With a comprehensive 40-6 win over gallant Spain at the Fili Stadium, Moscow, Russia has set up their match away in Ieland at the end of the month.

Man of the match and veteran Aleksandr Lysokon, ran the game, his break in the seventh minute sending Mikhail Burlutskii over, Lysokon goaling.

Lysokon was also on target soon after to make it 12-0 when Nikolai Zagoskin crossed but, having found their feet in the four degree cold, the visitors dug in.

Spanish centre Antonio Puerta, who was a threat throughout, was unlucky to lose the ball over the line and Clement Laguerre made a terrific saving tackle following Dmitry Bratko’s break, Zagoskin held up on the last.

Just after the half hour, Leonid Kalinin trampled over two would-be tacklers, setting the position for Petr Botnarash, operating at hooker, to send over giant Kirill Kosharin by the posts who was switched from prop to centre.

Lysokon goaled and, four minutes after the break, cleverly stepped his way over and added the extras to make it 24-0.

His long pass then freed Kalinin who sent Bratko in at the corner, the winger converting his own try from out wide but the visitors earned due reward for their unstinting effort.

Gonzalo Morro put Leandre Torres clear and his pass saw Juan Pablo Rango cross between the posts, Danny Garcia goaling.

As the Spaniards tired late on, the hosts scored twice more, Kalinin with the run that saw Igor Chuprin over and the best move of the match seeing the ball spread from left to right for Lysokon, Denis Tiulenev and Botnarash combine to create the overlap for Vadim Buryak to speed into the corner.

Source: Rugby League European Federation