The Russian rugby team won a close European Nations Cup match against Portugal on Saturday, despite playing without several established players.
Russia won 33-32 in an extremely close match in which the lead constantly changed hands.
Portugal missed a late conversion that would have given them the win, but retain third place in the table ahead of Russia by virtue of a bonus point for scoring four tries.
Russia coach Kingsley Jones only called up one of Russia’s four players in the English Premiership, picking Viktor Gresev, Russia’s player of the year in 2011, and dropping hooker Vladislav Korshunov, wing Vasily Artemyev and lock Andrei Ostrikov.
Jones told RIA Novosti in January that he would use the European Nations Cup to try out new players and rebuild the squad ahead of qualification for the 2015 World Cup.
"Congratulations to Russia today!!! It's amazing to see guys win away from home in Lisbon. Keep following the renewed Russian rugby team!" Artemyev wrote on his Twitter page after the match.
