Four nations ready for battle at Waterloo

Action from Switzerland's last visit to Belgium

The tradition of the European Trophy dates back 12 years.In 1998, FIRA (now Rugby Europe) had suspended their annual international XVs tournament, but in 2002 organised a tournament specifically for non-Six Nations teams, partly to help them prepare for the World Cup. Four teams – Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and Germany – took part, with hosts Italy beating Sweden in the final.

In 2006, after the World Cup was reduced from 16 to 12 teams, the tournament grew in importance and became a key event for European sides who had previously played in the World Cup but now found themselves without a major summer competition.

Entrants increased to six with Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway and Russia again travelling to Italy. The home team again lifted the title, beating this time the Dutch in the final.

Four years ago the entry increased to eight, with the tournament moving to France – who entered their A team.

Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Germany and Sweden also took part (despite, in a slight change of policy, the latter having qualified for the World Cup, the tournament acting as their warm-up). Italy again reached the final, but this time Spain lifted the trophy.

This year five teams entered including – for the first time in any FIRA/Rugby Europe tournament – Switzerland and the Czech Republic. As a result a qualification game between the two teams was organised in June, which Switzerland won comfortably 32-3.

With both Italy and Spain absent this time we will get a new winner, and it promises to be a fascinatingly unpredictable competition with all sides having a reasonable chance of winning.

Belgiumprobably start as narrow favourites, not only due to the  advantage of being at home, but more importantly because – unlike nominally higher-ranked Russia and Netherlands – Belgium are able to select their strongest possible XV as they do not have a contracted sevens squad.

Belgium have not taken part in European competition since the 2010 after a series of disappointing tournaments, including defeats by 100-0 and 74-0 to (a full-strength) Netherlands in 2009 and 2010. Since then there has been an element of rebuilding, with games generally restricted to England and French club teams. However earlier this year they demonstrated what they are capable of with a 51-0 drubbing of Scotland U21s.

Switzerlandalso have a great chance in the tournament, being anything other than also-rans. Not only have they played more tests (six) in the past three years than Russia or Belgium (and only one less than Netherlands), but they have won five of them, including winning against Belgium in Belgium back in 2011. And Switzerland, not least thanks to their experience since, at probably a better team now than they were then. Tournament conditions, including two matches in four days may be new, but most of the team have plenty of sevens experience so, again, this is unlikely to be a major problem. And, as with Belgium, they can select from the best players available (though this week injury means that four first-choice players will be missing, which inevitably will be something of a blow). Any opponent that underestimates the Swiss could be in for an awful shock.

Russiaare a major force in world sevens – pretty much guaranteed a place in Rio, with a good chance of a medal. However at XVs they are a different thing entirely. They gave a good account of themselves back at 2011 European Trophy, beating Netherlands and doing well against a useful England A and an Italian team that was practically “Italy A” in name alone - but that was before the priority of the Russian Union switched to sevens and took away many of the big names from that 2011 team, including players such as Kazakova and Mukhariamova. 2012 was a very different affair as they were taken apart 67-0 by Sweden before beating Finland to take third.

However even that little experience is no real guide to this Russian team of 2014 as it appears thatnoneof the squad announced played in 2012. The squad has a median age of barely 23 which, considering almost all Russian women do not start playing until at least 18 (if not a little later), is very young indeed. There will undoubtedly be some very talented players in the squad, but who they are and how they will perform – as individuals and as a squad – is impossible to predict.

Which leaves us with theNetherlands– the only team we have any real form guide for as this will be the same squad that beat Sweden last week, and much of the squad also played at the World Cup Qualifier in 2013. However they lost all three games in 2013 and, while last week’s game resulted in a 10-3 win, it was based almost entirely of an excellent defensive display (the Swedes had most of the ball, but were unable to turn possession into points). It is possible that a similar strategy may work this week, but if their defence is breached will the Dutch be able to respond? They have an incentive, of course, as players who performed well in the past have been picked up by the professional sevens programme. They will start as slight favourites for their semi-final against Switzerland – based on test match experience if little else – but victory is by no means certain.

