Springboks put innovation to one side in destructive victory over Georgia

The Springboks decided not to reveal too many more tricks as they went the direct route to secure a comfortable 55-10 victory over Georgia.

A week after Rassie Erasmus’ men caused another stir in the rugby world by bringing some innovation in their triumph over Italy, they were a bit more traditional in Mbombela.

South Africa were stunned early on as Vano Karkadze crossed the whitewash, but they soon asserted their dominance, particularly up front, as Boan Venter and Marnus van der Merwe touched down on debut.

The Boks went over twice more in the first half via Canan Moodie and Van der Merwe before the latter’s namesake, Edwill van der Merwe, went over early in the second period.

Wing Van der Merwe would also complete his brace, but not before Damian Willemse had scored as the hosts eased to the win.

They would then end the game in style as Kurt-Lee Arendse and Handre Pollard took them past the 50-point mark.

After nilling Italy last weekend, Erasmus would have set them the task of being just as ruthless against Georgia, but those plans went up in smoke in the opening mistakes.

Two mistakes from the kick-off — Grant Williams’ clearance going awry and a subsequent penalty — enabled the visitors to set up an opportunity in the 22.  The lineout went smoothly and their drive marched the Boks backwards before Karkadze crossed the whitewash

After seeing their pride dented by the Lelos’ maul score, the hosts responded and looked to inflict similar forward-oriented pain on the away side.

Initially, they attempted a variation on the Cam Roigard try for the All Blacks last weekend but, after Van der Merwe was shunted backwards, they decided to go route one.

It didn’t take long for the Georgian line to be breached as on debut loosehead prop Venter touched down from close range.

South Africa then began to create more opportunities via their talented backline with Williams and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu both testing the visiting rearguard, but there was no doubt that the direct route was giving them the most success.

They went back to their trusty maul, and Marnus van der Merwe followed his front-row colleague by going over on his Test bow.

After a slow start, it looked like the Springboks could move away from their opponents, and when they manufactured a brilliant try for Moodie, a dominant victory looked on the cards.

However, a mixture of Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s errant kicking and Georgian resilience kept the game in the balance for a while.

The fly-half missed his first three conversion attempts, which meant when Luka Matkava kicked a penalty, just five points separated the teams after half-an-hour.

Erasmus’ side would give themselves some breathing space at the break, though, when Marnus van der Merwe completed their brace and they built on that at the start of the second period.

South Africa touched down twice in the third quarter to put the game to bed and make sure that they would head into the Rugby Championship with consecutive victories.

Firstly, Edwill van der Merwe scored one of the easiest tries of his career when Williams’ bullet pass landed in his arms just two metres out from the line before Willemse crossed the whitewash after a set play from a scrum.

The clash then became scrappy, but South Africa finished with a flourish as Van der Merwe, Arendse and Pollard went over in the final 10 minutes.

The teams

South Africa:  15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Cobus Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Neethling Fouche 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Boan Venter
Replacements:  16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Damian Willemse

Georgia:  15 Davit Niniashvili, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Demur Tapladze, 12 Giorgi Kveseladze, 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Luka Matkava, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Ilia Spanderashvili, 7 Beka Saginadze (c), 6 Luka Ivanishvili, 5 Lado Chachanidze, 4 Mikheili Babunashvili, 3 Irakli Aptsiauri, 2 Vano Karkadze, 1 Giorgi Akhaladze
Replacements:  16 Irakli Kvatadze, 17 Giorgi Tetrashvili, 18 Beka Gigashvili, 19 Demur Epremidze, 20 Sandro Mamamtvarishvili, 21 Tornike Jalagonia, 22 Tedo Abzhandadze, 23 Tornike Kakhoidze

Referee:  Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant referees:  Hollie Davidson (SRU), Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO:  Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO:  Tual Trainini (FFR)

Sam Prendergast guides Ireland to victory over Georgia as Paul O'Connell's short reign begins in style

Paul O’Connell’s short reign in charge of Ireland got off to the perfect start as their understrength side cruised to a 34-5 victory over Georgia in Tbilisi.

Tommy O’Brien, making his debut after a fine season for Leinster, scored a brace within the opening 10 minutes as the visitors signalled their intent.

To their credit, the Lelos did respond just before the break through Tornike Jalagonia, but Ireland dominated the second period and sealed the win through Craig Casey and Nick Timoney tries, while Sam Prendergast added two penalties and four conversions.

O’Connell’s men travelled to Eastern Europe shorn of stars, who are of course with the British and Irish Lions, but they were still able to field a very talented squad in Tbilisi.

Plenty of players were seeking to prove their worth and their class showed in the early stages as they moved into an early 14-point lead.

From the kick-off, the visitors made ground with ball in hand and were across the whitewash after just two minutes when Prendergast’s chip through resulted in O’Brien touching down on debut.

The Leinster fly-half was given the nod over Jack Crowley for this encounter and soon after he had his second assist when the playmaker’s pass was once again collected by wing O’Brien.

It was the perfect start for the Irishmen but Georgia would soon get into the game and their scrum caused problems for the visitors.

The Lelos pressurised the opposition line and created a few opportunities but the try would not come as solid Ireland defence, combined with Georgian profligacy, harmed their hopes of a comeback.

Their all-time leading try-scorer Akaki Tabutsadze didn’t help matters by surprisingly failing to ground the ball with the line begging and that would ultimately cost Richard Cockerill’s men.

Although Jalagonia touched down at the end of the first half, they were unable to build on that score and duly found themselves out of the contest in the early stages of the second period.

Georgia once again switched off at the start of the half, but credit must also go to Ireland who manufactured an excellent try.

Calvin Nash was the instigator as the wing broke down the left before he found Ryan Baird, who then combined with Casey to finish it off.

Prendergast converted for the third time in the match and then added a penalty as Georgia’s hopes of a shock victory dissipated.

The Lelos were not helped by missing another try-scoring opportunity, this time through Vano Karkadze, who like Tabutsadze failed to keep control of the ball in the act of scoring.

Even with half-an-hour still remaining that was their chance gone as the visitors managed to control the remainder of the encounter.

Prendergast rewarded their dominance with a second three-pointer before the fly-half converted Timoney’s try with 10 minutes left to complete the scoring.

The teams

Georgia:  15 Davit Niniashvili, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Demur Tapladze, 12 Giorgi Kveseladze, 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Luka Matkava, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Tornike Jalagonia, 7 Beka Saginadze, 6 Luka Ivanishvili, 5 Vladimeri Chachanidze, 4 Mikheili Babunashvili, 3 Irakli Aptsiauri, 2 Vano Karkadze, 1 Giorgi Akhaladze
Replacements:  16 Irakli Kvatadze, 17 Giorgi Tetrashvili, 18 Beka Gigashvili, 19 Giorgi Javakhia, 20 Ilia Spanderashvili, 21 Mikheil Alania, 22 Tedo Abzhandadze, 23 Tornike Kakhoidze

Ireland:  15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Jamie Osborne, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Cormac Izuchukwu, 3 Tom Clarkson, 2 Gus McCarthy, 1 Jack Boyle
Replacements:  16 Tom Stewart, 17 Michael Milne, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Thomas Ahern, 20 Max Deegan, 21 Ben Murphy, 22 Jack Crowley, 23 Calvin Nash

Referee:  Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant Referees:  Adam Leal (England), Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
TMO:  Matteo Liperini (Italy)

Italy survive Georgia scare with record-breaking comeback win

Italy recorded their biggest-ever comeback win to beat Georgia 20-17 in a tense encounter in Genoa on Sunday.

The Azzurri found themselves 17-6 down at half-time, but a run of 14 unanswered points steered them to a gutsy victory.

After a fairly even and entertaining opening 20 minutes, Italy opened the scoring through the boot of fly-half Paolo Garbisi.

This sparked new life into the game, and Georgia took full advantage of it as they crossed mere minutes later.  A sensational attack found the ball in the hands of electric winger Akaki Tabutsadze, and he sliced through the Azzurri defence to cross the whitewash.

Italy responded well to this, however, and made Georgia pay for a string of penalties with another three-pointer from the boot of Garbisi.

A clever take in the air from Alexander Todua at the resulting kick-off got Georgia deep into the Italian 22, which allowed them to strike with a penalty of their own from Luka Matkava.

Los Lelos weren’t done there, and they added their second try of the game shortly after.  A delicious line-break from Davit Niniashvili teleported Georgia deep into Italian territory, and he put the try on a plate for the supporting Vasil Lobzhanidze, who dived under the posts.

