Spain play warm-up on Menorca

Preparations for RWC qualifier

Spain play against the string French Universities team at Estadio Municipal in the capital of Menorca, Mahón, in the Balearic Islands on Saturday as they prepare for their next World Cup qualifier.

So far this season, Spain have done well. They beat Portugal in a friendly and in competition beat Poland 68-12 and Moldavia 40-7 though they lost 44-29 to Japan in Tokyo. Now they play Andorra on 11 March, a match they would expect to win.

To prepare Spain spent the week before the French Universities match in Minorca. The coach Ged Glynn has maintained the same body of players as previously. El Salvador has most players - seven in all. There are four from Complutense, two each from Liceo Francés, Alcobendas and  Bera Bera, and one each from UE Santboiana, USAP Barcelona and VRAC. In addition there are three players from French clubs.

Young, uncapped Pedro Martín of Valladolid joins the squad for the first time. Also in the squad is Cyril Hijar of the French Pro D2 club Bordeaux.
Some of the players have Top 14 experience this year - hookers Guillaume Bergos and Frédéric Montagnat, loose forwards Alexis Driollet, Eric Espagno and Emmanuel Etien, props Julian Fiorini and  Aretz Iguiniz, scrumhalf Mickaël  Campeggia, centre Shaun Hegarty and flyhalf Christopher Ruiz. Others have Pro D2 experience - centre Julien Rey,  prop Pierre Philippe Lafond, lock Julien Sallelas, fullbacks Julien Cazenave and Florian Ninard, scrumhalf Brice Salobert and flyhalf Rémi Tales.

That all adds up to far more experience than the Spanish side has!

Earlier this year French Universities hammered England Students 41-6.

The Spanish squad:

El Salvador: César Caballero, Iván Criado , Ion Insausti , Alfonso Mata , Esteban Roqué , César Sempere ,  Diego Zarzosa

VRAC: Pedro Martín

UE Santboiana: Ferrán Velazco

Usap Barcelona: César Bernasconi

Alcobendas: Andrew Ebbett, Jaime Nava,

Complutense: Javier Canosa , Juan González , Facundo  Lavino , Javier Salazar

Liceo Francés: Miguel Burgaleta, David Mota

Bera Bera: Pablo Feijóo , Ignacio Martín

Graulhet (France): Mathieu  Cidre

Stade Français (France): Guillermo Barcena

Bordeaux (France): Cyril Hijar

France Universities squad:

Forwards: Antoine Battut (Toulouse & INSA Toulouse), Guillaume Bergos (Biarritz & U Pau), Alexis Driollet (Bourgoin & UPMF Grenoble), Eric Espagno (Toulon & Clta Nice), Emmanuel Etien (Clermont Auvergne & U Clermont), Julian Fiorini (Stade Toulousain & UPS Toulouse), Julien Flanquart (Arras & FSS Lille 2), Aretz Iguiniz (Bayonne & U Pau Pa), Pierre-Philippe Lafond (Montauban & USS Toulouse), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier & U Montpellier 1), Frédéric Montagnat (Bourgoin & UCB Lyon), Julien Salellas (Lyon & U Perpignan),

Backs: Mickaël Campeggia (Bourgoin & UPMF Grenoble), Julien Cazenave (Tarbes  & U Pau Pa), Fabien Gengenbacher (Lyon & UPMF Grenoble), Shawn Hegarty (Biarritz & IUP Bordeaux), Florian Ninard (La Rochelle & Universite Limoges), Julien Rey (Colomiers & UPS Toulouse), Christopher Ruiz (Narbonne & U Montpellier 1), Brice Salobert (Auch & UPS Toulouse), Rémi Tales (Mont-de-Marsan & U Pau Pa), Kevin Zhakata (Grenoble & UPMF Grenoble)

Coaches: Jean-Louis Dessacs, Dominique Davanier

Date: 25 February 2006
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Estadio Municipal, Mahón, Menorca
Referee: Nick Williams (England)
Touch judges:  José Juega, Delfín Motos (both Spain)