RugbyDump recently reported on the game between Turkey and Azerbaijan in European Nations Cup group 3 (the group below Finland). More accurately, it reported on the epic fight that broke out in the 65th minute, involving players, touch judges (complete with flailing touch-flags) and even members of the audience in the stands.
As you would expect, the response from the global rugby community has been
swift and damning (although ironically many of the comments were as immature as
the actions of the players). The fighting was eventually brought under control
with the players receiving a verbal blasting from the match commisioner, Michel
Arpaillage, who happens to be the IRB’s Regional Development Manager for
Europe, resulting in the match being called off.
Here’s the video that made the headlines:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef5-T5VD_xs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef5-T5VD_xs
The short clip makes it seem as though this complete blow-out came out of
nowhere, but the Azerbaijani Rugby Union have also uploaded some of the match
footage from both halves of the game, which not only sheds some light on the
dramatic ending, but also sends an ominous warning to Finland and the other
teams in group 2D. Here’s the match video:
With regard to the fight, the match-ending brawl was far from being the
only scuffle in the game. The trouble began in the first period before the second half descended into chaos leading
up to the final battle, but it’s hard to pick out
individual triggers (at least not without learning some new languages first).
Unfortunately what seems likely is that Azerbaijan’s passion got the better of
them. Where Turkey had the smarts to rile their opponents and then walk away,
the pride of the visitors too often overwhelmed their restraint and the usual
jostling and chest-thumping that quickly fizzles out in other games was taken
instead as a man-challenge (watch the second half at 04:45 for a good example).
It also has to be said that 2 or 3 players were clearly more interested in
making something out of nothing rather than getting on with the game, despite
the captain’s efforts to calm them. We would still be interested to find
out what the audience members did or said to incite such outrage in several
Azerbaijani players, causing them to climb the stands in an attempt to get to
the offending fans.
There is, however, something far more important to take note of: once you
look past the fighting, the unmissable fact is that Turkey put on a potent display of rugby. True, scrums were messy and rucks were often a mass of
flying bodies and flailing limbs, but the Turkish players run with confidence, use
good lines and, most importantly, they work well as a team – especially in the
backs. The result was being able to run in 8 tries in the 65 minutes while
conceding only a single penalty goal.
Turkey have made a big effort to introduce themselves on the world rugby
stage, touring prior to the start of the ENC season and playing Estonia in
Tallinn in May this year. On that day, Turkey scored 8 tries to take the match
5-47 – a result that should both encourage Finland and also put them on alert.
Finland A are due to re-open the Baltic Shield competition with our Estonian
neighbours with the first game to be played in Tallinn in May 2013 and Estonia’s
loss to Turkey should act as a further spur to players who are looking to make
an impression and make a claim for 1st team places. At the same time Finland
need to be prepared for Turkey’s probable promotion and see them as legitimate contenders in the future. Last year’s group 3
winners Bosnia & Herzegovina have already made a positive impression after
almost upsetting Norway in their own back yard, and Finland are yet to take the challenge for themselves.