With the clock in the red, Italy had another golden opportunity to score, but heroic defence from Georgia dragged Matt Gallagher into touch just as the full-back looked like scoring.

Gonzalo Quesada’s side needed a big start to the second-half if they stood any chance of coming back into the game, and they got exactly that through a penalty try.  A string of Georgian penalties allowed Italy to set up camp in the 22, and ultimately Tabutsadze’s deliberate knock-on was punished with seven points and a sin-bin.

They could easily have scored another too, after yet again heading into the Georgian 22, but a knock-on from Manuel Zuliani gifted them an easy reprieve.

Momentum was still evidently with the Azzurri, however.  Yet more ill-discipline from the visitors allowed Italy to once again get within touching distance, but a well-worked strike move from a lineout allowed Alessandro Fusco to dart through a hole in the defence to score on his return to the side.

Italy nearly made it back-to-back tries too, however, Monty Ioane was taken into touch by a gaggle of Georgian defenders and they escaped once more.

With the clock winding down, Georgia had one final throw of the dice with a lineout inside the Azzurri half, but a knock-on handed Italy back possession, and ultimately the game.

The teams

Italy:  15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Jacopo Trulla, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Michele Lamaro, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Dino Lamb-Cona, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements:  16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Pietro Ceccarelli, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Alessandro Fusco, 22 Leonardo Marin, 23 Giulio Bertaccini

Georgia:  15 Davit Niniashvili, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze, 12 Tornike Kakhoidze, 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Luka Matkava, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Tornike Jalagonia, 7 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 6 Spanderashvili Ilia, 5 Giorgi Javakhia, 4 Mikheili Babunashvili, 3 Irakli Aptsiauri, 2 Vano Karkadze, 1 Nika Abuladze
Replacements:  16 Luka Nioradze, 17 Giorgi Akhaladze, 18 Luka Japaridze, 19 Vladimeri Chachanidze, 20 Luka Ivanishvili, 21 Gela Aprasidze, 22 Tedo Abzhandadze, 23 Demur Tapladze

Referee:  Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referees:  Paul Williams (NZR), Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO:  Glenn Newman (NZR)

Wallabies hold off Georgia as Joe Schmidt makes it three wins from three

The Wallabies made it three wins out of three under head coach Joe Schmidt but they were made to work by a spirited Georgia side in a 40-29 victory on Saturday.

Tries from Hunter Paisami, Rob Valetini (2), Isaac Kailea and Fraser McReight (2) saw the hosts see off a dangerous Lelos team, with Ben Donaldson kicking 10 points.

Mikheili Babunashvili, Davit Niniashvili and Akaki Tabutsadze (2) went over for Georgia on the night, as they gave Australia a real scare early in the second period.

The Wallabies played with real tempo in the first half as tries from Paisami, Valetini, Kailea and McReight sent them into the break with a healthy 26-10 advantage.

However, it was Georgia who struck first in the game after Angus Blyth was pinged for holding on, Luka Matkava successfully putting them ahead on five minutes.

That sparked the Wallabies into life though as quick ball allowed Valetini to make decent ground before Tate McDermott found Len Ikitau, who sent Paisami over.

Donaldson would add the two but he was unsuccessful with his second attempt, this after Valetini cleverly spun through contact from close range on 13 minutes.

Australia were now purring and with McDermott dictating play from the base, his scamper into the Georgian 22 led to prop Kailea powering over for a 19-3 buffer.

Georgia desperately needed a response and it came on 34 minutes when sustained pressure in the hosts’ 22 resulted in Babunashvili scoring to reduce the deficit.

Helping their cause was a yellow card for Filipo Daugunu as his attempted charge down of Sandro Todua’s kick ahead saw his knee catch the Georgian wing’s face.

The visitors couldn’t make their numerical advantage count before the break though as it was in fact Australia, through flank McReight, who crossed in the final play.

The second 40 resumed with a further update on Daugunu, whose yellow card was upgraded to red that meant his stint on the sidelines was extended to 20 minutes.

Georgia came out firing and crucially crossed first when a fortuitous kick ahead from star Niniashvili ricocheted back into his hands and he crossed on 43 minutes.

Things would get even better for Richard Cockerill’s men moments later when turnover ball on their own line found Tabutsadze, who kicked ahead and chased hard. His efforts were rewarded as the bounce found his grasp and he set off on a clear run to the try-line. With Matkava’s conversion it was suddenly a two-point game.

Georgia’s momentum was halted, however, when Niniashvili was sin-binned for hands in the ruck before Valetini scored his second, with all the back-row involved.

That theme continued in the 63rd minute when McReight crashed over for his second score, this after being denied moments earlier due to obstruction at the maul.

But Georgia refused to give up the fight and when Tedo Abzhandadze found space to run, he fed Tabutsadze who fended the last man to go over for his own brace.

That was to be the final score in a thoroughly enjoyable contest as Schmidt continues his 100 per cent record as boss while Georgia can take plenty from this defeat.

The teams

Australia:  15 Tom Wright, 14 Filipo Daugunu, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Darby Lancaster, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Angus Blyth, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (c), 2 Billy Pollard, 1 Isaac Kailea
Replacements:  16 Josh Nasser, 17 Alex Hodgman, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Tom Hooper, 20 Jeremy Williams, 21 Nic White, 22 Noah Lolesio, 23 Andrew Kellaway

Georgia:  15 Davit Niniashvili, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Demur Tafladze, 12 Giorgi Kveseladze, 11 Sandro Todua, 10 Luka Matkava, 9 Mikheil Alania, 8 Tornike Jalaghonia, 7 Beka Saghinadze, 6 Beka Gorgadze (c), 5 Mikheil Babunashvili, 4 Lado Chachanidze, 3 Aleksandre Kuntelia, 2 Vano Karkadze, 1 Giorgi Mamaiashvili
Replacements:  16 Luka Petriashvili, 17 Luka Goginava, 18 Irakli Aptsiauri, 19 Lasha Jayani, 20 Luka Ivanishvili, 21 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 22 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 23 Tedo Abzhandadze

Referee:  James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees:  Paul Williams (New Zealand), Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
TMO:  Richard Kelly (New Zealand)

Eddie Jones suffers stunning setback as Japan lose AT HOME to Georgia

A late try from Giorgi Javakhia cemented a famous 25-23 away victory for Georgia over Eddie Jones’ Japan, condemning the former England boss to his third defeat as Japan coach.

The Brave Blossoms got off to the perfect start, as Jone Naikabula crossed in the third minute of the game, but things quickly turned sour.

In the 18th minute of the game, Kanji Shimokawa was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle, which was later upgraded to a red card. The Lelos quickly rubbed salt into the wound too, as Vano Karkadze and Mikheil Alania crossed twice in the space of 10 minutes to give them the lead heading into half-time.

14-man Japan rallied though at the start of the second-half, with Seung Sin Lee’s boot and Tomoki Osada’s try combining to give Japan a 23-18 advantage going into the final minutes of the game.

Not going down without a fight though, Georgia ensured they had the last laugh as Javakhia crossed in the 75th minute, and allowing Luka Matkava to cement a famous victory for his nation with the conversion.

Japan look to Italy clash to end mini-slump

Speaking after the game, Japan captain Michael Leitch said:  “We played the way Japan are known for and I’m proud of the team, but we’re not satisfied with the result. We’re looking ahead to the Italy game and we want to prepare well for that.”

“We tried to stay positive (after the red-card),” Leitch continued. “Just because you’re playing with a man less, it doesn’t mean you’re going to lose.”

Since Jones returned to the role of Japan head coach, he has won just once in his first four matches, including the heavy 52-17 defeat to England last month.

That defeat was compounded by another loss to the Maori All Blacks, but he secured his first win last weekend against the same opposition.

Jones and his Japan team now prepare for a tough test with Italy next weekend, with the Azzurri also coming into the game off the back of a solid 36-14 win over Tonga on Friday night.

Louis Rees-Zammit hat-trick helps Wales to bonus-point win over Georgia

Wales wrapped up top spot in Pool C of the Rugby World Cup after they saw off Georgia 43-19 at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Saturday.

Louis Rees-Zammit crossed the try-line on three occasions while Tomas Francis, Liam Williams and George North also scored as they made it four wins out of four.

Wales now prepare for a quarter-final next Saturday but will be sweating over the fitness of fly-half Gareth Anscombe, who pulled out of this game in the warm-up.

Anscombe's late replacement Sam Costelow kicked five conversions and a penalty, although Georgia fought back to 24-19 adrift at one point through tries from Merab Sharikadze, Vano Karkadze and Davit Niniashvili, with Luka Matkava kicking two conversions.

