pinky wrote:
Croket, correct me if I'm wrong as I couldn't find much online, but I think the Russian season normally finishes up in mid-October?

If it was a normal year they could probably get away with two home games in the usual slot in late October, but with the RWC pushing the kickoff back a month, it would be hard to find a playable pitch.
So I assume they will have to play the home games somewhere warmer. Maybe Sochi, which is snow-free in January as anyone at the Winter Olympics will have learned. Or maybe London given its large Russian population.
In general it's going to be tough going for them to play six games in the middle of their off-season with minimal opportunities to even train outdoors at home. Maybe Connacht can take some of their players on loan to give them gametime in the Pro12

Yep, the season finishes in October
Enisey's hometown Krasnoyarsk, in the heart of Siberia.
But the team played their home game against Baia Mare in Sochi and will surely play their Challenge Cup home games in this city, on the shores of the Black Sea (more than 5000km from Krasnoyarsk).
I hope the team will sign some foreign players to renforce the team, currently 100% of the players from the squad are from Eastern Europe countries

pinky wrote: Congrats to Enisey (and Calvisano) who came through the Qualifying Competition and will compete in the Challenge Cup next season. I'm packing my bags for Siberia already!

Pinky please re-assure me you have your Clan dogtag- it might be your only way off the gulag..

Fourdogs wrote:

pinky wrote: Congrats to Enisey (and Calvisano) who came through the Qualifying Competition and will compete in the Challenge Cup next season. I'm packing my bags for Siberia already!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Eu..._Rugby_Challenge_Cup

PINKY
Love the idea. Minimum of 14 hours flight through London and Moscow and a cost of approximately €750 for the flight alone.
Start saving now because there won't be that many of us at this one if it happens.

Ha ha, I actually looked it up for the craic (slow weekend) and you can get there from Munich for just over €100 each way with S7. Add on €125 or so for a return to Munich with Aer Lingus and you have change from €350. I think that is a moot point though as I doubt there is a hellball's chance in snow that they will play any games at home. Average highs in November are a balmy -4 but in December and January it drops to -9.

Croket, correct me if I'm wrong as I couldn't find much online, but I think the Russian season normally finishes up in mid-October?

If it was a normal year they could probably get away with two home games in the usual slot in late October, but with the RWC pushing the kickoff back a month, it would be hard to find a playable pitch.
So I assume they will have to play the home games somewhere warmer. Maybe Sochi, which is snow-free in January as anyone at the Winter Olympics will have learned. Or maybe London given its large Russian population.
In general it's going to be tough going for them to play six games in the middle of their off-season with minimal opportunities to even train outdoors at home. Maybe Connacht can take some of their players on loan to give them gametime in the Pro12

pinky wrote: Congrats to Enisey (and Calvisano) who came through the Qualifying Competition and will compete in the Challenge Cup next season. I'm packing my bags for Siberia already!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Eu..._Rugby_Challenge_Cup

PINKY
Love the idea. Minimum of 14 hours flight through London and Moscow and a cost of approximately €750 for the flight alone.
Start saving now because there won't be that many of us at this one if it happens.

Typical of their attitude in general

Congrats to Enisey (and Calvisano) who came through the Qualifying Competition and will compete in the Challenge Cup next season. I'm packing my bags for Siberia already!

After all EPCR's talk of how exciting this third tier competition was going to be, they didn't even bother putting the results on the website let alone give it any coverage. I had to find the results on wikipedia!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Eu..._Rugby_Challenge_Cup

Just a word about Enisey

The club played the European Challenge Cup qualifying competition and finished on the top of their pool after beating Mogliano (Italy) and Lisbon (Portugal). They play a home-away game against Baia Mare (Romania) to play the Challenge Cup next season
They won the first leg 30-20 in Romania yesterday and will play the second leg in two weeks in Russia

Does any of you understand Russian??

irelandru.com/connacht-eagles-enisej-stm/

If you don't, just enjoy the pictures and go to the IRFU website, for a short version www.irishrugby.ie/news/30364.php#.U0PdF1dqLV4

Tore up to the Sportsground as soon as the Munster game finished but they literally blew the final whistle as I reached the gate. Piss-poor scheduling.

