EUROPEAN PREVIEW - Euro Pairs Final

Image courtesy of Taylor Lanning Photography

Tom Brennan, Adam Ellis and Leon Flint have travelled to Daugavpils to represent GB as they look to repeat last year’s rostrum finish.

In 2024 the meeting took place at Lonigo and was won by Denmark with GB finishing third after losing out to Poland in a run-off for Silver.

Those two nations both declare strong line-ups once more with Leon Madsen back in the international fold for Denmark, joined by Andreas Lyager, whilst Poland are represented by Grzegorz Zengota, Tobiasz Musielak and Kacper Mania.

Elsewhere the home side will carry a major threat as they feature GP star Andzejs Lebedevs along with Jevgenijs Kostigovs and Daniils Kolodinskis, whilst the Czech Republic include their usual trio of Jan Kvech, Vaclav Milik and Adam Bednar.

Workington’s Antti Vuolas is in the Finnish duo, whilst David Bellego is joined for France by the less experienced Mathias Tresarrieu and Tino Bouin, and Slovenia include Matic Ivacic.

In the PGE Ekstraliga, the match of the weekend in Round 12 is at Lublin on Sunday evening where the league leaders host second placed Wroclaw, having won 47-43 when they met on their opponent’s track earlier in the season.

The sides are currently separated by four points in the table, and both have already secured their places in the top-four play-offs.

It’s a clash of six of the top nine in the Grand Prix with Lublin’s Bartosz Zmarzlik (1), Fredrik Lindgren (3), Jack Holder (5) and Dominik Kubera (9) taking on Wroclaw’s Brady Kurtz (2) and Dan Bewley (4), along with former World Champion Artem Laguta.

Sunday’s other fixture is also a key meeting as Grudziadz, currently fifth, have to win at home to fourth placed Zielona Gora to keep their top four hopes alive – and if they do so, they will take the bonus point as they won the reverse fixture 51-39.

Robert Lambert is in action on Friday where Torun should have no problems at home to Rybnik, who they thrashed 58-32 away from home, whilst the other fixture sees two sides destined to finish in the bottom four and join the play-down phase as Gorzow host Czestochowa.

In Metalkas 2. Ekstraliga, Leszno went back to the top by thrashing Poznan 59-31 on Thursday with Janusz Kolodziej unbeaten, whilst Zengota and Ben Cook both scored double figures.

There is an outstanding Round 9 fixture on Friday as Poznan host troubled Tarnow, and a win for the home side is essential if they are to put any pressure on the top four.

Tarnow also race on Sunday when they are at home to Lodz in a clash of two of the bottom three, whilst Poznan complete a busy weekend at home to Krosno, in another must-win fixture in order to prevent Krosno and Rzeszow completing the top four.

The remaining Round 12 matches, including the clash of the top two at Bydgoszcz, take place next weekend.

In the National League, Charles Wright will be in action for Landshut on Saturday as they host Pila whilst there are two more matches on Sunday.

Richard Lawson lines up for Krakow at home to Gdansk, whilst leaders Gniezno include Ellis in their line-up for the home clash with Daugavpils.