Spain play Moldavia in qualifier

Spain play Moldova at Estadio de La República in Chisinãu on Saturday in a Pool A, Europe Round 3 Rugby World Cup qualifier.

Spain have been having a good run-in to this potentially tough match. They have beaten Portugal and Poland and did well in losing to Japan in Tokyo.

Last week Moldavia beat the Netherlands 30-27 in Chisinãu. Spain are wary of them, much influenced as they are by neighbouring Romania.

The weather in Chisinãu is not going to be beach weather! It will be much colder - like 12°C colder - than Madrid.

Spain have made two changes to the team which hammered Poland 68-12 in Madrid last week. Andrew Ebbet comes back from injury and into the lock berth in the place of Guillermo Barcena, and César Caballero comes onto the bench in the place of Álvaro Lázaro.

Spain: 15 César Sempere, 14 David Mota, 13 Ferrán Velazco (cap), 12 Jaime Nava, 11 Ignacio Martín, 10 Esteban Roqué, 9 Pablo Feijóo, 8 Alfonso Mata, 7 Juan González, 6 Rafael Camacho, 5 César Bernasconi, 4 Andrew Ebbet,  3 Javier Salazar, 2 Diego Zarzosa, 1 Jon Insaust.
Replacements: 16 Mathie Cidre, 17 Manuel Serrano, 18 César Caballero, 19  Iván Criado, 20 Facundo Lavino, 21 Andrei Kovalenco, 22 Javier Canosa
 
Date: 19 November 2005
Kick-off: 14.00 (local time)
Venue: Republic Stadium, Chisinãu
Expected weather conditions: Scattered clouds with a chance of snow later, a high of 3°C dropping to  -1°C and a wind from the cold north of 14 km/h  freshening to 21 km/h 
Referee: Tomáa Tuma (Czech Republic)
Touch judges: Tomáa Breburda, Jaroslav Bednarik (both Czech Republic)