2000 European Nations Cup First Division

2000 European Nations Cup
Date6 February – 2 April 2000
Countries Georgia
 Morocco
 Netherlands
 Portugal
 Romania
 Spain
Tournament statistics
Champions Romania
Matches played15
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The 2000 European Nations Cup was the first European Nations Cup, an international rugby union competition for second-tier nations. It replaced the FIRA Tournament following the emergence of professionalism in rugby union and Italy being granted a place in the Six Nations.

The first season had six teams (five from Europe and one from Africa). The teams played each other once, playing roughly to the same weekends as the Six Nations. Romania won the first title, with a single loss to Morocco in the opening game. Georgia improved their performance in the context of European rugby, finishing in second place, while Morocco finished in third place, ahead of Spain and Portugal. Netherlands finished last.[1]

Table

Place Nation Games Points Table
points
Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Diff
1  Romania 5 4 0 1 130 57 +73 13
2  Georgia 5 3 0 2 145 105 +40 11
3  Morocco 5 3 0 2 94 69 +25 11
4  Spain 5 2 0 3 109 105 +4 9
5  Portugal 5 2 0 3 74 100 −26 9
6  Netherlands 5 1 0 4 52 168 −116 7

Matches

Week 1

6 February 2000
Morocco 18–10 Romania
Stade du COC, Casablanca
6 February 2000
Portugal 30–32 Georgia
Pen: Teixeira (9)
Drop: Teixeira		Try: Giorgadze, Khekhelashvili, Tsabadze (2)
Con: Urjukashvili (3)
Pen: Urjukashvili (2)
Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon
Referee: J. P. Pellaprat (France)
6 February 2000
Spain 33–8 Netherlands
Try: Frechilla, Justel, Salazar Lizarraga, Zapatero
Con: Kovalenco, Martinéz Torres
Pen: Kovalenco (3)		Try: Philpott
Pen: Hannay
Majorca
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: R. Faccioli (Italy)

Week 2

20 February 2000
Georgia 20–10 Morocco
Try: Giorgadze, Katsadze
Con: Urjukashvili (2)
Pen: Urjukashvili (2)		Try: Hamdini, Oufrich
St Gaudens, France
Attendance: 500
Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu (France)
20 February 2000
Romania 39–10 Netherlands
Try: Corodeanu, Drăguceanu, Dumitru (2), Mitu
Con: Mitu (4)
Pen: Mitu (2)		Try: Winkels
Con: Van der Loos
Pen: Van der Loos
Amsterdam
Attendance: 2,000
20 February 2000
Portugal 21–19 Spain
Pen: Mourão (4), Teixeira (3)Try: Mata
Con: Kovalenco
Pen: Kovalenco (4)
Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon
Referee: D. Gillet (France)

Week 3

4 March 2000
Spain 36–32 Georgia
Try: Astarloa Uriarte, del Valle, Frechilla (2), Souto
Con: Martinéz Torres (4)
Pen: Martinéz Torres		Try: Abashidze, Labadze, Mtchedlishvili, Tsabadze (2)
Con: Iurini, Urjukashvili
Pen: Urjukashvili
Campo Universitário, Madrid
Referee: C. Giacomel (Italy)
4 March 2000
Romania 33–3 Portugal
Try: Mersoiu, Petrache, Sîrbu, Tonița, Vioreanu
Con: Mitu
Pen: Mitu (2)		Pen: Teixeira
Dinamo Stadion, Bucharest
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: D. Dartigeas (France)
4 March 2000
Netherlands 15–44 Morocco
Amsterdam

Week 4

19 March 2000
Georgia 41–6 Netherlands
Try: Abuseridze, Giorgadze, Jimsheladze, Kavtaravhili (2), Labadze, Zedgnidize
Con: Iurini, Jimsheladze (2)		Pen: Hannay (2)
National Stadium, Tbilisi
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: S. de Falco (Italy)
19 March 2000
Romania 25–6 Spain
Try: Dumitru, Gontineac, Vioreanu
Con: Mitu (2)
Pen: Mitu (2)		Pen: Martinéz Torres (2)
Stadionul Ghencea II, Bucharest
Attendance: 500
Referee: G. Morandin (Italy)
19 March 2000
Portugal 9–3 Morocco
Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon
Referee: Johan Meersman (Belgium)

Week 5

2 April 2000
Georgia 20–23 Romania
Try: Kavtarahvili, Nadiradze
Con: Jimsheladze (2)
Pen: Jimsheladze (2)		Try: Brezoianu, Sîrbu
Con: Mitu (2)
Pen: Mitu (2)
National Stadium, Tbilisi
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: D. Pruvot (France)
2 April 2000
Spain 15–19 Morocco
Albacete
2 April 2000
Netherlands 13–11 Portugal
Try: Van der Pol
Con: Hannay
Pen: Hannay (2)		Try: Murinello
Pen: Teixeira (2)
Amsterdam
Referee: Jeremy Schauder (Israel)

See also

References

  1. ^ 2000 European Nations Cup First Division at ESPN