World Cup Repechage Guide – Germany

A team that might have been here on its own merit is instead the beneficiary of the iron fist of justice. Germany had been a team on the rise, passing Canada to reach 22nd in the world in May, but then it all fell apart at the end of the year. The dispute between billionaire financial backer Hans-Peter Wild and the German Rugby Federation (DRV) spilled into the team itself, resulting in a player strike that lasted until June’s Qualifiers against Portugal and Samoa.

The internal battles are still present but a ceasefire was called when fortune threw the Germans back into the World Cup picture. In August their coaching staff was heavily fortified and now it’s all hands on deck in an effort to reach the promised land for the first time. They are currently 29th on the World Rugby Rankings, the lowest of the four Repechage teams, though that score is very much deceiving given the talent once again available to the side.

 

RECENT FORM

This year’s results are almost irrelevant given the strike. The ‘replacements’ dropped every match in the Rugby Europe Championship by an embarrassing figure with the only win in 2018 coming against Portugal to secure the right to play Samoa. Apia proved an unwelcoming environment on the pitch and the team looked significantly more competitive in the return fixture at Heidelberg. In 2017 Germany earned notable wins over Romania, Kenya, and Brazil.

 

HISTORICAL RESULTS

vs Hong Kong – 1 game, 1 win
2009-12-12 – Hong Kong 14-24 Germany – Heidelberg

vs Canada – 0 games

vs Kenya – 1 game, 1 win
2017-05-27 – Kenya 29-30 Germany – Nairobi

 

COACHES

Former England, Ireland, and Lions coach Mike Ford has been given the role of Head Coach with the task of getting Germany through the Repechage. He is working side-by-side with long-time coach and now Director of Rugby Kobus Potgieter. The latter has been handling the bulk of media duties leaving Ford to concentrate on the game plan.

The supporting cast is equally well-regarded. Former Chile Head Coach and Brazil High Performance Manager Paul Healy is tasked with sharpening the attack. German international fullback Pieter Jordaan is a specialist backs coach and former England and Saracens lock Mouritz Botha runs the defense.

 

CAPTAIN

It’s a little bit of a surprise to see Michael Poppmeier named as captain, in fact seeing him in the squad at all comes against the grain. This is his first appearance in the team of this year and at 36 years old it looked as though the giant South African’s time in test rugby was done. His selection in the engine room is a clear indication that the Schwarze Adler are intent on winning the battle up front.

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

A new name is that of Kurt Haupt. With both Super Rugby and English Premiership experience he brings size and physicality to the hooker position. 22-year-old Eric Marks is on the books at Top 14 club La Rochelle and captained Germany during the Rugby Europe Championship. He is a defensive workhorse and forms a strong second row partnership with Poppmeier. Giving balance to the pack is openside flanker Jaco Otto. Equally comfortable digging at the breakdown or linking with the backs, his try-scoring rate is astonishing – 20 tries in 20 tests including a double against Samoa in June.

Germany have an embarrassment of riches in the goal kicking department and have two quality options at flyhalf. Hagen Schulte is New Zealand-born, a product of the Canterbury age-grade system and formerly contracted to Glasgow Warriors. He is returning from injury and will miss the first game against Hong Kong. Certain to start in his place is Christopher Hilsenbeck, one half of the starting duo for French club Vannes in the Pro D2. Both are reliable kickers with the ability to drop it through the uprights if needed.

More kicking ability comes from versatile backs Raynor Parkinson and Marcel Coetzee. Both are South African, with Parkinson the most accurate short-range kicker on the team and an option as a 2nd 5/8 or fullback. Coetzee comes via the Sharks. He is most likely to be found at wing or fullback and is the long-range option with a siege-gun boot that can put points on the board from well within his own half.

 

WHO’S MISSING

It’s a packed house in the forwards with only one injury issue. Hooker Dasch Barber is included despite his broken hand but is expected to be fit enough to play, while Rotherham flanker Luis Ball and Cross Keys No8 Luke Dyckhoff were left out. Five wingers are missing. Rangy veteran Steffen Liebig didn’t recover from injury in time and young speed merchant Zani Dembele is a long-term casualty. Another big body, sevens crossover Tim Biniak, was a surprise omission as was Carcassonne starter Maxime Oltmann. Pierre Mathurin covers wing, fullback, or scrumhalf but was also excluded.

