The final pool standings - and with it the fixtures for the first part of the knock-out phase - will be confirmed by the end of the weekend after four more exciting Rugby Europe Championship games are played.
Between February 7 and March 15, last year’s champions Georgia, last year’s runners-up Spain, Romania, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany are battling it out to see who will be crowned this year’s overall winners in Leganés on Championship finals day.
The top two from each pool will go through to contest the Championship semi-finals with the other sides going forward to rankings matches.
In Pool A, Georgia and Spain have both won two from two to date and are safely through to the Championship semis and they will meet on Saturday to see who remains unbeaten and tops the section.
The match is taking place at the Avchala Rugby Stadium in Tbilisi at 3pm local time (11am UTC) and after being on the road to Switzerland and Netherlands, Georgia will be looking forward to playing at home.
Spain travel having been in the Netherlands and then played Switzerland at home and with these sides ranked 13 and 15 in the world and both having qualified for the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia this game should be hard fought.
In pool play last year Georgia won 62-32 in Madrid and they were then were victorious 46-28 in the Championship final in Tbilisi.
The second game on Saturday is in Pool B with fourth placed Belgium hosting third placed Germany with both sides looking to keep up pressure on second placed Romania and perhaps make the Championship semi-finals.
The match takes place at the Stade Charles Tondreau in Mons at 8pm local time (7pm UTC) and the hosts have lost two from two to date and only have a very outside chance of finishing as runners-up in the pool.
Germany, in third, have four points having beaten Romania before losing to leaders Portugal and may go into this clash as slight favourites although it is always hard to win on the road. Belgium won the corresponding fixture in 2025 39-19.
Germany head coach, Mark Kuhlmann said before the match in Belgium "A door has already opened for us that we couldn't necessarily have expected before the REC.
"Now we want to try to take advantage of this opportunity with a win in Belgium and, in the best case scenario, secure our place in the league before the final round. If that works out, it would be great. If it doesn't work out now, we'll continue to fight hard for this goal.
"But regardless of all the calculations and probabilities, we want to and must continue to focus on ourselves and our performance, because at the end of the day, our goal hasn't changed. I expect a tough battle in Mons on Saturday against a team that, despite last year's defeat, is still at about the same level as us."
We return to pool A for the first of the two Sunday games and winless sides Switzerland and Netherlands meet at the Stade Municipal in Yverdon-les-Bains at 1pm local time (12pm URC).
Whoever comes out on top in this one will finish third in the group and have a more favourable rankings semi-final draw so there is plenty at stake
Netherlands won 73-0 last year in Amsterdam.
Switzerland captain, Jules Porcher said, “We came together on Thursday in Yverdon with a clear mindset and a lot of positive energy. Preparations for Round 3 are going really well. The focus is sharp and we’re continuing to refine our attacking and defensive structures, making sure every detail is in place so that it all comes together this weekend.
I want to see the same the commitment, hunger and edge the boys have shown in the first two games against Georgia and Spain. That’s the standard we set for ourselves. Now it’s about bringing that same intensity and physicality on the pitch - but for the full 80 minutes until the final whistle.”
The weekend’s fourth and final game comes on Sunday at the Estadio Nacional Jamor in Lisbon at 5.30pm local time (5.30pm UTC).
Portugal will be looking for a third win out of three here to make sure of topping Pool B while their visitors Romania will be looking to secure a safe route through to the Championship semis.
Both of these sides are going to the World Cup and when they met last year in the pool stage Portugal won 34-6 away from home. Romania then won the Championship third/fourth place game 21-7.
By Gary Heatly
