The 1989–90 FIRA Trophy was the 28th edition of a European rugby union championship for national teams. The format returned to a one-year tournament, with each team facing each other only once.

1989-90 FIRA Trophy
Date22 October 1989 – 27 May 1990
Countries France
 Italy
 Romania
 Poland
 Soviet Union
Tournament statistics
Champions France  Soviet Union  Romania
Matches played10
1987-1989 (Previous) (Next) 1990–1992

The tournament was won by France, Romania and Soviet Union, who all finished with three wins and one loss, and the same points. France only awarded caps in their 12-6 loss at home to Romania. Italy finished in a disappointing 4th place, with a single win, while Poland lost all their four games and was relegated. Their best result was a 25-19 loss to Romania abroad, in a game where the Romanians didn't awarded caps.[1]

Portugal and Spain where the winners of the Second division groups, facing each other's in a final, won by the Spaniards (29-6).

First division edit

Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff.
1   France 4 3 0 1 82 47 +35 10
1   Soviet Union 4 3 0 1 81 59 +22 10
1   Romania 4 3 0 1 66 55 +11 10
4   Italy 4 1 0 3 67 56 +11 6
5   Poland 4 0 0 4 43 122 -79 4
  • Poland Relegated to division 2

Point system: try 4 pt, conversion: 2 pt., penalty kick 3 pt. drop 3 pt
Click "show" for more info about match (scorers, line-up etc)
22 October 1989
Romania  13 - 21  Soviet Union
Try: Dumitras
Pen: Domocos, Toader
Try: Mironov, Parshin
Con: Dzagnidze (2)
Pen: Dzagnidze (2)
Drop: Dzagnidze
Baia Mare
Attendance: 8,000
Referee:   J.-C. Doucet

5 November 1989
Soviet Union  15 - 12  Italy
Try: Molchanov
Con: Dzagnidze
Pen: Dzagnidze (3)
Try: Mascioletti
Con: Troiani
Pen: Troiani (2)
Fili Stadium, Moscow
Referee:   Yves Bressy

18 February 1990
France A1  22 - 12  Italy
Try: Maset, Weller
Con: Bianchi
Pen: Bianchi (4)
Pen: Troiani (4)
Stade Municipal, Albi
Referee:   A. J. Spreadbury

7 April 1990
Italy  34 - 3  Poland
Try: Cuttitta (2), Pietroscanti, Venturi, Zanon
Con: Troiani (4)
Pen: Troiani (2)
Drop: Hodura
Arenaccia, Naples
Referee:   H. Rohr

14 April 1990
Romania A  25 - 19  Poland
Parcul Copilului, Bucharest

14 April 1990
Italy  9 - 16  Romania
Pen: Troiani (3)Try: Ion
Pen: Ignat (4)
Stadio di Cocciano, Frascati
Referee:   J.-C. Debat

18 May 1990
France XV  32 - 9  Poland
Parc des Sports, Le Creusot

20 May 1990
Soviet Union  14 - 22  France XV
Fili Stadium, Moscow
Attendance: 4,000

24 May 1990
France  6 - 12  Romania
Pen: Lescarboura (2)Pen: Ignat (3)
Drop: Ignat
Stade Jacques-Fouroux, Auch
Attendance: 4,000
Referee:   I. Bullerwell

27 May 1990
Poland  12 - 31  Soviet Union
Warsaw

Second division edit

Pool A edit

The first match between Tunisia and Morocco was tied. The two unions, according with FIRA, agreed to considered valid for tournament the match originally valid only for Rugby World Cup 1991 qualification instead the first one.[1]

The match between Belgium and Tunisia, scheduled in Brussels, was not played.

Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff.
1   Portugal 3 3 0 0 52 28 +24 9
2   Morocco 3 1 0 2 42 38 +4 5
3   Tunisia 2 1 0 1 22 24 -2 4
4   Belgium 2 0 0 2 18 44 -26 2
10 February 1990
Tunisia  12 - 12
match non valid
  Morocco
Menzel

10 March 1990
Morocco  20 - 6  Belgium
Casablanca

24 March 1990
Portugal  16 - 10  Morocco
Porto

5 May 1990
Tunisia  16 - 12  Morocco
Harare

25 May 1990
Belgium  12 - 24  Portugal
Waterloo

26 May 1990
Portugal  12 - 6  Tunisia
Lisbon

1990
Belgium   match not played   Tunisia
Brussels

Pool B edit

Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against
1   Spain 4 3 1 0 70 45 +25 11
2   Netherlands 4 3 0 1 101 51 +50 10
3   West Germany 4 2 0 2 86 50 +36 8
4   Czechoslovakia 4 0 1 3 45 98 -53 5
5   Bulgaria 4 1 0 3 37 95 -58 5


4 March 1990
Netherlands  45 - 10  Bulgaria
Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum


18 March 1990
Czechoslovakia  6 - 29  Netherlands
Brno

22 April 1990
Bulgaria  12 - 40  West Germany
Sofia

29 April 1990
Czechoslovakia  22 - 22  Spain
Vyškov


3 June 1990
Bulgaria  15 - 10  Czechoslovakia
Sofia

Bulgaria  0 – 6
withdraw
  Spain

Final edit

28 October 1990
Spain  29 - 6  Portugal
Seville

Third division edit

Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1   Andorra 2 2 0 0 35 9 +26 6
2   Yugoslavia 2 1 0 1 31 15 +16 4
3   Luxembourg 2 0 0 2 12 54 -42 2
29 April 1990
Andorra  26 - 6  Luxembourg
Andorra-la-Vella

13 May 1990
Luxembourg  6 - 28  Yugoslavia
Luxembourg

20 May 1990
Yugoslavia  3 - 9  Andorra
Split

Bibliography edit

  • (in Italian) Francesco Volpe, Valerio Vecchiarelli (2000), 2000 Italia in Meta, Storia della nazionale italiana di rugby dagli albori al Sei Nazioni, GS Editore (2000) ISBN 88-87374-40-6.
  • (in Italian) Francesco Volpe, Paolo Pacitti (Author), Rugby 2000, GTE Gruppo Editorale (1999).

References edit

  1. ^ a b Jones, Stephen (1990). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1990-1991. Queen Ann Press. pp. 100–101. ISBN 0-356-19162-1.

External links edit