“You go toward this match all season”: preview of the final between “Strela-Ak Bars” and “Dynamo”
What does the Kazan team's coach JP Neil think about the decisive game of the Russian rugby-15 championship?
“Strela-Ak Bars” continues its preparation for the rugby-15 final, which will take place in Moscow on October 18. The Kazan team's opponent, let us recall, is the capital's “Dynamo.” With what expectations the head coach of “Strela-Ak Bars” looks toward the final and with what emotions the coach is filled on the eve of the main match of the season — in the material of “Real Time.”
“Can “Dynamo” be called our main irritant in recent seasons? Probably yes”
In Russian rugby there is the season's denouement. The Kazan team “Strela-Ak Bars” has only one match left in the country's championship. But what a match it is! The final against Moscow's “Dynamo.”
The “capital club” in recent seasons has been the most principled opponent for “Strela-Ak Bars.” In last year's final in Kazan at “Tulpar” JP Neil's charges outplayed “Dynamo” with a score of 32:30. That gold became the first for “Strela-Ak Bars” in the club's history. This year the Muscovites are again the opponents in the final for the Kazan team.
— Can “Dynamo” be called our main irritant in recent seasons? Probably yes. Matches against this club always turn out bright, emotional, difficult for us, noted in a conversation with a “Real Time” correspondent the captain of “Strela-Ak Bars," German Davydov.
It would be great if the concluding match of the season between “Strela-Ak Bars” and “Dynamo” took place in the capital of Tatarstan. At the beginning of September a new multifunctional Rugby Center opened in Kazan. About 1.5 billion rubles were spent on the realization of the project. The Kazan Rugby Center in infrastructure is undoubtedly the best stadium in the Super League. JP Neil altogether called the arena the best in the Northern Hemisphere too. In the future the Rugby Center is capable of hosting competitions of international level.
And in connection with this the organization of the rugby-15 final would be a wonderful test for the new sports object in the capital of Tatarstan. However it was decided to hold the final in Moscow, but not at “VTB Arena," but at the “Moskvich” stadium, located in the Tekstilshchiki district.
“It is a pity that it will not be possible to hold the final at VTB Arena…"
Why did it turn out this way? The whole matter is that on October 18 at “VTB Arena” a football match will take place within the framework of the 11th round of the RPL between “Dynamo” and CSKA. The start of the game is planned for 16:15. The “VTB Arena” employees will be physically unable to bring the pitch into order after the rugby final. Besides, football is after all a more popular game. And “Dynamo” and CSKA are currently among the leaders of the RPL tournament table. Full occupancy of “VTB Arena” is guaranteed.
It is curious that the “Moskvich” stadium is also associated precisely with football. Several times the seasons of the Media Football League (MFL), which is now very popular among the youth, were held there. “Moskvich” is unofficially the home arena for the semi-professional team 2DROTS. For example, the “samurai," as they are commonly called in the football environment, hold their matches in the Regional Path of the Russian Cup precisely at this stadium.
“Strela-Ak Bars” will play at “Moskvich” for the first time in this Super League season. The unfamiliar field does not cause apprehension in JP Neil, but the regret that it will not be possible to hold the final at “VTB Arena” of course exists. After all, the stadium was quite a happy one for “Strela-Ak Bars.” Twice at “VTB Arena” the Kazan team won the Russian Cup (in 2023 and 2025).
— It is a pity that it will not be possible to hold the final at “VTB Arena.” This is one of the best stadiums in the world that I have been to in my life. For us it is also a happy one, because we won there in several finals at once, JP Neil emphasized with vexation.
“Responsibility before the fans and before ourselves always exists”
Nevertheless there are, of course, no pessimistic moods around the final in the camp of “Strela-Ak Bars.” The question of the stadium here cannot be of first importance. “Dynamo” and “Strela-Ak Bars” will be in equal conditions: the field and the ball are the same for both sets of athletes.
The Kazan rugby players held a quality semifinal against “Yenisey-STM.” One wants to believe that the players of “Strela-Ak Bars” will show their best qualities in the decisive confrontation with “Dynamo” too. The start of the final in Moscow is planned for 12:30 local time.
— Responsibility before the fans and before ourselves always exists. You go toward this match all season, therefore one wants to show a beautiful game and a result, summed up the conversation with journalists the captain of “Strela-Ak Bars," German Davydov.
Details of the preparation of the Kazan team — in the report of the program “News of Tatarstan” of the TNV channel.