A protracted mass brawl late in the game that spilled over the touchline and involved replacements from both sides saw Niniashvili and Wales substitute Taine Basham yellow-carded.

Wales were home and dry by this stage, although there was more injury concern when number eight Taulupe Faletau went off nursing what appeared to be a wrist problem.

Costelow mixed his running and kicking game well in the early stages, but Wales could get no change out of a well-organised Georgia defence.

There were plenty of errors in perfect playing conditions from both sides, but Wales broke the deadlock after 16 minutes.

A powerful lineout drive put Georgia on the back-foot, before Tomos Williams' short inside pass resulted in Francis going over for a try that Costelow converted.

Wales had settled into a rhythm, and they struck from another attacking lineout just seven minutes later.

Lock Will Rowlands secured quality possession and, when the ball was moved wide Liam Williams finished impressively.  Costelow's conversion made it 14-0.

A Costelow penalty then opened up a 17-point advantage, and Wales appeared to be well on their way to a fourth successive pool victory.

Georgia regrouped as the first-half drew to a close, and Sharikadze claimed a try that Matkava converted following a sustained spell of pressure.

It was a warning for Wales that they could not switch off as they took a 17-7 lead into the interval.

Georgia began the second period on the front foot, but a midfield fumble saw North find Rees-Zammit, and the Gloucester speedster cruised clear from 60 metres out to claim his third try of the tournament.

Costelow converted, and it was exactly what Wales required after Georgia had threatened a fightback before the break.

Warren Gatland changed the entire front row after 50 minutes, with Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee and Henry Thomas all joining the action.

And while Wales were comfortably ahead, Georgia kept searching for attacking opportunities in their final game of the competition after defeats against Australia and Fiji and a draw with Portugal.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Try as soon as it got to Louis Rees-Zammit. #WALvGEO #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/ck8du7Elnm

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) October 7, 2023

Their resilience was then rewarded with 20 minutes left when replacement hooker Karkadze went over and Matkava converted.

And Georgia immediately conjured a third try, this time from Niniashvili, making it 24-18 and giving Wales plenty to be concerned about.

Gatland's team were in danger of unravelling, but just when they needed it, Rees-Zammit applied a brilliant finish for his second try which Costelow converted, making it 31-19.

And when Rees-Zammit claimed his hat-trick crossing, Wales were home before North's try ― and Wales' sixth ― completed the scoring, with Japan or Argentina now awaiting as their quarter-final opponents.

The teams

Wales:  15 Liam Williams, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 George North, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Aaron Wainwright, 5 Dafydd Jenkins, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Dewi Lake (c), 1 Gareth Thomas
Replacements:  16 Elliot Dee, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Christ Tshiunza, 20 Taine Basham, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Dan Biggar, 23 Mason Grady

Georgia:  15 Lasha Khmaladze, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze, 12 Merab Sharikadze (c), 11 Davit Niniashvili, 10 Luka Matkava, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Tornike Jalagonia, 7 Beka Saginadze, 6 Mikheil Gachechiladze, 5 Konstantine Mikautadze, 4 Nodar Cheishvili, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Guram Gogichashvili
Replacements:  16 Vano Karkadze, 17 Nika Abuladze, 18 Irakli Aptsiauri, 19 Vladimer Chachanidze, 20 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 21 Gela Aprasidze, 22 Tedo Abzhandadze, 23 Demur Tapladze

Referee:  Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant Referees:  James Doleman (New Zealand), Pierre Brousset (France)
TMO:  Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)

Fiji move a step closer to the quarter-finals after tense victory over Georgia

Fiji will have to wait to secure their passage into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals despite overcoming Georgia 17-12 in Bordeaux.

The Pacific Islanders needed a win with a try bonus-point over the Lelos to make sure of their place in the last-eight, but they could only touch down two times.

Quite frankly, they will be thankful for those scores as they found themselves 9-0 behind at the break following penalties from Luka Matkava and David Niniashvili.

Georgia were hugely impressive, forcing their opponents into a number of handling errors, but the Flying Fijians' greater quality eventually told.

Simon Raiwalui's men calmed themselves down in the second period, stopped dropping the ball so much and went over twice through Waisea Nayacalevu and Vinaya Habosi.

That, alongside seven points from the boot of Frank Lomani, was enough to claim the win and take them to within touching distance of the knockout stages.

Should Australia fail to pick up a bonus-point victory over Portugal, that will be enough for Fiji, but more than likely they will need to claim something from their final pool game against Os Lobos.

Georgia's opportunism and brilliant defence gave them a surprise nine-point lead at the break.

Matkava opened the scoring, with the boot of Niniashvili adding six points from long range.

It was the first time Fiji had gone into the interval scoreless in a Test in six years.

Fiji finally got on the scoreboard six minutes into the second half as skipper Nayacalevu produced a brilliant finish under pressure to sneak over in the corner.

Lomani added a difficult conversion and, strengthened by the return of Semi Radradra from the sin bin, Fiji piled on the pressure.

Lomani's penalty gave them the lead for the first time with 15 minutes remaining.

Three minutes later Levani Botia charged through a gap and found Habosi, who sprinted over unopposed.

Lomani landed the conversion but there was more drama in the final minute as Josua Tuisova was sent to the sin bin for making head contact on Miriani Modebadze.

Matkava kicked his second penalty and Fiji survived from the final play of the game when Niniashvili broke down the left and kicked ahead, only for Ilaisa Droasese, behind his line, to hack the ball to safety.

The teams

Fiji:  15 Ilaisa Droasese, 14 Selesitino Ravutaumada, 13 Waisea Nayacalevu (c), 12 Josua Tuisova, 11 Semi Radradra, 10 Teti Tela, 9 Simione Kuruvoli, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Levani Botia, 6 Lekima Tagitagivalu, 5 Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 3 Luke Tagi, 2 Sam Matavesi, 1 Eroni Mawi
Replacements:  16 Tevita Ikanivere, 17 Peni Ravai, 18 Samu Tawake, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Albert Tuisue, 21 Frank Lomani, 22 Vilimoni Botitu, 23 Vinaya Habosi

Georgia:  15 Miriani Modebadze, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Demur Tapladze, 12 Giorgi Kveseladze, 11 Davit Niniashvili, 10 Luka Matkava, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Tornike Jalagonia, 7 Beka Saginadze, 6 Mikheil Gachechiladze, 5 Konstantine Mikautadze, 4 Lasha Jaiani, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 2 Tengizi Zamtaradze, 1 Mikheil Nariashvili (c)
Replacements:  16 Luka Nioradze, 17 Nika Abuladze, 18 Irakli Aptsiauri, 19 Nodar Cheishvili, 20 Luka Ivanishvili, 21 Gela Aprasidze, 22 Tedo Abzhandadze, 23 Tornike Kakhoidze

Referee:  Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant Referees:  Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Pierre Brousset (France)
TMO:  Tom Foley (England)

Georgia and Portugal's Rugby World Cup clash ends all square in Toulouse

Georgia and Portugal could not be separated at the Stadium de Toulouse on Saturday, with their Rugby World Cup contest finishing in an exciting 18-18 draw.

In an enthralling encounter, Portugal came from 13-0 behind to launch a stunning fightback as they held an 18-13 lead before Tengizi Zamtaradze scored a try in the game's dying moments to clinch the draw for the Lelos.

Akaki Tabutsadze also scored a try for Georgia while Tedo Abzhandadze added two penalties and a conversion.

Raffaele Storti was Portugal's hero as he scored a brace of tries and their other points came via the boot of Samuel Marques, who succeeded with two penalties and a conversion.

The Lelos made a fantastic start and opened the scoring inside 90 seconds when Davit Niniashvili made a telling line break inside Portugal's 22 before getting a sublime offload out to Tabutsadze, who went over for a try.

The next 20 minutes was a tight contest as the sides battled to gain the ascendancy but a penalty from Abzhandadze in the 16th minute gave his team a 10-0 lead, before Gela Aprasidze crossed the whitewash shortly afterwards but his effort was disallowed as he knocked on in the build-up.

Despite having that score disallowed, Georgia still held an edge over their opponents and they spent long periods camped inside Portugal's half.

In the 32nd minute, Abzhandadze increased Georgia's lead with another three-pointer off the kicking tee after Pedro Bettencourt was blown up for straying offside on defence before Os Lobos opened their account with a superb try from Storti.

