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Germany hosted Belgium in Kessel for their first home game in the tournament. Both teams had clear aspirations to secure a home tie in the play offs. Germany looked strong in spells against Portugal and Romania. Belgium looked very solid against Portugal but not as convincing against Romania. Will Germany capitalise on home advantage in this critical game?
Wolf (48'), Ball (73'), McDonald (79')
Tries
Cornez (14'), Geraghty (37'), Bastin (45'), Berguet (54'), Montoisy (66')
Wolf (49', 74')
Conversions
Francq (38', 55', 67'), Bastin (46')
Penalties
Francq (4', 22')
Germany hosted Belgium in Kessel for their first home game in the tournament. Both teams had clear aspirations to secure a home tie in the play offs. Germany looked strong in spells against Portugal and Romania. Belgium looked very solid against Portugal but not as convincing against Romania. Will Germany capitalise on home advantage in this critical game?
A cagey first few minutes, filled with errors on both sides and the Official stamping their authority on the game. The errors and discipline issues ended with Belgium having a penalty near the 22. Hugo de Francq stepped up with his ever reliable boot to kick Belgium ahead after 4 minutes.
The territory battle ensued for the next 10 minutes, with both teams opting for a aerial bombardment but neither teams making clinical enough decisions when it was needed.
Dazzy Cornez managed to find himself with enough space to dive in the corner, after Belgium got the ball through the hands while under a penalty advantage. Hugo de Francq missed the conversion which is unusual for his stats. The try scorer hobbled off after picking up a knock when scoring the try.
Saba Abulashvili finally had to reach into his pocket for contiued German ill discipline. Markus Bachofer was sent to the bin for 10 minutes for his high tackle. Hugo de Francq took his chance to nudge the penalty kick over to take the lead to 0 - 11.
3 minutes later Michel Himmer followed his compatriot to the sin bin with another yellow card. The official had lost his patience with the German ill discipline.
The 13 man Germans managed to hold the Belgians at bay until the 37th minute. The Germans managed to win the ball back on their won line after what looked to be a certain Belgian try from their break away. As they tried to exit, a pass attempt was looped across their own try area and intercepted by Felipe Geraghty. He dotted down gleefully and gave Hugo de Francq another opportunity to add the extras. De Francq duly obliged and sent the Belgians in 0 - 18 ahead at half time.
Belgium made changes earlier in the half and within 5 minutes one of those substitues found themselves on the scoreboard. Hugues Bastin finished from a metre out, after Maximilien Hendrickx galloped away and covered half of the pitch to put Belgium on the front foot. De Francq made the conversion too. Belgium lead 0 - 25 after 46 minutes.
Both teams made many replacements to freshen up their efforts.
The changes benefitted the Germans pretty much instantly, when Leo Wolf managed to charge down a clearance kick inside the Belgian 22. An amazing swan dive followed for the try next to the posts, Wolf added the extras too. 7 - 25 now, was the game back on?
The Belgians put more daylight between themselves and the Germans in the 54th minute. Charlesty Berguet forced himself over under the posts and De Francq nudged the extras over. 7 - 32 to Belgium now, surely put the tie beyond Germany.
Further subsitutions were made to give the game a little lull, until Belgium but the game beyond revival in the 66th minute. Isaac Montoisy managed to drive through the line, when the Germans switched off at the breakdown. Straight under the posts, and easy kick for De Francq to finish up the Belgian scoring for the day. 7 - 39 was surely enough to see them victorious.
Germany managed to find some composure finally and got themselves over the whitewash again with 7 minutes remaining.
Belgium went down to 14 men when Seppe Verelst found himself offside after a sustained German attack within the Belgium 5 metre line. A consistent flow of penalties gave the official no other option. Luis Ball added to his tournament tally from close range, with the subsequent tap and go penalty. Leo Wolf kicked over to close the deficit to 14 - 39 with 6 minutes remaining.
A final consulation try was scored by Cameron McDonald with 79 minutes on the clock. Diving over in the corner, after stand out performer Shawn Ingle drove through the defensive line again. Wolf was unable to add the extras and the whistle blew.
19 - 39 to Belgium was a clinical display by Belgium and ill discipline by the Germans.
Belgium now host Switzerland in a couple of weeks, where Germany travel to a bouyed Netherlands side.
| # | Team | PL | W | L | D | PD | BP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Portugal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 3 | 15 |
| 2 |  Romania | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 09 |
| 3 |  Belgium | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -7 | 0 | 04 |
| 4 |  Germany | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -100 | 0 | 00 |
