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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.

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.

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 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.

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. 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.

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			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Germany	8	6	0	2	191	124	+67	20
2	Belgium	8	6	0	2	214	147	+67	20
3	Moldova	8	5	0	3	163	157	+6	18
4	Ukraine	8	3	0	5	117	128	-11	14
5	Netherlands	8	0	0	8	97	226	-129	8

• 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
• 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

Moldova	26 – 24	Germany
Try: (4) 3', 21', 30', 68' Pen: (2) 11', 80'	(Line up) (Report)	Try: Güngör 40'+, Franke 63' Con: Franke 40'+ Pen: Franke (4) 23', 28', 40', 78'

Germany	32 – 13	Belgium
Try: Güngör 28', Chaule 46', ??? Con: Franke 28' Pen: Franke (5) 2', 6', 15', 24', 67'	(Line up) (Report)	Try: (1) Con: (1) Pen: (2)

Ukraine	14 – 22	Germany
Try: (2) 6', 36' Con: (2) 6', 36'	(Line up) (Report)	Try: Güngör 40'+ Con: Franke 40'+ Pen: Franke (5) 2', 30', 38', 49', 80'

Germany	21 – 12	Netherlands
Try: Güngör 5', Steffen Thier Con: Franke 5' Pen: Franke (3) 49', 65', 70'	(Line up) (Report)	Try: (2) Con: (1)

Belgium	32 – 18	Germany
Try: Wey, Verschelden, Nana, Niell Con: A. Williams (3) Pen: A. Williams (2)	(Line up) (Report)	Try: Franke 56', Tekkal 70' Con: Eckert 70' Pen: Franke 8', Eckert 47'

Germany	34 – 5	Moldova
Try: Grzanna (2) 19', 25', Kasten 60', Strauch 76' Con: Franke (4) 19', 25', 60', 76' Pen: Franke (2) 4', 45'	(Line up) (Report)	Try: Romanov 52'

Germany	13 – 5	Ukraine
Try: Grzanna 58' Con: Franke 58' Pen: Franke 17' Drop: Güngör 26'	(Line up) (Report)	Try: Orlov 34'

Netherlands	17 – 27	Germany
Try: Knox 29', Bonhof 40', Lingsma 65' Con: Lingsma 40'	(Line up) (Report)	Try: Güngör (2) 20', 75' Con: Franke 20' Pen: Davies (3) 32', 39', 50', Franke 69' Drop: Grzanna 79'

Friendlies

Switzerland	10 – 40	Germany
	(Report)

Welsh Districts XV	13 – 24	Germany
Try: Parry, Palmer Pen: Warman	(Line up)	Try: Kasten, Danso, Kerr Con: Franke (3) Pen: Franke

Germany	49 – 13	Switzerland
Try: Walger (3), Strauch (2), Pipa, Pyrasch Con: Eckert (5), Wiedemann (2)	(Line up)	Try: Betten, Hösel Pen: Nicholas

Player statistics

Squad

The following players were part of the German team during its 2006-08 campaign:

Backs Player Position Club 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

Forwards Player Position Club 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	2006			2007						2008
		Swi	Mol	Bel	W XV	Ukr	Ned	Swi	Bel	Mol	Ukr	Ned
Benjamin Krause	26	x			3	1	1	2	2	1	1	1
Tim Coly	23		2	2		2	2				2	2
Alexander Widiker	27		1	1	1	3	3		1	3	3	3
Manuel Wilhelm	20		19	4		5	5			4	4	4
Jens Schmidt	33	x	5 (c)	5 (c)	7 (c)	8 (c)	7 (c)	5 (c)	4		18	5
Tim Kasten	17	x	6	8	6				6	6	6	6
Gerrit van Look	15	x	7	6	8	6	6		7	8	7	7
Bodo Sieber	15					4	4		8	5	5	8
Mustafa Güngör	20	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		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							6				19
Sebastien Chaule	14	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		13	13		14	13	11
Kehoma Brenner	4		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	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.
• Clemens von Grumbkow was injured prior to the match and Germany only went with 21 players into the game.
• 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)

References

1. Deutschland vor Rückkehr in Division 1 Archived 2008-06-26 at the Wayback Machine (in German) Rugby-Journal, accessed: 24 March 2010
2. Deutsche U21-Auswahl soll Alpencup verteidigen (in German) totalrugby.de, published: 27 September 2008, accessed: 27 March 2010
3. Germany - Netherlands report (in German) totalrugby.de, accessed: 28 March 2010
4. Deutschland vor Rückkehr in Division 1 Archived 2008-06-26 at the Wayback Machine (in German) Rugby Journal - Match report, accessed: 25 March 2010
5. Kader für Lehrgang in Heidelberg nominiert Archived July 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (in German) scrum.de, published: 16 February 2008, accessed: 15 March 2010
6. Mark Kuhlmann nicht mehr DRV-Nationaltrainer (in German) Rugby-Journal, published: 9 March 2009, accessed: 25 February 2010
7. Comité Directeur Archived March 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (in French) RC Orléans website, accessed: 15 March 2010
8. FIRA-AER website - 2006/08 - ENC - Division 2
9. Germany squad (in German) totalrugby.de, accessed: 28 March 2010
10. Rugby international news accessed: 24 February 2009
11. ^ Neues vor dem Länderspiel II: Minister Niebel kommt (in German) totalrugby.de, published: 10 December 2009, accessed: 19 March 2010
12. Widiker: “Für mich zählt nur der Aufstieg” (in German) Rugby-Journal, published: 19 November 2010, accessed: 21 November 2010
13. Jens Schmidt made his 35th appearance for the German team against Spain on 15 November 2008 Archived 20 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
14. ^ 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.
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.
16. Güngör neuer Kapitän der National-XV (in German) Rugby-Journal, published: 8 December 2009, accessed: 24 March 2010
17. Matthieu Franke (in German) DRV website, accessed: 30 April 2012
18. ^ 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.
19. Sebastien Chaule beendet Rugby-Karriere (in German) Rugby-Journal, published: 30 October 2009, accessed: 27 February 2010
20. Kehoma Brenner made his debut for Germany against Moldova on 11 November 2006.
21. Franck Moutsinga Archived 2009-04-02 at the Wayback Machine (in German) BRC website, accessed: 2 March 2010

External links

• (in German) Deutscher Rugby-Verband - Official Site
• (in German) TotalRugby.de German rugby website with news and results
• Germany results at scrum.com

• Germany at the European Nations Cup
• 2006–07 in German rugby union
• 2007–08 in German rugby union