Portugal gathered possession from the restart ― after Abzhandadze's penalty ― and the ball was shifted wide to Storti, who stepped past a couple of defenders about 10 metres inside Georgia's half before showing the cover defence a clean pair of heels over the try-line.

Marques struck an upright with his conversion attempt but, despite that setback, Portugal had their tails up during the latter stages of the opening half.

However, they suffered a setback just before half-time when Francisco Fernandes was yellow carded for a 'no arms' tackle on Shalva Mamukashvili and the teams changed sides with the Lelos holding a 13-5 lead.

A tense finish to a blockbuster in Toulouse 🤯#RWC2023 | #GEOvPOR pic.twitter.com/V2ivtU1gtU

― Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) September 23, 2023

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Os Lobos held the upper hand during the early stages of the second half and they reduced the deficit to five points in the 48th minute when Marques slotted a penalty after Vladimer Chachanidze was punished for a high tackle on Jerónimo Portela.

Portugal continued to dominate as the half progressed and another Marques penalty five minutes later meant the match was evenly balanced before Storti gave Portugal the lead with his second five-pointer midway through the second half.

This, after he gathered an inside pass from Portela and set off on an arcing run before crossing the whitewash.  Marques added the extras which meant Portugal had their tails up with the score 18-13 in their favour.

The final quarter was a tense affair as the Lelos tried desperately to draw level but a combination of errors and stoic Portuguese defence kept them at bay for long periods until Zamtaradze went over for his five-pointer off the back of a lineout drive deep inside Portugal's 22 in the 79th minute.

Luka Matkava lined up the conversion attempt, which would have secured the win for the Lelos, but his effort was wide of the uprights.

There was drama at the end when Os Lobos were awarded a penalty in the game's closing stages, after one of Georgia's players held onto the ball at a ruck, but Nuno Sousa Guedes' shot at goal was off target.

That meant the teams had to settle for the draw which denied Portugal their first-ever victory in a Rugby World Cup match.

The teams

Georgia:  15 Davit Niniashvili, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze, 12 Merab Sharikadze (c), 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Tedo Abzhandadze, 9 Gela Aprasidze, 8 Beka Gorgadze, 7 Beka Saginadze, 6 Tornike Jalagonia, 5 Konstantine Mikautadze, 4 Vladimer Chachanidze, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Mikheil Nariashvili
Replacements:  16 Tengizi Zamtaradze, 17 Guram Gogichashvili, 18 Guram Papidze, 19 Nodar Cheishvili, 20 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 21 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 22 Luka Matkava, 23 Demur Tapladze

Portugal:  15 Nuno Sousa Guedes, 14 Raffaele Storti, 13 Pedro Bettencourt, 12 Tomás Appleton (c), 11 Rodrigo Marta, 10 Jerónimo Portela, 9 Samuel Marques, 8 Rafael Simões, 7 Nicolas Martins, 6 João Granate, 5 Steevy Cerqueira, 4 José Madeira, 3 Diogo Hasse Ferreira, 2 Mike Tadjer, 1 Francisco Fernandes
Replacements:  16 David Costa, 17 Lionel Campergue, 18 Anthony Alves, 19 Martim Belo, 20 David Wallis, 21 Thibault de Freitas, 22 Pedro Lucas, 23 Manuel Cardoso Pinto

Referee:  Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees:  Matthew Carley (England), Chris Busby (Ireland)
Television Match Official:  Joy Neville (Ireland)

Wallabies emphatically end losing run in slick World Cup win over Georgia

Australia ended a run of five straight losses as they kicked off their Rugby World Cup campaign with an impressive 35-15 win over Georgia on Saturday.

The drought is finally over for the Wallabies as tries from Jordan Petaia, Mark Nawaqanitawase and Ben Donaldson (2) sealed a first-up pool triumph.

Donaldson also contributed 15 points off the kicking tee in a strong outing at full-back as Eddie Jones‘ troops avoided a potential banana skin in Paris.

Luka Ivanishvili and Beka Gigashvili were the Lelos’ only try scorers on the day, as Georgia missed the chance to cause a shock at the Stade de France.

The Wallabies – with former England head coach Jones having taken over again in January – needed just a couple of minutes to get their first try when the ball was worked out wide to Petaia.

Georgia, who have yet to qualify from the pool stage in their five previous World Cup appearances, soon reduced the deficit with a penalty from Luka Matkava.

However, Australia – twice world champions but heading into the tournament with low expectations back home – swiftly extended their lead again with a try from wing Nawaqanitawase after good work by Petaia.  This time, full-back Donaldson did convert for the extra two points.

✈️ Soaring through the air! #RWC2023 #AUSvGEOpic.twitter.com/M95020JZwX

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 9, 2023

Donaldson then kicked three penalties to put further daylight between the sides, punishing more indiscipline from Georgia.

Australia scrum-half Tate McDermott was replaced by Nic White shortly before the break after taking a blow to the head as he went into a tackle.

Georgia were reduced to 14 men when winger Mirian Modebadze took out White for a second penalty and was swiftly sent to the sin-bin by Welsh referee Luke Pearce as Australia went into half-time with a 21-3 lead.

The Lelos, though, rallied at the start of the second half, with flanker Ivanishvili powering over for a try.

Australia were soon back on the offensive when prop Taniela Tupou took an interception to pick out Donaldson, who dived over next to the posts and then added the extras.

Donaldson capped a fine individual display when he scored another try in the 70th minute, taking a pass from Carter Gordon to secure Australia’s bonus point before Georgia added a late consolation try from a lineout through replacement prop Gigashvili.

The teams

Australia:  15 Ben Donaldson, 14 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13 Jordan Petaia, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton (c), 4 Richie Arnold, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 David Porecki, 1 Angus Bell
Replacements:  16 Matt Faessler, 17 Blake Schoupp, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Rob Leota, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Nic White, 22 Lalakai Foketi, 23 Suliasi Vunivalu

Georgia:  15 Davit Niniashvili, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Demur Tapladze, 12 Merab Sharikadze (c), 11 Miriani Modebadze, 10 Luka Matkava, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Beka Gorgadze, 7 Luka Ivanishvili, 6 Tornike Jalagonia, 5 Konstantine Mikautadze, 4 Nodar Cheishvili, 3 Guram Papidze, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Nika Abuladze
Replacements:  16 Tengizi Zamtaradze, 17 Guram Gogichashvili, 18 Beka Gigashvili, 19 Lasha Jaiani, 20 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 21 Gela Aprasidze, 22 Tedo Abzhandadze, 23 Giorgi Kveseladze

Referee:  Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant Referees:  James Doleman (New Zealand), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO:  Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

Scotland find form in second half to seal comeback win over Georgia

Scotland came back from 6-0 down at the break to seal a 33-6 victory over Georgia in their final Rugby World Cup warm-up game at Murrayfield on Saturday.

It was a frustrating opening 40 minutes for Gregor Townsend’s men as two Luka Matkava penalties sent the Lelos into the half-time interval with a narrow lead.

However, Scotland clicked into gear upon their return with tries from Duhan van der Merwe (2), Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey and Kyle Steyn sealing the triumph.

Finn Russell, who played with his customary swagger, fired over two conversions before his replacement at fly-half, Ben Healy, did likewise later in the contest.

The slow-starting Scots survived a scare in the 17th minute when Georgia wing Mirian Modebadze tried to get on the end of a kick through and slam down over the line but full-back Ollie Smith got back just in time to avert the danger.

The visitors continued in the ascendancy though and they doubled their advantage to six points in the 21st minute when Matkava kicked another penalty.

The 6-0 deficit seemed to inject a semblance of urgency into Scotland’s play and they started to become more of a threat as the first half wore on.

The hosts thought they had got themselves up and running in the 36th minute when Steyn – added to the starting XV on Friday after Darcy Graham was ruled out with a minor quad strain – forced his way over the line in the right corner but following a TMO review he was deemed to have lost control of the ball before placing it down.

The only first-half blemish for the dogged Georgians was the worrying sight of hooker Shalva Mamukashvili – on his 100th appearance – hobbling off before the break, just two weeks ahead of their World Cup opener against Australia in Paris.

With Scotland unable to get a point on the board, they found themselves in the now familiar position of having to mount a second-half recovery.

And that is exactly what they did.  Van der Merwe began the revival with his 19th try for Scotland as he eased over on the left after being teed up perfectly by a lovely pass from the outside of Russell’s boot.  Russell added the extras to edge the hosts in front.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇪 Breakthrough for Scotland. They now lead 21-6. #SCOvGEO pic.twitter.com/Ujt0VQp3K4

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 26, 2023

The Scots swiftly took control.  Darge – who also scored in the last match away to France – forced his way over from close range in the 51st minute after Van der Merwe had been held up following a marauding run.  Russell again converted in what was the talisman’s last act of the match before going off amid a raft of substitutions.

