Malta must avoid defeat to beat the drop

The Malta rugby national team face their moment of truth this afternoon when playing Andorra in a crucial European Division 2B qualifier in La Vella.

Malta, beaten by Poland 29-16 at the Hibs Ground last week, are currently fourth in the five-team group with 11 points, two ahead of bottom-placed Andorra.

A win or a draw in this last match of the group will be enough for Malta to retain their status for two more years. Coach Damien Neill is upbeat ahead of the match.

"We are in Andorra with one target in mind, that of winning the match," the Malta coach told The Times.

"We lost against Poland but that performance still had some positives. The players' attitude was outstanding. Despite playing against a much stronger team they kept fighting till the end. If we show the same kind of determination we will beat Andorra."

The Malta coach is boosted by the news that Oliver Sacco, Paul Marzella, James Finlason and Rohan Spiteri have all recovered from injury. Daryl Psaila is unavailable, however. He has been replaced by Dominic St George.

Last year, Malta, now 55th in the latest IRB list, played Andorra in the corresponding first-round fixture at the Hibs Ground and won 31-24.

"We have already beaten Andorra and that is a big plus for our players," Neill said.

"But this time things will be different as they will be playing at home and facing the threat of relegation. They are physically fresher than us but what matters most on the day is who will perform better."

Starting line-up: Ian Borda; Michael McArdle; Kyle Mason; Robert Bonavia; Dominic St. George; Steve Kempster; Paul Calgaro; Guy Kennedy (captain); James Finlason; Rohan Spiteri; Lee Culnane; Dominic Busuttil; Paul Marzella; Luke Vella; Oliver Sacco.