by Paul Cook –

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POOL C

VENUE: Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester

ATTENDANCE: 14,200

WORLD RANKINGS: Tonga (11th) Georgia (16th)

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Georgia got their World Cup campaign off to a fine start with a 17-10 win over Tonga, five places above them on the world rankings.

An ill-disciplined first quarter saw both sides coughing up penalties while Georgia got the better of things at the breakdown. However, it was Tonga that took the lead through a 9th minute Kurt Morath penalty.

The Pacific Islanders had plenty of possession and territory early on but were struggling to put any significant phases together and lacked execution inside Georgia’s 22 as the Eastern Europeans put up some staunch defence.

Georgia flyhalf, Vasil Lobzhanidze, became the youngest player to play in a World Cup at just 18-years-old, and started with plenty of confidence and plenty of involvement as the ‘Lilos’ fought their way to ascendancy as the 1st half ticked over.

Merab Kvirikashvili had already put one penalty past the uprights before he landed his second after 18 minutes to level matters, the Georgians profiting from a host of penalties as Tonga’s discipline issues continued, twice being penalised for an arm around the neck, something the referees are under instruction to clamp down on at this tournament.

Captain Mamuka Gorgodze led his Georgian side by example, stealing lineouts, carrying with power and ferocity and involved at almost every ruck. And the big no.8 capped a stellar first half effort with the opening try of the game, emerging from a ruck just before the half hour to stretch out a huge arm and find the chalk.

But with three minutes left before the break, the ‘Ikale Tahi’ thought they’d constructed a superb five-pointer of their own.

A terrific lineout play saw a neat reverse pass from skipper Nili Latu put rampaging no.8 Viliame Ma’afu through a splintered line and over. But referee Nigel Owens called it back for a forward pass. The replay indicated that it was marginal at best but there were no second opinions sought, or offered, from the TMO.

Considering we had already lost two or three minutes for multiple camera angles to indicate no clear signs of foul play at an earlier ruck, it was somewhat frustrating that such a cleverly worked score was dismissed from the record books without so much as a second glance.

Georgian captain Mamuka Gorgodze capped off his man-of-the-match performance with a try

The second half saw Georgia ramp up the physicality, choking the Tongans back behind the gain line with a succession of big hits and some impressive scramble defence. A superbly controlled driving maul earned them a 50th minute penalty, only for Kvirikashvili to push another just wide of the posts. But just before the hour, they rubber stamped their authority with another try.

It hadn’t been a game of running rugby but a superb line break from Kvirikashvili got the Georgians on the front foot and 15 metres out. And when the ball went coast-to-coast, flanker Georgi Tkhilaishvili scooped up, side-stepped the Tongan fullback, Vungakoto Lilo, rather too easily, and had just enough gas left to dive home.

Former Chiefs prop Arisona Taumalolo came on to bring some much needed aggression and enthusiasm to the Tongan cause, and their renewed spirit almost got them back in the match when Morath put a clever kick in behind for Siale Piutau to dab down. Unfortunately for him, his side and their vocal support, he couldn’t ground the ball under pressure from a Georgian boot and the chance went begging.

The magnificent Georgian defence continued to hold the ‘Ikale Tahi’ at bay but with less than 10 minutes to play, the Pacific Islanders finally crossed for a legal score when Ma’afu put a superb long pass in for Fetu’u Vainikolo to go over in the corner, breaking the Tongan international try scoring record in the process.

Their chances of redemption got a further boost when Kvirikashvili went to the bin for the remainder of the game, paying the price for a host of infringements by his Lilos’ team mates. But they responded to the setback manfully, marching the Tongans back on skates from the next scrum to earn a shot at the posts, only for replacement kicker, Lasha Malaghuradze, to pull his attempt agonisingly wide.

The Tongans had one last chance to earn at least a draw from a 5 metre lineout as the clock ticked down. But in a microcosm of their troubles throughout the match, they fell short of executing the basics, a skewed throw from replacement hooker Paul Ngauamo signalling the end of their hopes, and the start of the Georgian party.

GEORGIA 17 (Mamuka Gorgodze, Georgi Tkhilaishvili try; Merab Kirikashvili 2 cons, pen) defeated TONGA 10 (Fetu’u Vainikolo try; Kurt Morath con, pen) – MoM Mamuke Gorgodze (Georgia)

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Georgia captain & MoM Mamuka Gorgodze: “I have big emotions. I think all national team of Georgia was man of the match today, it’s not only me. We do 200% for our country, we love our country. I think it’s a sensation because Tonga is very big team. We are a small country but with a big heart and that’s why all the Georgians who live in England come to support us. The game was the toughest I play in my life with Georgian national team. But I think with big preparation, big physicality and a big heart, we do this game. Now, we will see the next games.”

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