photo credit: Jürgen Kessler / DRV

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)

 

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