Conference gives first tournament win for Israel

Israel began the tournament as the top seeds, their cause aided by the absence of Switzerland, who had been relegated alongside them in 2019. Living up to this ranking, Israel swept through the first two phases to reach the championship pool having conceded only one try.

Second seed Austria also reached the championship decider, despite a stumble along the way when they narrowly lost to Croatia in the second game. In their other three games they also kept clean sheets.

Latvia were seeded to join them, but lost their opening match against Monaco due to their late arrival – the only win for the newcomers who ended in ninth place. That defeat was enough to give Croatia the edge, allowing them to reach the Championship pool ahead of Latvia, despite losing to the Latvians in the second phase.

Croatia were well beaten in their games against Israel and Austria, setting up an exciting final that saw Israel go into the final two minutes with a 7-0 lead before to Austrian tries looked to have won them the title. However there was time for a restart from which Israel were able to score the winning try.

Latvia ended fourth, just holding out against a strong performance by Andorra, leaving Bulgaria in sixth. Luxembourg narrowly won the pool to decide 7th-9th, just ahead of Lithuania and Monaco.

First phase

Pool A: Israel 29-5 Luxembourg; Lithuania 12-27 Luxembourg; Israel 35-0 LithuaniaPool B: Austria 25-0 Bulgaria; Croatia 17-14 Bulgaria; Austria 12-17 CroatiaPool C: Latvia 0-28 Monaco; Andorra 33-0 Monaco; Latvia 20-0 Andorra

Second phase

Pool D: Israel 48-0 Bulgaria; Monaco 5-26 Bulgaria; Israel 42-0 MonacoPool E: Croatia 0-14 Latvia; Luxembourg 5-41 Latvia; Croatia 19-7 LuxembourgPool F: Andorra 20-0 Lithuania; Austria 44-0 Lithuania; Andorra 0-39 Austria

Final phase

Pool G (1st-3rdposition): Israel 29-0 Croatia; Austria 27-0 Croatia; Israel 14-10 AustriaPool H (4th-6thposition): Latvia 33-0 Bulgaria; Andorra 15-7 Bulgaria; Latvia 17-10 AndorraPool I (7th-9thposition): Luxembourg 22-17 Lithuania; Monaco 5-32 Lithuania; Luxembourg 7-0 Monaco

Rankings:

1- Israel; 2– Austria; 3- Croatia; 4- Latvia; 5- Andorra; 6- Bulgaria; 7- Luxembourg; 8- Lithuania; 9- Monaco.

Squads:

Andorra;Anna Albalat Solé;Erika Maldonado Prat;Virginia Graell Finana;Paula Calvo Cardona;Sara Casanova Rodriguez;Patrícia Sucarrat Riberaygua;Noa Sanchez Llaudet;Nadia Olm Rouppert;Noelia Pauls Guasch;Cristina Modesto De Sousa

Austria;Jessica Burns;Smilla Weber;Sophie Koller;Karolina Pomej;Nora Vater;Lisa Makoschitz;Elena Hennig;Anna Wallensteiner;Lea Hehenberger;Emilia Linton-Kubelka;Tanja Hahn;Johanna Thell

Bulgaria;Teodora Videva;Sara Mohammadi;Veronika Tasleva;Zhivka Ivanova;Natalia Clipca;Snezana Popadic;Maria Buchkova;Maya Ilieva;Estelle-Ines Pepga;Isidora Savkovic;Kristiana Marinkova;Viktoriya Koleva

Croatia;Nika Dedic;Dubravka Kovac;Tihana Zaja;Viktorija Zugaj;Sara Buratovic;Dina Madir;Maja Gajica;Antonela Jurko;Franceska Plestina;Ela Avramovic;Anabela Bonacic Vicic;Lara Josipovic

Israel;Amit Aharon;Daria Velikovsky;Debora Mesri;Lily Wasser;Limor Lev;Meital Friebach;Michal Lahack;Naama Badehi;Natalie Klotz;Perach Ittiel;Shoshana Kranish;Zohar Tavori

Latvia;Anete Skrastina;Dita Kasa;Elina Svagere;Hanna Evelina Neilande;Izabella Kvecko;Krista Vitola;Liene Dumpe;Marta Ozola;Sandra Lihovida;Zane Sirsnina -Kukaine

Lithuania;Deimante Flotskaja;Felicija Kvedaraite;Eimante Zalyte;Izabele Tautkute;Gertruda Statkute;Gintare Aramaviciene;Viktorija Makovskyte;Sabina Sinkevic;Marija Lemziakova;Gintare Nicinovaite;Eisvina Kucinskaite;Kotryna Jakuba

Luxembourg;Victoria Mai;Nathalie Grotz;Lina Chioato;Jeanne Roland;Zoe Luna Chioato;Corinne Brever;Sarah Black;Camille Mazet;Vanessa Servais;Younia Mlanao;Katrin Brever;Alicia Rodenas Soler

Monaco;Emy Artolli;Stéphanie Cabioch;Elisa Maria Celi;Sonia Del Prete;Naomi Donskoff;Harmonie Governatori Lopez;Anouk Modena;Aurélie Pestoni;Agathe Ravinale;Sonia Rodrigues Da Silva