov Kuzin Rachkov Pen: Rachkov (2) | Pen: Martinéz Torres |
| Stadium Junost, Krasnodar Referee: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat (France) |
Week 7
| 21 February 2004 |
| Romania | 36–6 | Portugal |
| Try: Baraulea Mersoiu Săuan (2) Toderașc Con: Dumbravă (4) Pen: Dumbravă | Pen: Malheiro (2) |
| Stade 1 Mai, Constanta Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Johan Meersman (Belgium) |
| 22 February 2004 |
| Spain | 6–6 | Georgia |
| Pen: Kovalenco Martinéz Torres | Pen: Kvinikhidze (2) |
| Tarragona Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Mauro Dordolo (Italy) |
- The game between Russia and the Czech Republic, originally scheduled for 21 February 2004 and postponed due to snow, was not played.
Week 8
| 6 March 2004 |
| Romania | 50–10 | Spain |
| Try: Dragoș Dima Sîrbu Socol Teodorescu Țincu Toderașc Tonița Voicu Con: Tofan (5) | Try: Loubsens Con: Martinéz Torres Pen: Martinéz Torres |
| Stadionul Ghencea II, Bucharest Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Jean-Christophe Gastou (France) |
| 6 March 2004 |
| Georgia | 9–3 | Russia |
| Pen: Barkalaia Jimsheladze Drop: Jimsheladze | Pen: Rachkov |
| Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Joel Dume (France) |
| 6 March 2004 |
| Czech Republic | 8–13 | Portugal |
| Try: Rohlik Drop: Brabek | Try: Cunha Garvão Pen: Grenho |
| Tatra Smichov Rugby Club, Prague Attendance: 500 Referee: Séan Mallon (Netherlands) |
Week 9
| 20 March 2004 |
| Russia | 33–24 | Romania |
| Try: Grachev Kazantsev Klyuchnikov Shelepkov Con: Simonov (2) Pen: Simonov (3) | Try: Săuan Toderașc Penalty try Con: Dumbravă (3) Pen: Dumbravă |
| Stadium Junost, Krasnodar Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Gérard Borréani (France) |
| 20 March 2004 |
| Spain | 19–35 | Portugal |
| Try: Davila Sánchez Velazco Querol Pen: Kovalenco (3) | Try: Aguilar (2) Garvão (3) Mateus Con: Malheiro Pen: Malheiro |
| Ibiza Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Akim Hadj Bachir (France) |
| 20 March 2004 |
| Georgia | 23–7 | Czech Republic |
| Try: Gorgodze Zedginidze Con: Kvinikhidze (2) Pen: Kvinikhidze (3) | Try: Rohlik Con: Krejci |
| Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Bernd Gabbei (Germany) |
Week 10
| 27 March 2004 |
| Czech Republic | 16–6 | Spain |
| Try: Brabec Con: Kafka Pen: Kafka Drop: Kafka | Pen: Martinéz Torres (2) |
| Tatra Smichov Rugby Club, Prague Referee: Maurizio Vancini (Italy) |
| 27 March 2004 |
| Portugal | 19–18 | Russia |
| Try: Andrade Malheiro Pen: Malheiro (3) Drop: Kazantsev | Try: Kuzin Simonov Con: Simonov Pen: Simonov |
| Municipal Stadium, Coimbra |
See also
External links
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