Moufflons ripped apart by Latvia in Paphos

By Alexander McCowan

The Cyprus national rugby team were thrashed 31-3 by Latvia in Paphos in their European Nations Cup clash on Saturday afternoon.

The Moufflons took to the field before a partisan crowd with revenge on their minds after the Latvians ended their world record 24-game winning streak last year. But things started to unravel within minutes as the visitors took a 6-3 lead.

Following the sending-off of George Agathocleous, the Latvians dominated.

Before the game, coach Paul Shanks had emphasised “it’s about basics,” and that’s where the Moufflons lost it as the Latvians bossed them from the start.

The second half was not much better as Latvia dominated and scored at will, with four tries gaining the bonus point.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.