Ukraine will be looking to follow up their impressive victory over Italy at the weekend when they face Greece at Pasian Di Prato, Udine tomorrow (Wednesday) kick off 3pm local time. Their 44-20 triumph over the hosts means that a further win will see them promoted from Euro C.
Kharkiv Legion XIII winger Davyd Zazimko has been a stand out in their warm up games, and continued his try scoring run against Italy, with Jett Cleary the mainspring at half back.
Ukraine head coach, Dan Beardshaw, commented: “Greece are always a tough and well-organized team, and we know this will be a very competitive match. We’ve prepared really well as a group — tactically, physically, and mentally — and we’re ready to give our best performance. It should be a close game, and we’re looking forward to the challenge. I have full belief in our players and their ability to rise to the occasion.”
A Greece win will put them in contention for promotion when they face Italy at the same venue at the weekend, with Nick Stephanou set to be the first player from Crete to play for them.
“We are looking forward to playing in the European Championship,” said head coach Steve Georgallis. “Ukraine will be tough, they beat us two years ago and with a number of heritage players, they have improved even more. They played very well against Italy.”
Greece squad
Stefanos Eskioglou (AEK), Stefanos Bastas, George Chionis, Aris Dardamanis, Michalis Tzikos (Aris Eagles), Deon Iro (Blacktown Workers), Chris Slater-Raptis (Cessnock), Nick Stephanou (Crete), Eddie Markopoulos (Moorebank), Tyrone Tsagalias (Mounties), Billy Magoulias (Newtown), Alex Linoxylakis, Aris Koulizakis (Panionios), Alex Aliu, Kosta Katsidonis, Pantelis Tsattalios (Rhodes Knights), Nic Mougios (Ryde-Eastwood), Leon Bakis (Sydney Roosters), Theodoros Niniakas (Waverley-Oakleigh)
Ukraine squad
Owen Hromow (Canberra Raiders), Daniel Janissen (Cardiff Cobras), Yuri Hromow (Cronulla Sharks), Jonah Ngaronoa (Glebe Dirty Reds), Victor Tereskzo (Ipswich Jets), Liubomyr Beznoshchuk, Vitalii Boichuk (Ivano-Frankivsk Stanyslaviv), Oleksandr Fomiuk, Volodymyr Karpenko, Oleksandr Skorbach, Davyd Zazimko (Kharkiv Legion XIII), Orest Adamyk, Ostap Hryshchenko, Ostap Kozak, Valerii Popeliuk (Lviv Tigers), Jett Cleary (New Zealand Warriors), Dmytro Pokotylo, Danylo Vedler (Rivne Giants), Zayn Sluvinsky (South Eastern Seagulls)