The Russians are coming
THERE were, assuredly, many aspects of everyday life that weren’t fun back in the days of the old Soviet Union but, rather surprisingly, those with a predilection for rugby union might have had as tough a time as many others. In the years after the Second World War, for example, Joseph Stalin’s regime decided the sport was “not relevant to the principles of the Soviet people,” and promptly banned it, indicating that it would help the USSR’s “struggle against cosmopolitanism”. Even in the years after Stalin’s death, rugby was looked upon with some suspicion, particularly after an encounter at the World Youth Games, staged in Moscow in 1957, between Llanelli and Grivita Rosa of Romania, ended with both teams, and their supporters, getting involved in a mass brawl.
Fifty-odd years on, Russian rugby — which constituted most of the landscape of Soviet rugby — is back in the mainstream and taking its place on world rugby’s grandest stage for the very first time.
Coached by Nicolay Nerush and Kingsley Jones, the former Wales flanker and Sale coach, the Russian camp are under no illusions about the task facing them in Pool C alongside Australia, Ireland, Italy and the USA. At 19 in the IRB’s latest world rankings, they are not only the lowest ranked side in the pool, they’re the second-lowest ranked side, after Namibia, in the entire tournament. “Our goal is to win one game, the game against the USA,” says Nerush with an impressive realism.
And yet it need not have been this way. After Stalin’s death in 1953, the USSR saw an explosion in industry and the most popular way to keep the workers happy was to provide them with sporting clubs, many of whom founded rugby sides. In 1966 the All-Union rugby championship was held and it took place every year after that until the Soviet Union fell in 1991. At its peak, the tournament had 20 teams from right across the region and by the early 1980s, the Soviet Union were seen as a tough international side, regularly beating Romania and Italy, the kings of European rugby’s lower tier.
As a result, the USSR were invited to compete at the very first Rugby World Cup in 1987, but they turned down the invitation. Why? The reason might surprise you. Although South Africa did not take part in the first World Cup, they were still members of the sport’s governing body and as a result, an anti-apartheid Soviet regime refused to give their national team permission to take part in the tournament. Where many unions flip-flopped around the South Africa issue, the USSR took a firm stand, to the detriment of the sport in the country. History can take many twists and turns, as the tale of Romanian rugby shows, but is there any reason to suggest Russia, and not Italy, could be playing in the Six Nations had they accepted their place at the first World Cup?
But in Russia, they are conditioned to look forward, not back. And in that direction, the horizon is particularly bright. Arguably more important than qualification for their first World Cup has been the sport’s — well, the Sevens game at least — upgrade to Olympic status. As a result rugby has, firstly, become part of the national school curriculum, which should see the country’s total of 3,600 registered adult players rise in the next decade or so. Secondly, the change in status has given the current national squad the opportunity to use the country’s impressive Olympic facilities outside Moscow, where, earlier this summer, the rugby squad rubbed shoulders with Russia’s elite athletes.
“That was a big boost for us,” says Kingsley Jones, who joined Russia’s coaching staff in February and is contracted until after the World Cup. “I really enjoyed it but then again, I’ve enjoyed every minute I’ve spent with this squad. What I like about them is their willingness to go out and express themselves. They are like sponges in the way they absorb what you tell them and they are so enthusiastic. At our camp in advance of the Churchill Cup, when we were together for three whole weeks, they all attended every training session, no one crying off with injuries. It made a change after Sale.”
As enthusiastic as they are, Russia’s Churchill Cup results from June, and their tour of England and Wales in August, tell their own story. In the Churchill Cup, they were defeated 34-18 by Canada, 24-19 by Italy A and 32-25 by the USA. Admittedly, there was only a single score between the sides in the games against Italy A and the USA but if anything, Russia’s recent tour results have been even more worrying. Against an understrength Northampton, Dragons and Ospreys sides in August, they were beaten 54-19, 40-12 and 46-19 respectively.
“Most of our players play in the Russian Championship and because of that, they are going to make mistakes when they player against other sides,” says Jones, who only has five players — Vasily Artemyev, formerly of Blackrock College and now Northampton, Andrey Ostrickov of Sale, Konstantin Rachkov of Stade Phoceen from French rugby’s third tier, Viatcheslav Grachev of Bizanos from French rugby’s fourth tier and Adam Byrnes, formerly of Leinster and now with the Melbourne Rebels — who play their club rugby outside Russia.
“But our guys can play. We’re good with the ball in hand and dangerous in possession. The difficulty we have had at the highest level is getting enough possession, we need to secure our set-piece and provide more of a platform, but the improvement in that area has been huge in our warm-up tour in England and Wales. The World Cup is a big opportunity for us and we have to make sure we do not disgrace ourselves.”
That won’t be easy. At the last World Cup, Portugal, Japan, Namibia all conceded more than 200 points in their four pool games and it is difficult to see how Russia can avoid such a fate given they are set to face Ireland, Australia and Italy. But then again, there is always the inspiration of Russia’s neighbours Georgia, who should have beaten Ireland at the last World Cup, and who conceded just 111 points across their four pool games. However, in the European Nations Cup over the past two years, which doubled up as European qualification for the 2011 World Cup, Russia lost their two encounters against Georgia, the first 29-21 and the second 36-8. They are some way off their neighbours.
One other fear heading into the tournament is stage fright. Jones tells a story from earlier this summer when he asked Jason Robinson, and old buddy of his from his time with the Sale Sharks, to coach the backs at a few training sessions. The players, to a man, enjoyed the former England international’s visit but they spent as much time having pictures taken with him and getting his autograph, as learning from him on the pitch. “It was interesting to watch,” says Jones, “but we can’t have them in awe like that when they come up against somebody like Paul O’Connell in the World Cup.”
But realistically, as Nerush points out, how could Russia’s players be anything but in awe of rugby’s top teams and players? “In other team sports like soccer,” explains Nerush, “smaller nations have at least a chance to play big powers in qualifying, either for the World Cup or European Championship. But rugby is different. Take the Six Nations tournament for example — it’s like an exclusive club. So the World Cup is our only chance to face major teams but the gulf in class is so huge that it often becomes a mismatch.”
That may well prove to be the case in New Zealand. But with the government helping rather than hindering rugby’s development in the country, it might well be the first and last time Russia head to a World Cup as minnows.
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