Dempsey then powered his way through a ruck of Georgian bodies to push down just left of the posts in the 59th minute, with replacement Healy converting.

Steyn – who scored a double in St Etienne last time out – added his team’s fourth try of the match from close range in the 69th minute after Dempsey was denied just in front of the line.  Healy again added the extras.

And Van der Merwe had the 54,000 crowd in raptures when he capped an impressive second-half display from the Scots with a straightforward touchdown on the left two minutes from the end, with Healy again on target with his kick.

Georgia stun Wales in historic victory in Cardiff

Georgia produced one of the biggest shocks in the sport’s history by overcoming Wales 13-12 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

The Lelos have shown plenty of improvement this year, defeating Italy in July and almost securing a victory over Samoa last weekend, but few saw this coming.

Although Welsh rugby is in the doldrums, Wayne Pivac still has plenty of talent at his disposal and were expected to dispatch the visitors with relative comfort.

That evidently did not happen, however, despite the hosts going into the break with a 12-3 advantage through a Jac Morgan brace.

Georgia had opened the scoring via Tedo Abzhandadze before Morgan’s double and were competitive throughout the first half.

They then lifted the intensity in the second period while Pivac’s men faltered.  Sandro Todua’s try when Alex Cuthbert was off the field following a yellow card reduced the arrears and that gave Levan Maisashvili’s charges real hope going into the final quarter.

The Lelos controlled the last 20 minutes and deservedly won the game when Luka Matkava’s three-pointer bisected the uprights.

It was one of the greatest upsets in international rugby union history, and will inevitably pile pressure on Wales boss Wayne Pivac building towards next weekend’s autumn finale against Australia.

Scarlets back-row forward Josh Macleod made his Wales debut, packing down at number eight, while other changes from the team that beat Argentina last weekend included starts for Rhys Priestland, wing Josh Adams and lock Ben Carter.

Abzhandadze kicked Georgia into a second-minute lead, before full-back Davit Niniashvili sparked a thrilling counter-attack as the visitors settled impressively.

Wales were slow out of the blocks in comparison, but they began to exert pressure inside Georgia’s 22, with wing Alex Cuthbert going close following two lineout drives that were defended well by the visitors.

But Wales pounced in the 20th minute after lock Adam Beard won lineout ball and flanker Morgan surged over for a try that Priestland converted, making it 7-3.

Morgan struck again just three minutes later when he collected scrum-half Tomos Williams’ pass, building impressively on his outstanding display against Argentina after going on as a first-half replacement.

Wales thought they had scored again eight minutes before the break when Adams finished impressively after a kick and chase, but Williams’ pass to him was ruled forward.

It was a let-off for Georgia, and they accrued no further damage on the scoreboard as Wales led 12-3 at half-time.

Pivac made a first change just five minutes into the second period, sending on prop Sam Wainwright for Dillon Lewis.

The turning point

But Wales were temporarily reduced to 14 men when Cuthbert received a yellow card from referee Andrea Piardi following an aerial collision that saw Todua fall awkwardly.

Macleod then made way, with Taulupe Faletau taking over from him and making his 99th Test-match appearance for Wales and the British and Irish Lions.

Georgia dominated the third quarter, capitalising on aimless kicking from Wales, and scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze went close to a try that was thwarted by strong defensive work from Adams.

Wales were predictable, lacking creativity, and Georgia seemed to thrive on that.

And they cut the deficit to just two points midway through the half when Todua collected a well-placed kick and crossed unopposed, with Abzhandadze’s conversion making it 12-10.

Abzhandadze had a chance to put Georgia ahead, but he drifted an angled penalty attempt wide and Wales escaped.

Faletau made a considerable impact, and he looked to have created a hat-trick try for Morgan, only for the Cardiff number eight to knock on during approach play.

The final few minutes were inevitably tense, especially from a Welsh perspective, and Matkava put Georgia in dreamland with his long-range penalty.

Georgia’s players celebrated wildly, and they held on to win, claiming the greatest victory in their rugby history, beating Wales for the first time and leaving their hosts crestfallen.

France too good for spirited Georgia

France got the expected win over Georgia, claiming a 41-15 triumph, but they were faced with a good display from the battling and, at times skilful, visitors.

Fabien Galthie’s men dominated the opening period but it took a while for it to be shown on the scoreboard.  The first quarter ended 3-3, with Melvyn Jaminet and Davit Niniashvili trading three-pointers, before the hosts took advantage of Georgian ill-discipline.

Los Lelos had Tedo Abzhandadze and Beka Saghinadze sin-binned ― the latter leading to a penalty try ― before Matthieu Jalibert and Damian Penaud touched down for the hosts.

At 24-3 in front, Les Bleus had effectively secured the win but the away side had their moments, especially in the second half, and scored well worked efforts through Vasil Lobzhanidze and Akaki Tabutsadze.

France, as expected, were much the better side, though, and completed the victory as Peato Mauvaka (twice) and Penaud went over.

France were expected to easily dispatch their opponents but, despite controlling play, they were struggling to get over the line in the early stages.

Mistakes were prevalent in their game, with Sekou Macalou particularly culpable, and they had to be content with a penalty from Jaminet.

They were then boosted by a sin-binning for Abzhandadze but the French couldn’t benefit and instead it was Niniashvili that levelled matters from the tee.

Les Bleus continued to press, however, and eventually got their reward as a maul was taken to ground illegally by Georgia, leading to a penalty try and yellow card for Saghinadze.

The Georgians’ fly-half returned after his 10 minutes off the field but the visitors were still down to 14 men and then found themselves further in arrears on the scoreboard as Jalibert crossed the whitewash.

An already comfortable lead was soon extended through Penaud for a 24-3 advantage at the interval, but it was reduced at the start of the second period.

Los Lelos were bright with ball in hand and Lobzhanidze sniped his way over to reduce the arrears.

Although France immediately responded via Mauvaka, the momentum had switched and the Georgians were playing some excellent rugby.

They looked well organised and impressively coached, giving the half-backs plenty of options, and were rewarded as Tabutsadze finished superbly out wide.

Evidently irked by that score, the hosts ended the match strongly as Penaud and Mauvaka crossed the whitewash to complete an ultimately comfortable triumph.

Springboks’ second-half blitz floors Georgia

South Africa made a winning return to Test rugby when they sealed a 40-9 victory over Georgia at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Friday.

It wasn’t a vintage performance as there were signs of rustiness from the Boks, who were playing their first game since their triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign, but they improved as the match progressed and eventually outscored the Lelos six tries to none.

Aphelele Fassi, Bongi Mbonambi, Cobus Reinach, Kwagga Smith, Herschel Jantjies and Malcolm Marx crossed for the Boks’ five-pointers while Handre Pollard (4) and Elton Jantjies succeeded with conversions.

For Georgia, Tedo Abzhandadze slotted three penalties.

The Springboks made a scratchy start and soon after the kick off they conceded a scrum penalty inside their half.  Trevor Nyakane was blown up at the set-piece and Abzhandadze gave his team the lead by adding the penalty.

Two minutes later, Pollard and Pieter-Steph du Toit combined brilliantly before the latter offloaded to Fassi just outside Georgia’s 22 and the flyer did well to beat a couple of defenders down the left-hand touchline before crossing for a well-taken try on his Test debut.

Pollard failed to convert and despite that score, South Africa failed to gain the ascendancy with Georgia holding the upper hand during the next 25 minutes.  The Springboks were particularly ineffective in the rucks and mauls and battled to deal with the physicality of Georgia’s forwards in those facets of play.

Two ruck penalties in quick succession by the Boks presented Abzhandadze with opportunities off the kicking tee and he was successful on both occasions which meant Georgia were leading 9-5 by the 25th minute.

Despite their indifferent start, the hosts did not panic and they were the dominant side during the latter stages of the half.  They spent the final 10 minutes camped inside their opponents’ half and in the 34th minute the game’s complexion changed when Beka Saghinadze was yellow carded after repeated infringements on defence from the Lelos.

Soon after, Mbonambi crossed off the back of a driving maul close to the visitors’ try-line and just before half-time Reinach gathered a chip kick from Fassi before outpacing the cover defence to score under the posts.

Pollard added the extras, which meant the home side were leading 19-9 at half-time and after the interval they continued where they left off by spending long periods inside Georgia’s half.

