1984–85 FIRA Trophy

The 1984–85 FIRA Trophy was the 25th edition of a European rugby union championship for national teams.

1984-85 FIRA Trophy
Date	6 October 1984 – 12 October 1985
Countries	France Soviet Union Italy Romania Tunisia Spain
Tournament statistics
Champions	France
Grand Slam	France
Matches played	16
← 1983-1984 (Previous) (Next) 1985–1987 →

The tournament was won by France, with a Grand Slam, finishing ahead of Soviet Union and Italy.

Romania could not make "Top 3" for very first time ever, due to inferior points difference in head-to-head games with Soviet Union and Italy.

As it was initially agreed, Division 1 would be shrunk to 5 teams for next edition. That's why Spain and Tunisia which finished as 5th and 6th, were relegated and replaced by Portugal which won the Second Division and got promoted.

Subsequently, at FIRA Annual Congress, held in mid-June, it was decided to continue with 6 teams, and the two relegated teams met for a barrage game at neutral venue to decide the survivor, with the Tunisians winning.

First division

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	France	5	5	0	0	135	45	90	15
2	Soviet Union	5	3	0	2	97	73	24	11
3	Italy	5	3	0	2	70	60	10	11
4	Romania	5	3	0	2	85	60	25	11
5	Spain	5	1	0	4	64	119	-55	7
6	Tunisia	5	0	0	5	39	133	-94	5

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Tie break for three teams—points difference in head-to-head games: SOV 7, ITA =0, ROM -7 Point system: try 4 pt, conversion: 2 pt., penalty kick 3 pt. drop 3 pt Click "show" for more info about match (scorers, line-up etc)

6 October 1984

Tunisia	6 - 25	France XV

Tunis

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20 October 1984

Tunisia	6 - 20	Italy

Monastir Referee: Doulcet

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10 November 1984	Romania	3 - 18	France	Stadionul Dinamo, Bucharest
	Pen: Alexandru		Try: Lescarboura, Sella Con: Lescarboura 2 Pen: Lescarboura 2	Attendance: 20,000 Referee: John West
Romania: 15.Laurentiu Codoi, 14.Adrian Lungu, 13.Gheorghie Varzaru, 12.Mihai Marghescu, 11.Marian Aldea, 10.Dumitru Alexandru, 9.Mircea Paraschiv (cap.), 8.Laurentiu Constantin, 7.Alexandru Radulescu, 6.Florica Murariu, 5.Gheorghie Caragea, 4.Gheorghie Dumitru, 3.Gheorghe Leonte, 2.Mircea Munteanu, 1.Ion Bucan - replacements: 16.Stefan Constantin
France: 15.Serge Blanco, 14.Patrick Estève, 13.Philippe Sella, 12.Didier Codorniou, 11.Bernard Lavigne, 10.Jean-Patrick Lescarboura, 9.Jerome Gallion, 8.Dominique Erbani, 7.Laurent Rodriguez, 6.Jacques Gratton, 5.Jean Condom, 4.Francis Haget, 3.Jean-Pierre Garuet-Lempirou, 2.Philippe Dintrans (cap.), 1.Pierre Dospital

17 November 1984

Tunisia	15 - 17	Spain

Sfax Attendance: 3,000

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18 November 1984

Italy	13 - 12	Soviet Union
Try: Bettarello Pen: Bettarello (3)		Try: Tikhonov Con: Mironov Pen: Mironov (2)

Stadio Tommaso Fattori, L'Aquila Referee: Matheu

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16 December 1984

Spain	19 - 33	Romania
Try: Martín Fernández (2) Con: Nuñez Doval Pen: Nuñez Doval (3)		Try: Radulescu, Toader, Florea, Morariu Con: Alexandru (4) Pen: Alexandru (2) Drop: Alexandru (2)

Campo Universitario, Madrid Attendance: 7,000 Referee: G. Maurette

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17 February 1985

France XV	34 - 6	Spain

Stade Jules Ribet, St Gaudens

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3 March 1985

Italy	9 - 22	France A1
Pen: Bettarello (3)		Try: Cassagne, Lorieux, Sanz Con: Rui (2) Pen: Rui Drop: Rui

Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso Referee: A. M. Hosie

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14 April 1985	Romania	7 - 6	Italy	Stadionul Municipal, Brasov
	Try: Toader Pen: Ion		Pen: Bettarello (2)	Referee: J.-P- Vedel
Romania: Ion Constantin, 14.Adrian Pllotschi, 13.Adrian Lungu, 12.Mihai Holban, 11.Marcel Toader, 10.Romeo Bezuscu, 9.Mircea Paraschiv, 8.Haralambie Dumitras, 7.M. Giucal, 6.Florica Murariu, 5.Laurentiu Constantin, 4.Gheorghie Dumitru, 3.Gheorghe Leonte, 2.Marin Mot, 1.D. Tunaru - replacements: Vasile Ion, S. Galan
Italy: 15.Serafino Ghizzoni, 14.Massimo Mascioletti (cap.), 13.Luigi de Joanni, 12.Fabio Gaetaniello, 11.Andrea Azzali, 10.Stefano Bettarello, 9.Alessandro Ghini, 8.Gianni Zanon, 7.Marzio Innocenti, 6.Giuseppe Artuso, 5.Franco Berni, 4.Antonio Colella, 3.Guido Rossi, 2.Giorgio Morelli, 1.Renato de Bernardo - replacements: Stefano Barba, Giancarlo Pivetta

1 May 1985

Spain	9 - 15	Soviet Union
Pen: Nuñez Doval (3)		Try: Mironov, Hairulin Con: Mironov (2) Pen: Mironov

Estadio de Chapina, Seville Attendance: 3,500

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5 May 1985

Romania	36 - 3	Tunisia
Try: Murariu, Hodorca, Toader, Constantin Con: Nastase, Codoi Pen: Nastase (2)		Pen: Bougaluri

Bârlad Attendance: 10,000

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12 May 1985

Soviet Union	35-9	Tunisia
Try: Malikov, Khairullin, Zuev, Igor Mironov Con: Igor Mironov (2) Pen: Igor Mironov (5)

Kiev Attendance: 5,000

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16 May 1985

France XV	36 - 21	Soviet Union

Stade Alexandre Cueille, Tulle

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18 May 1985

Italy	22 - 13	Spain
Try: Gaetaniello, Pivetta, Venturi, Vittadello Con: Bettarello (3)		Try: Azkargota Aretxabala, de la Torre Con: Nuñez Doval Pen: Nuñez Doval

Stadio Danilo Martelli, Mantova Referee: A. Grombinas

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31 May 1985

Soviet Union	14 - 6	Romania
Try: Gonyani, Tikhonov Pen: Mironov Drop: Sljussar		Pen: Codoi Drop: Codoi

Spartak Stadium, Kiev Attendance: 3,000 Referee: J.-C. Yché

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Barrage per survival:

12 October 1985

Tunisia	12 - 9	Spain

Stade Paul-Bergere, Lavelanet

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• Spain relegated to division 2

Second division

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Portugal	3	3	0	0	44	6	38	9
2	Czechoslovakia	3	2	0	1	26	27	-1	7
3	Poland	3	1	0	2	31	24	7	5
4	Morocco	3	0	0	3	18	62	-44	3

• Portugal promoted to division 1

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13 October 1984

Czechoslovakia	4 - 3	Poland

Havířov

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17 March 1985

Morocco	6 - 12	Portugal

Rabat

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14 April 1985

Poland	28 - 6	Morocco

Sochaczew

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18 April 1985

Portugal	18 - 0	Czechoslovakia
Try: Durão, Morais Con: Queimado (2) Pen: Queimado Drop: Queimado

Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Attendance: 3,000

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21 April 1985

Morocco	6 - 22	Czechoslovakia

Casablanca

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28 April 1985

Portugal	14 - 0	Poland
Try: Durão, Ferreira, Morais Con: Queimado

Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Attendance: 500

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Third division

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Netherlands	3	3	0	0	65	16	49	9
2	Belgium	3	2	0	1	36	30	6	7
3	West Germany	3	1	0	2	40	43	-3	5
4	Sweden	3	0	0	3	12	64	-52	3

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14 October 1984

Netherlands	27-3	Sweden

Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum

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16 October 1984

Belgium	19-3	Sweden

Brussels

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4 November 1984

West Germany	10-23	Netherlands

Hanover

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9 December 1984

Belgium	14-12	West Germany

Arlon

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24 March 1985

Netherlands	15-3	Belgium

Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum

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4 May 1985

Sweden	6-18	West Germany

Karlskrona

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Bibliography

• (in Italian) Francesco Volpe, Valerio Vecchiarelli (2000), 2000 Italia in Meta, Storia della nazionale italiana di rugby dagli albori al Sei Nazioni, GS Editore (2000) ISBN 88-87374-40-6.
• (in Italian) Francesco Volpe, Paolo Pacitti (Author), Rugby 2000, GTE Gruppo Editorale (1999).
• (in Georgian) ქართული რაგბის მატიანე (Georgian Rugby History) 1959-2009 ISBN 978-9941-0-2047-6 Free download

External links

• 1984-85 FIRA Trophy at ESPN
• Albo d'Oro from Italian (FIR) Annual 2020