Russia warmed up for their vital European Nations Cup campaign to determine the region's two direct qualifiers for Rugby World Cup 2011 with a confidence-boosting 30-15 victory over Namibia in Windhoek on Saturday.
The win at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium means that Russia climb one place to 17th in the latest IRB World Rankings, taking them above defending European Nations Cup champions Georgia, albeit only by mere thousandths of a rating point.
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Russia will therefore be the highest ranked of the six sides when they host Portugal in Sotchi on 6 February, a day which also sees Romania face Spain in Bucharest and Georgia welcome Germany to Tbilisi in the top tier of the European Nations Cup.
Georgia currently top the European Nations Cup standings at the halfway stage of the RWC 2011 qualification process with 14 points, one more than Russia with Portugal third on 12 points, then Romania (9), Spain (7) and winless Germany (5).
The European Nations Cup champions and runners-up will both qualify directly for RWC 2011 as Europe 1 and Europe 2 - into Pool B and C respectively - with the third place team to face either Lithuania or the Division 2A winner for the right to enter the cross-continental play-off to claim the 20th and final place in New Zealand.
However, the Russians could have been sitting once place higher in the IRB World Rankings - equalling their highest ever position - had their victory margin been just one point greater as this would have also taken them above USA.
Yanyushkin stars for Russia
The visitors piled the pressure on Namibia - who have already secured their place at RWC 2011 in New Zealand - from the outset and Alexander Gvozdovskiy was unlucky not to score in the opening minute.
Tries from fly half Yuri Kushnarev and centre Mikail Babaev, both converted by Alexander Yanyushkin, though helped Russia to a 17-5 half-time advantage with Namibia's only points from a Wacca Kazombiaze try.
Yanyushkin ensured there was no way back for a Namibia side missing all of their European-based players with a penalty either side of a try following a free-flowing backline move to take the scrum half's tally to 20 points in the victory.
Namibia could themselves have climbed into the Top 20 for the first time since the rankings were introduced in October 2003 with victory, but instead fall one place to 23rd - swapping places with Spain - on the back of defeat in the first men's international of 2010.
