# 1985–1987 FIRA Trophy

The 1985–87 FIRA Trophy was the 26th edition of a European rugby union championship for national teams. It was played along two seasons (1985–1986 and 1986–87)
The tournament was won by France, who only awarded caps in the games with Romania. France won nine matches and had a single surprising loss to the Soviet Union (15–9), at home. This was the last FIRA Trophy before the first Rugby World Cup, that took place in 1987. Romania and Italy, who finished at 3rd and 4th places, respectively, were among the nine countries invited to participate. The Soviet Union declined the invitation for political reasons, due to the South Africa membership of IRFB. The African side of Tunisia finished in 5th place and was relegated, managing to defeat twice Portugal and having a surprise win over the strong Romania side (17–15) at home. Portugal lost all their ten games and was also relegated, with his best result being a close loss to Italy abroad by 26–24.
Spain and Netherlands won the Division 2 pools, facing each other in a final won by Spain (28–10).

## First division

| Place | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| Place | Nation | played | won | drawn | lost | for | against | difference | Table points |
| 1 | France | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 277 | 74 | +203 | 28 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 178 | 98 | +80 | 24 |
| 3 | Romania | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 186 | 139 | +47 | 22 |
| 4 | Italy | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 162 | 123 | +39 | 20 |
| 5 | Tunisia | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 91 | 214 | -123 | 16 |
| 6 | Portugal | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 111 | 357 | -246 | 10 |
* Tunisia and Portugal relegated to second division
* 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)
* 20 October 1985
| Romania | 16 – 13 | Soviet Union |
| Try: Paraschiv Pen: Nastase (4) | | Try: Tikhonov Con: Mironov Pen: Mironov (2) |
* Dinamo Stadium, Bucharest Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Y. Peytavin
* 1 November 1985
| France XV | 33 – 0 | Tunisia |
* 10 November 1985
| Soviet Union | 15 – 13 | Italy |
| Try: Mironov Con: Mironov (2) Pen: Mironov | | Try: Ghizzoni Pen: Bettarello (2) Drop: Bettarello |
* Fili Stadium Moscow Attendance: 3,500 Referee: René Bourquet
* 8 February 1986
| Italy | 18 – 4 | Tunisia |
| Try: Bettarello Con: Bettarello Pen: Bettarello (4) | | Try: Meouhachi |
* Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo Referee: Jourko
* 15 February 1986
| France A1 | 18-0 | Italy |
| Try: Lagisquet, Rodriguez, Lorieux Con: Sallefranque (3) | | |
* Parc des Sports, Annecy Referee: Jim Fleming
* 22 February 1986
| Portugal | 14 – 34 | Romania |
* Alfredo da Silva Stadium, Barreiro
* 22 March 1986
| Portugal | 18 – 60 | France XV |
* Pina Manique Stadium, Lisbon
* 13 April 1986
| Italy | 26 – 24 | Portugal |
| Try: Gaetaniello, Lorigiola, Mascioletti, Venturi Con: Bettarello (2) Pen: Bettarello (2) | | Try: Ferreira, Malo Con: Queimado (2) Pen: Queimado (4) |
* Campo Carlo Quaresima, Jesi Referee: Vasilica
* 18 April 1986
| Tunisia | 4 – 12 | Soviet Union |
* Olympic Centre, Tunis
* 26 April 1986
| Tunisia | 24 – 21 | Portugal |
* El Menzah Stadium, Tunis
* 1 May 1986
| Soviet Union | 7 – 14 | France XV |
* Kirov Stadium, Leningrad
* 3 May 1986
| Tunisia | 17 – 15 | Romania |
* Monastir
* 17 May 1986
| Portugal | 3 – 29 | Soviet Union |
| Pen: Queimado | | Try: Mironov (2), Samardin, Tikhonov, Borisov Con: Mironov (3) Drop: Nechaev |
* Municipal Stadium, Barreiro
* 5 October 1986
| Romania | 37 – 9 | Tunisia |
* Stade 1 Mai, Constanța Referee: M. Connes
* 18 October 1986
| Romania | 43 – 7 | Portugal |
| Try: Bucan, Lungu, Tofan, Popescu (5) Con: Nastase (4) Pen: Nastase | | Try: Queimado Pen: Queimado |
* Stadionul Giulesti, Birlad Attendance: 5,000 Referee: H. Vilatte
* 18 October 1986
| Tunisia | 9 – 22 | Italy |
| Try: Ferjani Con: Buoghanmi Pen: Buoghanmi | | Try: Artuso, Osti Con: Bettarello Pen: Bettarello (3) Drop: Bettarello |
* Menzel Bourguiba Referee: Roelands
* 16 November 1986
| Italy | 14 – 16 | Soviet Union |
| Try: Ghizzoni, Collodo, Innocenti Con: Bettarello | | Try: Mironov Pen: Mironov (3) Drop: Mironov |
* Stadio Marassi, Genova Referee: P. Frantschi
* 1 November 1986
| France XV | 9 – 15 | Soviet Union |
* 18 January 1987
| Portugal | 3 – 41 | Italy |
| Pen: Queimado | | Try: Colella, Collodo, Cuttitta, Gardin, Ghizzoni, penalty try Con: Troiani (4) Pen: Troiani (2) Drop: Collodo |
* Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Referee: P. Frantschi
* 8 February 1987
| France XV | 38 – 6 | Portugal |
* Stade La Fougère, Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse
* 22 February 1987
| Italy | 6 – 22 | France A1 |
| Pen: Troiani Drop: Collodo | | Try: Bonal, Cabannes, penalty try Con: Sallefranque (2) Pen: Sallefranque (2) |
* Stadio Plebiscito, Padua Referee: L. J. Peard
* 18 April 1987
| Portugal | 9 – 12 | Tunisia |
* Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon
* 25 April 1987
| Soviet Union | 12 – 13 | Romania |
| Pen: Mironov, Dzagnidze (3) | | Try: Marin Pen: Alexandru (2) Drop: Alexandru |
* Lokomotivi Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: several thousand in rain Referee: Yves Bressy
* 29 April 1987
| Soviet Union | 9 – 6 | Tunisia |
| Pen: Dzagnidze (3) | | Pen: Boughamni (2) |
* Central Stadium, Kutaisi Attendance: 15 thousand Referee: Giovanni Campanile
* 9 May 1987
| Soviet Union | 50 – 6 | Portugal |
| Try: Mironov, Nechaev (2), Sokolov, Korolev (2), Vorapaev, Tikhonov, Medved Con: Dzagnidze (7) | | Pen: Queimado (2) |
* Kharkov
* 9 May 1987
| Tunisia | 6 – 38 | France XV |

