The Rugby Europe Super Cup for 2023 is coming to an end - and what a finish it is set up to be.
After three great placings matches in Amsterdam last Saturday we already know that the Romanian Wolves have finished third in the tournament, Castilla Y Leon Iberians from Spain fourth, Lusitanos from Portugal fifth, Brussels Devils from Belgium sixth, Delta from Netherlands seventh and Bohemia Rugby Warriors from Czechia eighth.
However, the top two places are still to be decided and they will be on Friday when Black Lion from Georgia take on Tel-Aviv Heat from Israel in the final.
It will take place at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi at 3pm local time (11am UTC) and Black Lion will be going into the match as favourites.
That is because they won the first two playings of this tournament in 2021 and 2022 while, more recently, they earned their first ever EPCR Challenge Cup win.
The victory came in Wales against the Scarlets as recently as last Friday, the 23-7 triumph on the road making a lot of teams sit up and take note as Georgian rugby keeps growing and growing.
Miriani Modebadze and Beka Mamrikashvili scored the tries in that one with Luka Matkava kicking 13 points.
In last year’s RE Super Cup final they met the Heat and managed to win that one 29-17 after a real battle.
When they met earlier this term in a Pool A clash it was one of the best RE Super Cup matches seen over the last three years, Black Lion eventually coming out on top 29-27 back in November kin a match played in Cyprus.
A converted try from replacement Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi with 10 minutes to go for the Heat set up a thrilling finale in that one, but Black Lion held on.
In the semi-finals this year, both sides were on ruthless form with Black Lion getting the better of Iberians 41-0 while the Heat got past the Wolves 31-6.
For the Black Lion, players like the aforementioned stand-off Matkava will likely be one to watch here along with No.8 Semi Kunatani who is a real threat for the Heat.
This really should be a cracking final between two sides who have the forward power needed to get on the front foot, but who also have great skill behind the scrum.
The game will take place tomorrow at 12pm CET (3pm Local) and available to watch on rugbyeurope.tv and FloRugby, as well as RugbyTV (Georgia) and Sport5 in Israel.