In the 54th minute, a strong scrum close the Lelos’ try-line allowed Smith to break off the back of the set-piece and the back-row had an easy run-in over the whitewash.

Five minutes later, Damian Willemse was stopped just short of the try-line, but scrum-half Jantjies caught Georgia’s defence by surprise when he barged over from close quarters at the ensuing ruck for his side’s fifth try.

South Africa were now in the ascendancy and had a bulk of the possession and territory during the rest of the match.  In the 68th minute, Marx was also rewarded with a five-pointer, after a lineout drive inside Georgia’s 22, and with the result in the bag the Boks gave the ball plenty of air during the game’s closing stages.

There was no reward, however, but they will be happy with the result and their overall performance, especially during the second half.

Nemani Nadolo hat-trick sinks Georgia

Fiji ended their disrupted Autumn Nations Cup campaign in style when they sealed a 38-24 triumph over Georgia at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The Pacific Islanders’ three previous games in the tournament were cancelled after they reported 29 coronavirus cases in their squad and they were highly motivated to deliver a good performance.

They did just that as tries from Johnny Dyer, Josua Tuisova, Mesulame Kunavula and a Nemani Nadolo hat-trick proved too much for the Lelos, who scored through Giorgi Melikidze and Beka Saghinadze (2).

Fiji’s other points came via the boot of Ben Volavola courtesy of four conversions, and Tedo Abzhandadze succeeded with a penalty and three conversions for Georgia.

The Pacific Islanders made a terrific start and were leading 12-0 inside the opening 10 minutes courtesy of early tries from Nadolo and Dyer.  Nadolo opened the scoring as early as the second minute when he crossed in the left-hand corner, after strong carries from Tuisova and Semi Radradra in the build-up, and five minutes later Dyer burrowed his way over the try-line from close quarters.

After failing to convert Nadolo’s try, Volavola made up for that miss by adding the extras to Dyer’s score before Abzhandadze opened the Lelos’ account with a penalty in the 10th minute.

Fiji continued to dominate, however, and after taking the ball through several phases in Georgia’s half, the ball was played out wide to Tuisova, who had an easy run-in for their third try.

The Lelos needed a response and that came in the 22nd minute, when Melikidze, who came on as a replacement for the injured Beka Gigashvili earlier in the half, went over for their first try, from close range.

There was nothing interesting to report during the rest of the half but the match was still evenly poised at the interval with the Pacific Islanders holding a 19-10 lead.

It's official, @fijirugby and @nemani_nadolo are back.

Loved every second of that, what a contest!

🇬🇪 🤝 🇫🇯#GEOvFIJ #AutumnNationsCup pic.twitter.com/fp8KjPqQmU

— Autumn Nations Cup 🏉 (@autumnnations) December 5, 2020

Like the opening period, Fiji had the better of the early exchanges in the second half and were soon camped inside Georgia’s half.  And in the 55th minute, Tuisova tore the Lelos’ defence to shreds with a powerful run down the right-hand touchline before throwing an inside pass to Kunavula, who dotted down.

That score boosted the Pacific Islanders’ confidence and in the 58th minute Nadolo scored his second try, after gathering a grubber kick from Volavola.  Five minutes later, the behemoth wing ran onto a pass from Sam Matavesi before busting through two tackles to score his third five-pointer.

Volavola converted which meant Fiji were holding a comfortable 38-10 lead and, with the game in the bag, they took their foot off the pedal during the final quarter.  To their credit, Georgia did not surrender and Saghinadze added some respectability to the final score when he scored his two tries during the game’s latter stages.

Check out the video highlights from Fiji's 38-24 victory over Georgia at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Ireland struggle to victory over Georgia

Ireland secured their second victory in the Autumn Nations Cup after overcoming Georgia 23-10 in Dublin, but it was a far from convincing performance.

Fly-half Billy Burns staked his claim as the first-choice understudy to sidelined skipper Johnny Sexton by contributing 15 points to help the Irish return to winning ways following last weekend’s disappointing defeat to England.

However, a promising afternoon for the England-born Ulster man was prematurely ended by a knock sustained early in the second period at the Aviva Stadium, significantly disrupting the rhythm of the unconvincing hosts.

Hugo Keenan claimed Ireland’s other try, while replacement number 10 Ross Byrne added a second-half penalty as Andy Farrell’s men set up a third-place play-off with Scotland on Saturday.

Georgia arrived in Dublin yet to score a point in the tournament but produced arguably the moment of the match courtesy of a dazzling first-half score from Giorgi Kveseladze.

The tenacious visitors can take plenty of confidence into next weekend’s meeting with Fiji, although that wooden spoon fixture remains in doubt as each of their opponents’ Group B matches were cancelled due to Covid-19 protocols

Ireland endured persistent set-piece struggles in the 18-7 loss at Twickenham last time out and, despite the relatively comfortable final scoreline, were far from flawless in that area this week.

Head coach Farrell made nine changes to the side beaten by Eddie Jones’ World Cup finalists as he seeks greater competition from a relatively small player pool.

He would have been encouraged by a positive start in which the hosts went 10-0 ahead inside 14 minutes following sustained pressure and some neat interplay.

Quick hands from centre Chris Farrell released Burns and he dived over the line for his first international try before adding the extras and, minutes later, kicking a penalty.

Georgia could have been disheartened by the early setbacks, considering their lack of attacking threat in this tournament,

Yet they responded in fine style with a sensational try from the nimble-footed Kveseladze.

The centre collected the ball in his own half following some slick passing, burst into Irish territory and then dummied his way past Jacob Stockdale and Burns to touch down beneath the posts, allowing Tedo Abzhandadze a simple conversion.

A second Burns penalty kept the hosts in control of the scoreboard, before he kicked another conversion to make it 20-7 at the interval after winger Keenan collected Stockdale’s pass to touch down his third international score wide on the right.

🔥 What a try from Georgia! #IREvGEO #AutumnNationsCup pic.twitter.com/PZ3GniS5un

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) November 29, 2020

The half-time lead would have been greater had Stuart McCloskey not been harshly denied a try on his return from the international wilderness.

Ulster centre McCloskey, winning his first cap in more than two years, stretched his legs on the left wing to cross in the corner, only for French referee Mathieu Raynal to adjudge Stockdale’s pass had travelled forward.

On the back of the disallowed score, Georgia began the second half with renewed vigour.

After Burns, winning his third cap following two substitute appearances, departed, the physical visitors kept themselves in contention at 20-10 thanks to Abzhandadze’s long-range penalty.

Stifled by Levan Maisashvili’s men, Ireland’s display lacked fluidity and a cutting edge as the game wore on.

The hosts rarely looked like increasing their advantage but did manage to draw the second half 3-3 thanks to a penalty from substitute Byrne.

A debut from the bench for Shane Daly was a notable moment during the uneventful closing stages, while CJ Stander was held up on the line as he tried to force a late try.

Ireland’s victory was an eighth in succession on home soil, although the stuttering fashion in which it was achieved leaves Farrell with plenty to ponder ahead of locking horns with the Scots and, further forward, next year’s Six Nations.

Check out the video highlights from Ireland's 23-10 victory over Georgia at Dublin on Sunday.

Wales end barren run with battling victory over Georgia

An inexperienced Wales team secured their first win in seven matches as they defeated a stubborn Georgia outfit 18-0 in atrocious conditions at the Parc y Scarlets.

Nineteen-year-old wing Louis Rees-Zammit, showing the finishing ability that brought him 10 tries for Gloucester in England’s Premiership last season, and replacement Rhys Webb crossed in either half.

Callum Sheedy kicked two penalties and a conversion as Wales claimed a much-needed victory in difficult wet conditions.

The scrutiny on Wayne Pivac had intensified, with six successive defeats matching Wales’ worst run since 2012.

Having been Six Nations Grand Slam champions and World Cup semi-finalists under Warren Gatland in 2019, the former Scarlets coach had only overseen victories against Italy and the Barbarians during a miserable 12 months in charge.

This was the third meeting between the two countries, with Wales having won the two previous games, 13-6 in Cardiff in 2017 before a more convincing 43-14 success at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Pivac made a raft of changes, with only flanker Justin Tipuric, who took over the captaincy, and full-back Liam Williams remaining from the side soundly beaten by Ireland in their Autumn Nations Cup opener in Dublin.

Flanker James Botham, the grandson of England cricket great Sir Ian, scrum-half Kieran Hardy and centre Johnny Williams made debuts, the latter two on their home Parc y Scarlets ground.