## Second division
### Pool A

| Place | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| Place | Nation | played | won | drawn | lost | for | against | difference | Table points |
| 1 | Spain | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 158 | 40 | +118 | 16 |
| 2 | Poland | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 95 | 100 | -5 | 12 |
| 3 | Morocco | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 42 | 76 | -34 | 10 |
| 4 | West Germany | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 116 | -79 | 10 |
* 27 October 1985
| Poland | 3 – 24 | Spain |
* Sopot
* 10 November 1985
| West Germany | 13 – 11 | Spain |
* Rudolf-Kalweit-Stadion, Hanover
* 9 February 1986
| Spain | 23 – 12 | Morocco |
* Estadio Nacional Complutense, Madrid
* 13 April 1986
| Poland | 28 – 12 | West Germany |
* Poznań
* 27 April 1986
| West Germany | 6 – 0 | Morocco |
* Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark, Heidelberg
* 11 May 1986
| Morocco | 16 – 14 | Poland |
* Casablanca
* 29 November 1986
| Spain | 50 – 0 | West Germany |
* Estadio Nacional Complutense, Madrid
* 14 December 1986
| Morocco | 3 – 12 | Spain |
* Casablanca
* 5 April 1987
| Morocco | 7 – 0 | West Germany |
* Casablanca
* 12 April 1987
| Poland | 21 – 4 | Morocco |
* Ruda Śląska
* 26 April 1987
| Spain | 38 – 9 | Poland |
* Estadio Nacional Complutense, Madrid
* 10 May 1987
| West Germany | 6 – 20 | Poland |
* Rudolf-Kalweit-Stadion, Hanover

### Pool B

| Place | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| Place | Nation | played | won | drawn | lost | for | against | difference | Table points |
| 1 | Netherlands | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 52 | +31 | 16 |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 128 | 51 | +77 | 14 |
| 3 | Belgium | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 44 | 62 | -18 | 10 |
| 4 | Sweden | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 120 | -90 | 8 |
* 5 October 1985
| Sweden | 11 – 16 | Netherlands |
* Aarstad
* 19 November 1985
| Czechoslovakia | 14 – 3 | Belgium |
* Prague
* 16 March 1986
| Belgium | 0 – 11 | Netherlands |
* Dendermonde
* 13 April 1986
| Netherlands | 9 – 6 | Czechoslovakia |
* Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum
* 10 May 1986
| Sweden | 12 – 6 | Belgium |
* Malmö
* 1 June 1986
| Czechoslovakia | 51 – 3 | Sweden |
* Tatra
* 17 October 1986
| Netherlands | 23 – 0 | Sweden |
* Castricum
* 19 October 1986
| Belgium | 9 – 0 | Sweden |
* Brussels
* 22 November 1986
| Belgium | 18 – 15 | Czechoslovakia |
* Vise
* 8 March 1987
| Netherlands | 10 – 8 | Belgium |
* Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum
* 12 April 1987
| Czechoslovakia | 27 – 14 | Netherlands |
* 24 May 1987
| Sweden | 4 – 15 | Czechoslovakia |
* Ronneby

### Final

* 10 May 1987
| Spain | 28 – 10 | Netherlands |
* Parc Lescure, Bordeaux
* Spain promoted to division 1