Squads

Belgium:Sarah Basa (Soignies), Lotte Beckers (Dendermonde), Cécile Blondiau (Soignies), Amandine Briquet (Soignies), Cathy De Geyter (Boitsfort), Carmen De Donder (Dendermonde), Maïté Demarbre (Soignies), Systke d’Haeseleir (Caen, France), Laura Fortemps (Coq Mosan), Margaux Lalli (Villeneuve d’Ascq, France), Alison Lenaerts (Boitsfort), Stéphanie Lepage (Boitsfort), Valérie Letange (Boitsfort), Nele Michem (Dendermonde), Emilie Musch (Boitsfort), Nele Pien (Villeneuve d’Ascq, France), Gaëlle Portier (Coq Mosan), Delphine Rossignol (Boitsfort), Laura Rowies (Boitsfort), Mélissa Schneider (Coq Mosan), Virginie Sibret (La Hulpe), Fanny Spirkel (Kituro Ovalie), Eloise Stévins (Boitsfort), Margaux Stévins (Boitsfort), Silke Van Damme (Dendermonde), Sarah Verzin (Boitsfort)

Netherlands: Marit Bakker (Delft RC); Karin Beer (RUS); Francien van den Berg (RUS); Marlieke Broer (Dragons EHRC); Hannah Draaisma (RUS); Laurijn Draaisma (RUS); Tiara Enthoven (Bassets RC The); Lieselot Graste (MA.R.Grieten); Sylke Haverkorn (RUS); Giselle Kleinen (Amstelveense RC); Wopke van Leeuwen (Utrechtse Rugby Club); Irith Lely (Thor SRC); Imara Loon (RUS); Mariëtte Mensink (MA.R.Grieten); Mireille Nieuwenhuis (Utraechtse Rugby Club); Maria Louise Pieren (Groningen RC); Fenna Stomps (RUS); Mae-Ling Stuyt (RUS); Asia Udding (RUS); Rosanne Verbeek (Thor SRC); Tessa Wijmans (Amsterdamse AC); Marleen Zethof (Amsterdamse AC); Petra Zwart (c) (Bassets RC The)

Russia:Karina Abrahamian (23) (Moscow region, Khimki) , Ashura Magomedovna Akhmedov (19) (The Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala), Ludmila Rinatovna Artamonova (25) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Catherine O. Barabash (28) (Moscow region, Khimki) , Anna Baranchuk (21) (Krasnodar region, Krasnodar) , Tatiana Vyacheslavovna Berlizova (23) (Krasnodar region, Krasnodar) , Zhenya Bolshakov (23) (Krasnodar region, Krasnodar) , Antonovna Ekaterina Baranova (23) (Kemerovo region, Novokuznetsk) , Anna A. Gavriliouk (23) (Moscow region, n. Monino) , Maria S. Grishina (31) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Jeanne A. Matveev (28) (Moscow region, n. Monino) , Julia E. Shilov (20) (Kemerovo region, Novokuznetsk) , Alexandra Arkadevna Kerzhentsev (27) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Aksinia Andreyevna Khmarin (24) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Anastasia Kondrashov (23) (Moscow region, Khimki) , Nastya Kurushina (20) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Julia M. Ledovskaya (23) (Krasnodar region, Krasnodar) , Zabiya Abuyusupovna Medzhidova (24) (The Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala), Pauline S. Stolyarov (23) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Julia Y. Pavlova (22) (Moscow region, n. Monino) , Maria V. Pikalova (21) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Alexandrovna Teslenko Polina (20) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Elena Shornikova (19) (The Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala), Elena Vladykina (21) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Elena V. Voroshilov (24) (Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk) , Anna Vitalyevna Zhdanov (22) (Krasnodar region, Krasnodar)

Switzerland:Kirsten Aebischer (RC Bern), Rahel Bosshard (GC Zurich), Carole Casparis (RC Luzern), Lala Da Silva (RC Luzern), Katja Dick (GC Zurich), Angela Diener (RC Luzern), Esti Duss (RC Luzern), Rebecca Ellis (CMSG - CERN), Selina Fux (RC Bern), Carole Gachet (RC Bern), Simon Haymoz (GC Zurich), Natscha Kehrli (RC Bern), Victoria Latenser (RC St. Gallen), Patrizia Mancini (RC Bern), Ramona Mani (RC Bern), Judith Martinot-Prébandier- RC Yverdon), Carolin Reischauer (GC Zurich), Mirjam Sax (GC Zurich), Holly Shearer (RC Konstanz), Aida Stamm (GC Zurich), Lea Strohm (CSMG - CERN), Henni Thole (RFC Basel), Fabienne Ullmann (RC Bern)

Fixtures(all games atASUB Waterloo)

30 October15.00 : Netherlands v Switzerland17.30 : Belgium v Russia2 November11.00 : Third place14.00 : Final