LION HEARTS
LIKE GIGGLING school kids, the squad burst out of the hallway towards the top table as Cava sprays everywhere. No one is safe, least of all los Leones captain Fernando López and head coach Santiago Santos. Spain’s men have just qualified for their first Rugby World Cup for 24 years and no cork in the world can hold back the joy.
“Si, Si, Si – nos vamos a Paris!” The chant echoes around Estadio Nacional Complutense. Yes, yes, yes, guys, your place is booked.
And now. Well, what do you do? Reflect, live in the moment or look ahead to next year? At a time like this it is hard to get a handle on the emotions.
We just had a game, a 33-28 victory for Spain against their Iberian neighbours, Portugal. A physical, maul-powered first half for the hosts was followed by an edgy, tit-for-tat second. Spain’s defensive grit saw them through in an encounter that had turned into a loser-goes-home match thanks to circumstances.
In the Rugby Europe Championship, the two-year table decides who will take the two automatic European spots for the World Cup, as well as the team in third going through to the repêchage, the final qualification tournament. With remaining matches against Russia cancelled due to the conflict in Ukraine and teams who were still to play them given four points each, the table