Williams’ appearance for the land of his Rhyl-born father came 17 months after he had made a Twickenham try-scoring appearance for England in an uncapped match against the Barbarians.

Sheedy was the newest model to emerge from Wales’ famous fly-half factory, with the Bristol outside-half, like Rees-Zammit, handed his first start.

Georgia made five changes from their 40-0 defeat to England in their Autumn Nations Cup opener, with hooker Jaba Bregvadze, lock Kote Mikautadze and flanker Otar Giorgadze back to bolster a pack that has been their biggest weapon over the years.

With eight of the starting 15 plying their trade in France, including six of the forwards, Georgia had cause for optimism against hosts who had nine starters with fewer than 25 caps.

Wales’ set-piece has struggled in recent games, but their scrum and lineout was strong in the opening exchanges and Sheedy profited from that superiority up front to land a 10th-minute penalty.

𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥@WelshRugbyUnion open up a 10-point lead over @GeorgianRugby

Watch the second half 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀 on #PrimeVideo NOW#AmazonDeliversTheRugby pic.twitter.com/wnRlvrS5wT

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) November 21, 2020

Despite the wet conditions, Wales were keen to play with ball in hand and Rees-Zammit almost scored following Sheedy’s cross-field kick.

Rees-Zammit did not have to wait long for his first Test try, though, centre Nick Tompkins driving towards the line after 26 minutes and recycling possession.

Sheedy floated a lovely pass to the waiting 19-year-old and then converted from the touchline for a 10-0 interval lead.

Georgia hooker Bregvadze was penalised for a high tackle on Seb Davies, but Sheedy missed the chance to extend Wales’ lead.

However, he made no mistake from in front of the posts after the visitors were caught offside.

Georgia were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes when flanker Beka Saginadze caught Tipuric with a swinging forearm that led to his departure and Webb taking over the captaincy.

Webb accepted Rees-Zammit’s pass four minutes from time to seal the win, but Wales know a far sterner test awaits them in Llanelli next weekend when Six Nations champions England are their final Group A opponents.

Check out the video highlights from Wales' 18-0 victory over Georgia at the Parc y Scarlets on Saturday.

Jamie George hat-trick leads England to victory

Jamie George became the first England hooker to score a hat-trick of tries as Georgia were pounded into submission in a 40-0 Autumn Nations Cup mismatch at Twickenham.

George was the beneficiary as the home pack struck repeatedly through their line-out drive, reverting to the tactic time and again as their disappointing attack never left first gear.

The highlight of a dour, scrum-heavy clash was Jonathan Joseph's searing break that led to a 38th-minute try for Elliot Daly, but the moment was also touched by misfortune as the Bath three-quarter sustained an injury and had to be helped off.

It ended a successful start to Joseph's life as an outside centre-turned-wing given licence to roam Twickenham and Eddie Jones must wait to see when he can repeat the experiment.

From start to finish, the afternoon was a grim slog for Georgia as the sport's 12th-ranked side fought hard to limit opportunities while barely ever troubling the home 22 themselves.

Aided by the arrival of heavy rain, they turned the third quarter into an arm-wrestle to stem the flow of points and stop the game turning into a training ground run out for England, who were wearing their navy change kit.

Jack Willis became the first England player to score on his debut since Billy Vunipola in 2013 after crossing in the 15th minute and the Wasps flanker was clearly comfortable at this level, although tougher tests than Georgia await.

Jones will trumpet a job done as he looks to add more silverware to the Six Nations title won a fortnight ago, but his team's six-try procession was often ordinary and pedestrian even allowing for the tenacity of opponents who fought to the end.

Georgia have only one victory over a tier one nation in 31 attempts and that record never looked like being improved from the moment they came under sustained early pressure.

Only determined defending kept their try line intact as they repelled a succession of short-range assaults from the set piece.

Joseph was already making an impact but up-front was England's focus as they pounded away and in the process forced a series of penalties.

Forty points for @EnglandRugby in their first game of the #AutumnNationsCup 👏 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿#ENGvGEO pic.twitter.com/reXz3dLbgW

— Autumn Nations Cup 🏉 (@autumnnations) November 14, 2020

It was not easy on the eye, but Georgia were being squeezed at the scrum and with their energy spent they cracked in the 15th minute when Willis showed strength to force his way over, with a little help from Wasps team-mate Joe Launchbury.

Georgia celebrated wildly as they won a scrum penalty to partially avenge the earlier battering they had taken near the posts, but generally the one way traffic continued.

Frustratingly, despite the reams of possession England's attack was aimless and the second try once again came from the set-piece as a line-out was driven over the line finished by George.

And it was a carbon copy when number three was engineered in the 34th minute, the pack driving forward on an unstoppable march until George touched down.

England eventually injected pace into an attack, Joseph accelerating through a gap, drew the full-back and delivered the scoring pass to Daly, only to then be helped off.

Rain started lashing Twickenham and the ball started squirting around as result, producing knock-ons that impeded English progress.

Jones sought to inject fresh impetus by sending on replacements such as Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler and Ben Earl, but with the changes came Georgia's most promising spell.

Once that was subdued, however, England responded with a third line-out try for George as they once again reverted to their greatest strength.  Dan Robson dummied and slipped over to complete the rout.

Check out the video highlights from England's 40-0 victory over Georgia at Twickenham on Saturday.

Duhan van der Merwe scores on debut in Scotland win

Edinburgh's Duhan van der Merwe displayed his try-scoring prowess as the wing touched down on his Scotland debut in their dominant 48-7 triumph over Georgia.

With Stuart Hogg aiming to complete a trophy double with new European champions Exeter, Fraser Brown was handed the armband on his 51st international appearance and marked the occasion by crossing twice after lineout mauls.

Georgia could not handle the driving maul and Hamish Watson and Stuart McInally both went over from the same source.

Darcy Graham had opened the scoring early on and the Scotland backs weighed in as the game opened up in the latter stages.

Graham grabbed a late second after his fellow Edinburgh winger, Van der Merwe, grabbed a try before Blair Kinghorn got in on the act.

Van der Merwe's fellow South African, Oli Kebble, also won his first cap after coming off the bench with Finn Russell, making his 50th Scotland appearance and his first this year after losing his place following a disciplinary issue prior to the Six Nations.

Scotland were on the front foot immediately as they warmed up for next weekend's Six Nations finale in Wales, and there were little over two minutes gone when Graham produced a dummy after his own tap penalty which made space for him to claim his sixth try on his 11th international outing.

The home side remained on top without making the most of their possession but their forwards ensured Townsend's team went into half-time with a commanding lead thanks to two tries in five minutes following lineout mauls.

Hooker Brown joined the back of the maul after his own throw and got the final touch as the Georgian pack were driven back in the 26th minute.  Rory Sutherland then fed Watson to go over on the left wing.

Scotland were confined to a 17-0 half-time lead after failing to convince French referee Alexandre Ruiz that they had got the crucial touch after forcing the Georgian defence back over their own line again.

Cornell Du Preez, who was on for the injured Matt Fagerson, emerged from a pile of bodies claiming a try but television footage could not clear up who grounded the ball.

TRY!

Impact from the debutant

Guess who the architect was?

Watch LIVE 👇
📱 https://t.co/QoqjgCP29i
📺 @ITV4 #SCOvGEO #ITVRugby pic.twitter.com/rJtiN1cThg

— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) October 23, 2020

Georgia got off the mark inside five minutes of the restart after quickly turning a scrum from almost 40 metres out into a try.  Scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze's pass to Akaki Tabutsadze looked forward but Scott Cummings had got a fingertip to it which ensured the winger's score counted.

Scotland responded immediately as Brown produced a carbon copy of his first-half try.

Scotland made four changes with Kebble and Russell among those coming on and McInally replacing Brown before emulating his fellow hooker with another try from the lineout maul.

Russell gave Scotland a new edge and the game opened up for Scotland's backs in the latter stages.

The Racing 92 fly-half fed Van der Merwe with a close-range pass for the wide man to run through a huge gap in the 70th minute, and Graham went over after another lineout five minutes later.

Kinghorn scored in the final moments after following up on his own kick forward.

Australia stutter to victory over Georgia

Australia produced another mistake-ridden performance but did enough to overcome Georgia 27-8 in Fukuroi and move to the top of Pool D.

The Wallabies had 80 per cent of the ball in the first half but they could only muster a 10-3 advantage at the break following Nic White’s try and Matt Toomua’s penalty.

