Already tomorrow, April 29 at 13.00 at the Daugava stadium, the Latvian national team will meet the Czech rugby-15 national team in the 2022/2023 season match of the European Championship Conference 1 Northern Division.
The coaching staff of the Latvian national team has named the starting fifteen, which will go on the field with the first play. They would be – Emīls Balodis/captain (RK “Miesnieki”), Artūrs Alainis (RK “Miesnieki”), Guntis Cirša (RK “Miesnieki”), Tom Popen (RK “Miesnieki”), Elmārs Šefanovskis (RK “Miesnieki”), Toms Asejevs (RK “Miesnieki”), Andrejs Mantenieks (RK “Miesnieki”), Valters Ranķis (RK “Miesnieki”), Uvis Vasilenko (RFC “Livonia”), Gundars Grieķis (RFC “Livonia”), Anton Oseledko (RFC ” Livonia”), Kaspars Briedis (RFC “Livonia”), Mārtiņš Rundāns (RFC “Livonia”), Ivo Kapiņš (RFC “Livonia”), Valērijs Runco (RFC “Livonia”), Ruslans Kotļevs (RK “Eži”), Matīs Zicāns (RK “Hedgehogs”), Ingus Aivars (RK “Hedgehogs”), Eddy Winters (RK “Phoenix”), Alexis Eglits (RK “Bears”), Dimitri Foundoux (SC “Graughlhetois” – France), Robert Davidson (FC “Hull University Rugby” – England), Thomas Davidson (RC “Wharfadale” – England).
Coaching staff – Kristaps Staņa/head coach, Viktors Silvoniks/coach, Tomas Davidson/consultant, Jean Baptiste Bruzulier/consultant (Harpurry University – England).
Evita Bole/physiotherapist and Raivis Gabranov/physiotherapist will take care of the health of the team.
The statistics of the previous games against each other undoubtedly speak in favor of the Czech rugby players. In the game played last May, the Latvian national team recognized the superiority of the Czechs with 17:54 (three touchdowns allowed at the end of the game).
Be that as it may, this year the Latvian team has completed the preparatory phase, placing great emphasis on improving physical condition, and team captain Emīls Balodis comments on the Latvian national team’s chances of victory as follows:
“I don’t expect the guys to do the impossible and show some kind of miracles on the pitch. I expect every team member to do exactly what they know and are capable of in these 80 minutes. I expect that each of us will give our all on the field, push ourselves to the maximum. Then we as a team will be unstoppable and able to win.”
The final game of the 2022/2023 season will be played by the Latvian national team on the road, meeting with the Hungarian national team. The game is scheduled to be played in Budapest, Hungary on May 6, at 17.00 Latvian time.