 

VERDICT

Ignore the rankings. Man-for-man this is a formidable group of players, particularly in the forwards. The heavy South African influence leans towards kicking and the set piece, both areas of strength – their kickers are the best in the competition. What they lack is backfield dynamism, with only France-based midfielder Mathieu Ducau an imposing physical threat.

This is not a team that is confused, however. They won’t play rugby in their own end and being able to control territory with the boot is a significant tactical advantage. If they impose their game plan and pressure the opposition into mistakes, they can stand with any team in the competition.

Where Kenya are the odds-on underdogs at the tournament the other three spots are debatable, with each posing questions of each other. Germany has the psychological advantage of having beaten both Hong Kong and Kenya in the past. Can they hurdle Canada as well?

Prediction: 2nd

 

FIXTURES

DATE	LOCAL	ET	PT	OPPONENT
Sun, Nov 11	16:00	10:00	07:00	Hong Kong
Sat, Nov 17	16:00	10:00	07:00	Canada
Fri, Nov 23	18:00	12:00	09:00	Kenya

 

SQUAD

NAME

POS

HGT

WGT

DOB

CAPS

CLUB

Nostadt, Julius	LH	1.85 6-1	118 260	Oct 12 1992	22	Aurillac (FR)
Schröder, Jörn	LH	1.89 6-2	119 260	Nov 8 1992	19	HRK

Barber, Dasch	HO	1.73 5-8	97 215	Mar 22 1988	11	HRK
Haupt, Kurt	HO	1.88 6-2	115 255	Jan 17 1989	–	unattached
Tyumenev, Mika	HO	1.76 5-9	104 230	Oct 17 1991	24	Nice (FR)

Dickinson, Antony	TH	1.85 6-1	117 255	Feb 5 1994	8	Rotherham Titans (UK)
Füchsel, Samy	TH	1.83 6-0	116 255	Jul 28 1992	36	Frankfurt
Schösser, Matthias	TH	1.82 6-0	122 270	May 15 1991	7	Aberdeen (UK)

Marks, Eric	LO	1.96 6-5	113 250	Dec 9 1996	21	La Rochelle (FR)
Poppmeier, Michael	LO	1.98 6-6	120 265	Jul 24 1982	24	Frankfurt
Vollenkemper, Timo	LO	1.96 6-5	118 260	Jan 10 1991	21	HRK

Dawe, John	FL	1.77 5-10	95 210	Jan 28 1993	–	Worthing Raiders (UK)
Ferreira, Sebastian	FL/LO	1.94 6-4	111 245	Feb 10 1994	13	Chambery (FR)
Henn, Marcel	FL	1.90 6-3	108 240	Sep 10 1992	6	Frankfurt
Otto, Jaco	FL	1.81 5-11	98 215	Dec 10 1989	20	Handschuhsheim

Els, Jarrid	N8	1.93 6-4	110 240	Oct 16 1988	18	HRK
Schramm, Ayron	N8	1.93 6-4	108 240	Apr 18 1995	3	Houston SaberCats (US)

Armstrong, Sean	SH	1.78 5-10	88 195	Nov 14 1986	38	HRK
Menzel, Tim	SH	1.69 5-6	74 165	Jan 1 1992	28	Vannes (FR)
Paine, Oliver	SH/FH	1.78 5-10	84 185	Sep 25 1991	10	Neuenheim

Hilsenbeck, Christopher	FH	1.86 6-1	85 185	Jan 10 1992	17	Vannes (FR)
Schulte, Hagen	FH	1.83 6-0	90 200	Jan 5 1992	3	CSM Bucuresti (RO)

Cameron-Dow, Wynston	CE/FH	1.85 6-1	100 220	Oct 15 1989	4	Offenbach
Ducau, Mathieu	CE	1.92 6-4	98 215	Aug 22 1995	6	Lannemezan (FR)
Parkinson, Raynor	CE	1.88 6-2	92 200	Jun 8 1988	32	Frankfurt
Soteras-Merz, Carlos	CE	1.79 5-10	96 210	Oct 26 1990	17	Pforzheim

Coetzee, Marcel	WI	1.81 5-11	93 205	Dec 14 1995	14	Handschuhsheim
Klewinghaus, Nikolai	WI	1.85 6-1	92 200	Mar 16 1998	4	Handschuhsheim

Aounallah, Harris	FB	1.78 5-10	85 185	Mar 15 1994	8	Dijon (FR)
Murphy, Jamie	FB	1.78 5-10	89 195	Dec 29 1989	8	Bridgend Ravens (UK)