Rugby Europe Championship 2021 title may have been decided back in June

The fate of the Rugby Europe Championship 2021 title might have been chosen back in June when Georgia lifted the prize for the fifteenth time, yet the opposition possibly reached a resolution last end of the week in Amsterdam when Spain crushed the Netherlands 52-7.

The success lifted Los Leones up to fourth in the Rugby Europe Championship 2021 table and leaves them just two focuses uncontrolled of Romania and Portugal in quest for the Europe 2 spot at Rugby World Cup 2023.

Focuses from the current year's competition will be added to the focuses from the 2022 version of the Rugby Europe Championship when it comes around to figuring out which of the groups will be headed toward France the year after next.

📈The final rankings of the 2021 Championship. Points will be carried over into the 2022 edition and we'll find out who will be going to @rugbyworldcup!

🎟 Two tickets and a place in the global repechage will be up for grabs at @France2023. pic.twitter.com/0XF6N1M03Y

— Rugby Europe (@rugby_europe) December 18, 2021

Everything being equal, the odds of any of the groups guaranteeing the Europe 1 spot in front of Georgia are thin, best case scenario, with the Lelos holding an important lead at the midway stage following another Grand Slam-winning effort.

In any case, Romania, who sit second in front of Portugal on focuses contrast, are resurgent under lead trainer Andy Robinson and will want to in any case be in the blend for the area's first programmed capability billet when the Lelos visit Bucharest in the penultimate round of the Rugby Europe Championship 2022 on 12 March.

Romania showed enormous soul to revitalize from their cycle one 18-13 loss to Russia and beat Portugal 28-27 in their subsequent installation, scoring two late attempts to upset a 13-point deficiency. Further successes came against Spain and the Netherlands either side of a 28-17 misfortune to all-overcoming Georgia.

Portugal partook in a fine mission in 2021 under Patrice Lagisquet and furthermore won three matches. Operating system Lobos started with a 29-16 loss to Georgia and were then left kicking themselves in the wake of neglecting triumph from their grip against Romania. Nonetheless, persuading wins against the Netherlands, Russia and Spain set them up pleasantly for a genuine slant at capability one year from now.

Spain started off with a serious presentation against Georgia which presented to them a losing reward point. That 25-19 loss was then trailed by one more close miss against Romania, where the losing edge was again just six focuses. A 43-28 misfortune to Portugal put them in a difficult spot however huge successes over Russia and the Netherlands mean they are still especially in with a yell of coming to France 2023.

A success over Romania looked good for the remainder of Russia's mission however, as it ended up, they could oversee another triumph (35-8 against the Netherlands). All things considered, with nine focuses to their name, Russia are positively not out for the count in the race for capability.

After an intense first season back at this level in quite a while, the Netherlands will be looking more towards Rugby World Cup 2027 than the competition in 2023. The Dutch surrendered a normal of 50 focuses per game in losing each of the five of their installations and neglected to get a solitary point.

WHICH POOLS ARE EUROPE 1 AND EUROPE 2 IN AT RWC 2023?

Wales, Australia and Fiji await the team that qualifies as Europe 1. The Final Qualification Tournament winner will also be present in Pool C. 

The team that finishes third in the combined Rugby Europe Championship 2021 and 2022 table will contest the Final Qualification Tournament alongside teams from Africa, Asia/Pacific and the Americas.

Europe 2 will go into Pool B with reigning world champions South Africa, Ireland and Scotland and the Asia/Pacific 1 qualifier.

WHEN DOES THE RUGBY EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIP 2022 BEGIN?

Fixtures for the second half of the regional qualification process have just been announced. Romania take on Russia and Spain play the Netherlands in the first two fixtures on Saturday 5 February, while Georgia kick off their title defence against Portugal in Tbilisi the following day.

Georgia travel to the Netherlands in round two on 12 February, while Russia play Spain in a game that neither team can afford to lose. Romania against Portugal is the later of the three kick-offs.

Round three kicks off with an encounter between Portugal and the Netherlands on 26 February. A Sunday double bill features Spain against Romania and Georgia against Russia. Victory in that game could guarantee the Lelos of the Europe 1 spot with two rounds to play. RWC 2023 Live

After a two-week break, the Rugby Europe Championship 2022 fixtures resume on the weekend of 12/13 March. Russia are up against the Netherlands and Romania take on Georgia in the Saturday slot with Iberian bragging rights at stake on Sunday as Spain welcome local rivals Portugal to Madrid.

The final set of fixtures take place on the weekend of 19/20 March with the Netherlands and Romania and Portugal and Russia going head-to-head in Saturday’s two fixtures. On Sunday, Georgia and Spain bring the curtain down on the qualification race