Borders no.2 wrote: The Connacht team was a lot stronger yesterday than it had been for the fixtures that had been played previously against Enisei but I too was surprised by the margin. Enisei had impressed me the last couple of years they were over. Would like to have gone to it but once again with the A games Connacht are there own worst enemies in terms of the timing of these games. I suppose with no revenue coming from these games, keeping costs down is the most important consideration.

Are Enisei going to be in the new 3rd tier competition being proposed for next season Croket?

Thanks for these infos

I don't know if Enisei will be in the 3rd tier competition. They finished 2d in the russian league last year, it depends how many russian teams will play in this tournament.

The current champion, Krasny Yar (from the same city, Krasnoyarsk), is much stronger than Enisey

Here are 2014 squads of these 2 clubs
Krasny Yar
coaches : Yuri Nikolaychuk and Josh Taumalolo
data.nimages.fr/krasnyyar22y.jpg

Enisey-STM
coaches : Alexander Pervukhin & George Sava
data.nimages.fr/eniseygmx.jpg

The Connacht team was a lot stronger yesterday than it had been for the fixtures that had been played previously against Enisei but I too was surprised by the margin. Enisei had impressed me the last couple of years they were over. Would like to have gone to it but once again with the A games Connacht are there own worst enemies in terms of the timing of these games. I suppose with no revenue coming from these games, keeping costs down is the most important consideration.

Are Enisei going to be in the new 3rd tier competition being proposed for next season Croket?

Surprised about the result, even if Enisei played without their NZ players

Anybody saw the game?

ended 54-21.
pity it was on same time as munster. wasnt our B&I cup games on at the same time as our heineken cup games? crazy stuff. also, said 2.30 on match preview, started at 2! which made it impossible to even catch any of it, 2.30 would allow you to see the second half

10" in at the Sportsground and the Connacht Eagles are leading Enisei STM 7 - 0 after a try from hooker Jack Dineen, converted by Nikora
15" another try for the Eagles. Brilliant break + offload from flanker Willie Faloon for Centre Conor Finn to run in. Nikora converts. 14-0
24" and winger Danie Poolman gets in for the Eagles third try, converted by Nikora 21-0
32" another well worked try for the Eagles with Finn getting an out stretched arm over in the corner. Nikora makes it 4 from 4. 28-0
43" back for the 2nd half and the Eagles have taken a quick score.Brilliant intercept from Danny Qualter on half way who runs in untouched
44" replacement out half Jack Carty converts to make it 35-0
48" try fest here with two more from the backs in the last 4mins. Poolman and Jerome Harimate in, 1 out of 2 converted by Carty. 47-0 now
53" Enisei get themselves on the scoreboard after some hard work on our line. Try converted to make it 47-7
54" Willie Faloon gets a big applause for his performance as he is replaced by Ultan Dillane #Eagles
58" nice try from Academy scrum half Caolin Blade. Carty converts to make it 54-7. Rory Parata on for Poolman #Eagles
60" Buccaneers scrum half Mark Dolan on for try scorer Caolin Blade. 54-7 #Eagles
68" Enisei reduce the deficit with their second converted try. 54 - 14. Loughney and White replaced by Jacob Walshe and JP Cooney #Eagles
80" Enisei get in for a last min try, which they convert to end the game 54-21 #Eagles

Might be too soon, but I imagine Faloon wouldn't mind seeing some time against Ulster. Perhaps a spot on the bench if things go well here. Hopefully Poolman's inclusion is a sign he's going to make a return to the lineup, think the back line could use the spark he provides.

Great to see Faloon back!!

Connacht Eagles Team v Enisei STM

15. Shane Layden

14. Niyi Adeolokun - The Trinity College speedster. Will he intrigued to see how he does.

13. Jerome Harimate - anyone know much about him? Is he any good?

12. Conor Finn

11. Danie Poolman

10. Miah Nikora

9. Caolin Blade

1. Ronan Loughney

2. Jack Dineen

3. Nathan White

4. George Naoupu

5. Danny Qualter

6. Conor Gilsenan - good to see he's back from injury also.

7. Willie Faloon

8. Mata Fifita

Replacements:

16. Peter Reilly - do we have three props or is Reilly now a hooker also?!

17. Finlay Bealham

18. JP Cooney

19. Ultan Dillane

20. Cian Romaine - anyone know anything about him?

21. Mark Dolan

22. Jack Carty

23. Rory Parata

24. Ciarán Gaffney