Soso Matiashvili responded for the Lelos off the tee and they remained in the contest as the Australians struggled in the inclement conditions.  However, Marika Koroibete, Jack Dempsey and Will Genia tries ensured the victory and took them to the group summit, despite Alexander Todua’s score.

Michael Cheika’s outfit are still likely to face England in the quarter-finals, though, with Wales only needing a victory against Uruguay on Sunday to claim the pool.

Although conditions made it difficult for the Australians, they will need to improve significantly if they are to challenge the Red Rose.

The Wallabies did start well on Friday, however, and remained patient, displaying good skills to initially keep mistakes at a premium.  Their pressure was unrelenting and Milton Haig’s men began to tire, resulting in fly-half Toomua breaking the line.  Although the pivot was halted, they went through the phases and White showed his sniping instincts to touch down.

Buoyed by that score, Cheika’s charges had the confidence to move the ball from inside their own 22, but it didn’t prove to be the wisest call as Tolu Latu lost the ball in contact.  The hooker then proceeded to take Merab Sharikadze high and that allowed Matiashvili to reduce the arrears after half-an-hour.

Australia continued to control the encounter, though, and earned a series of penalties close to the opposition line.  They maintained their tactic of going for the corner but it did not yield any reward as the Lelos remained stout and held out.

Georgia try!@GeorgianRugby score their first try thanks to Alexander Todua but the dummy to set him away down the flank is pure 🔥#RWC2019 #ITVRugby #AUSVGEO pic.twitter.com/I56YeWwRvB

— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) October 11, 2019

The Australians were then hampered by a yellow card handed out to Isi Naisarani for a dangerous clearout, but they managed to restore their seven-point buffer just shy of the interval via the boot of Toomua.

It was an unsurprisingly scrappy affair and both teams struggled to keep hold of the ball at the start of the second period.  Errors, particularly from the southern hemisphere outfit, pervaded the play and that kept Georgia in the contest.

Cheika’s men needed something special to break the game open and it came from Koroibete, who weaved his way in and out of would-be Georgian tacklers to score a superb individual effort.

That effectively ended the match as a contest, even though their opponents constructed an excellent try as Lasha Khmaladze scythed through and fed Todua, who finished in the left-hand corner.

At 17-8 down, the Lelos had shown commendable spirit, but two late tries from Dempsey and Genia gave the scoreline a more comfortable look for the Wallabies.

The scorers:

For Australia:
Tries:  White, Koroibete, Dempsey, Genia
Cons:  Toomua 2
Pen:  Toomua

For Georgia:
Try:  Todua
Pen:  Matiashvili

Australia:  15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Jordan Petaia, 13 James O’Connor, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 David Pocock (c), 6 Jack Dempsey, 5 Rory Arnold, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tolu Latu, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements:  16 Jordan Uelese, 17 James Slipper, 18 Taniela Tupou, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 21 Will Genia, 22 Christian Lealiifano, 23 Dane Haylett-Petty

Georgia:  15 Soso Matiashvili, 14 Giorgi Kveseladze, 13 David Kacharava, 12 Merab Sharikadze (c), 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Lasha Khmaladze, 9 Gela Aprasidze, 8 Beka Gorgadze, 7 Mamuka Gorgodze, 6 Beka Saginadze, 5 Konstantine Mikautadze, 4 Giorgi Nemsadze, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Mikheil Nariashvili
Replacements:  16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Guram Gogichashvili, 18 Giorgi Melikidze, 19 Otari Giorgadze, 20 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, 21 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 22 Lasha Malaguradze, 23 Tamaz Mchedlidze

Referee:  Pascal Gaüzère (France)
Assistant referees:  Jérôme Garcès (France), Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO:  Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Seven-try Fiji blow Georgia away

Fiji registered their first victory of the 2019 Rugby World Cup when they beat Georgia 45-10 in their Pool D encounter in Higashiosaka on Thursday.

After losing their two previous matches against Australia and Uruguay, there was plenty of pressure on John McKee’s troops but they were full value for their win as they dominated most facets of play.

The match kicked off with heavy rain pelting down but despite the atrocious weather conditions, the Pacific Islanders stayed true to their attacking roots, although they had little reward initially.  The rain subsided as the match progressed and they eventually outscored their opponents by seven tries to one.

Semi Radradra was his team’s hero as he scored a brace of tries and set up three other five-pointers.  Waisea Nayacalevu, Frank Lomani, Josua Tuisova, Semi Kunatani and Apisalome Ratuniyarawa also crossed the whitewash while Ben Volavola succeeded with five conversions.

For Georgia, Mamuka Gorgodze scored a try and Soso Matiashvili added a conversion and a penalty.

The Lelos had a chance to open the scoring in the 15th minute when Kunatani was penalised for an illegal hit on Giorgi Tkhilaishvili but Matiashvili was off target with his shot at goal.

That proved a costly miss as five minutes later Fiji took the lead in spectacular fashion.  This, after Volavola stabbed a teasing grubber kick through just inside Georgia’s half and Radradra gathered the ball brilliantly close to the left-hand touchline before throwing an inside pass to Nayacalevu, who outsprinted the cover defence on his way over the try-line.

That score seemed to jolt Georgia into life as they upped the ante on attack after that and they were soon camped inside Fiji’s half.

In the 33rd minute, the Lelos launched a brilliant attack from close to their try-line and after several phases, they found themselves deep inside Fiji territory.  They were unlucky not be rewarded for their efforts, however, when Giorgi Nemsadze lost the ball while crossing the whitewash.

Fiji’s backs had strayed offside in the build-up to that effort and Matiashvili slotted the resulting penalty which meant the teams changed sides at half-time with the Pacific Islanders holding a slender 7-3 lead.

FT: @fijirugby 45 @GeorgianRugby 10

Semi Radradra double helped Fiji to a 35 point win over Georgia. #GEOvFIJ #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/mJyDDhP9co

— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 3, 2019

Fiji were fastest out of the blocks in the second period and six minutes after the restart Tuisova and Radradra combined brilliantly before the latter offloaded to Lomani, who crossed for his side’s second try.

Five minutes later, Radradra joined the Fiji line at pace and drew in the defence before offloading to Tuisova close to the right-hand touchline.  The burly wing still had work to do but beat the last defender with ease and crossed for a deserved try.

Despite those setbacks, Georgia came back strongly and in the 53rd minute Gorgodze showed great power and determination before dotting down from close range.  Matiashvili added the extras but that would be the last time the Lelos would score points as Fiji dominated the rest of the match with Radradra leading the onslaught.

In the 61st minute a superb back-line move, after a scrum close to Georgia’s 10-metre line, created space for Radradra out wide and he showed his class to outpace the cover defence before crossing for his side’s bonus-point try.

That score knocked the wind out of Georgia’s sails as it was all Fiji during the game’s final quarter.

Kunatani and Ratuniyarawa crossed the whitewash in quick succession before Radradra sealed the win with his second try in the game’s closing stages.

The scorers:

For Georgia:
Try:  Gorgodze
Con:  Matiashvili
Pen:  Matiashvili

For Fiji:
Tries:  Nayacalevu, Lomani, Tuisova, Radradra 2, Kunatani, Ratuniyarawa
Cons:  Volavola 5

Georgia:  15 Soso Matiashvili, 14 Giorgi Kveseladze, 13 David Kacharava, 12 Merab Sharikadze (c), 11 Alexander Todua, 10 Lasha Khmaladze, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Beka Gorgadze, 7 Mamuka Gorgodze, 6 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, 5 Konstantine Mikautadze, 4 Giorgi Nemsadze, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Mikheil Nariashvili
Replacements:  16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Guram Gogichashvili, 18 Levan Chilachava, 19 Otari Giorgadze, 20 Beka Saginadze, 21 Gela Aprasidze, 22 Lasha Malaguradze, 23 Miriani Modebadze

Fiji:  15 Kini Murimurivalu, 14 Josua Tuisova, 13 Waisea Nayacalevu, 12 Levani Botia, 11 Semi Radradra, 10 Ben Volavola, 9 Frank Lomani, 8 Peceli Yato, 7 Semi Kunatani, 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu (c), 5 Leone Nakarawa, 4 Tevita Cavubati, 3 Manasa Saulo, 2 Samuel Matavesi, 1 Campese Ma’afu
Replacements:  16 Tuvere Vugakoto, 17 Eroni Mawi, 18 Peni Ravai, 19 Apisalome Ratuniyarawa, 20 Viliame Mata, 21 Nikola Matawalu, 22 Jale Vatubua, 23 Josh Matavesi

Referee:  Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant referees:  Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Matthew Carley (England)
TMO:  Graham Hughes (England)