Georgian rugby - players

sydneybound wrote: »

Not really Georgia but I thought this was the best place to put it.

I hear the Romanian League is making great progress at the moment with a few new teams being added to their second division. Also I see the Wolves are playing their match against Newcastle this weekend in Transylvania in a stadium in Cluj.

I believe they have matches broadcast on national tv too.

Yeah, Romanian Super Liga made great progress since 2 years now with a lot of strong foreign players.
For the 2015 season, the Super Liga will have 7 teams (the same as the 2014 season), from March 29 to May 30 only. Then, national team will prepare the RWC with an extented squad and the Super Liga will resume after the RWC for the play off.
A new domestic competition will take place while the internationals prepare for the RWC. It will consist of the 7 Super Liga clubs and an 8th one selected from the best players of the second division. They will be split in two groups, the competition starts on June 13 and the final will be on September 5.

The second division will have 10-11 clubs, Barlad (the current champion), Navodari, Poli Iasi, Petrosani, Suceava, Arad, Galati (all these teams played in second division last year), Buzau (2013 second division champion and back after a blank year), Farul Constanta U23 (a team created by Farul Constanta and the french ProD2 side Béziers, who will send some of his own U23 players to play in Romania), CS Manastur (a team from Cluj created by french students and with a lot of foreign students - almost french- and young romanians) and maybe CSM Bucarest reserve team (the club had 45 players under contract last year).

sydneybound wrote: »

Great to hear about the new national stadium, I see it's that really rich businessman that's putting the money into it. The IRB gave him some sort of award before Christmas. I presume for normal matches aginst Germany and Portugal they play in the new stadium then for bigger games against Russia and Romania they'll play in 55,000 seated stadium?

Only 2 home games this year for Georgia, against Portugal and Russia. IIRC both games will be played at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium (27K seats). Maybe the 55K seated stadium is used by soccer the week of the game against Russia

OnTheCouch wrote: »

I always thought this myself. Obviously there are other issues to consider, but given there's the Six Nations B and other European leagues which have straight promotion/relegation, so one would think in the interests of fairness and the development of rugby as a whole, there should really be more of a reward for the Six Nations B winners.

In recent years, it's nearly always been Italy or Scotland that finishes bottom. Apart from the anomaly of two years ago when France did.

Now the play-off doesn't have to be a once-off game, it can be like they do for the last World Cup spot and play home and away, with the aggregate number of points over the two games deciding the winner. Which would reduce the likelihood of a shock upset. But still provide the possibility for Six Nations B teams to compete.

I think Georgia or whoever should definitely be given a chance to play Italy or Scotland. I doubt they would win (at the moment at least) but the opportunity should be there.

The idea of a home-away game between the bottom team of the 6 Nations and the top team of the 6 Nations B is good and I'm not sure Georgia will lose at home against Italy or Scotland. During the 2011 RWC, Georgia lost to first-string Scotland 15-6 and Scotland scored zero try. In 2011, Georgia had only 4 profesional players on the pitch. To date, the entire georgian pack plays for professional team, including the bench. Also 2 21-years old back are regular starters in ProD2.

OnTheCouch wrote: »

I suspect there are two main issues at stake here. Firstly, the IRB probably doesn't want too many mismatches in the Six Nations. Which, if say Romania or Georgia somehow got promoted, you'd likely see a lot, especially in the away games. We saw what a second-string Ireland did at home a few months back to Georgia. You generally don't see many absolute thrashings handed out (say over 50 points) in the Six Nations, even in games involving the weaker teams.

If 2007 Ireland-Georgia didn't show the real level of Ireland, 2014 Ireland-Georgia didn't show the real level of Georgia. Coaches Haig and Bradley chosen a unusual gameplan (défence-kick-defence-kick). It worked during the first half, but with a man down, Georgia conceded fastly a try in the second period. In fact, the georgian team conceded only 1 try with XV players of the field. Also, at min 60, fly half Malaguradze was injured and Georgia played last 20 minutes with a man down (2 men down when Basilaia receive a yellow card) and without fly half. Don't forget Georgia played without his 2 best players (Gorgodze, Zirakashvili) and without his best loosehead Kakovin and his captain, winger Machkhaneli.
The same 2014 year, Italy was trashed 46-9 by Ireland during the 6 Nations, even if the irish team who played against Georgia was weaker than the team who played against Italy few months ago. During the 2001 6 Nations, Italy lost 80-23 against England.

OnTheCouch wrote: »

The second problem is money. I'd imagine that one of the main reasons Italy was admitted back in 2000 was that its rugby federation has got quite a sizeable budget. Plus it's a very significant country internationally. And Rome is a great place to go for a weekend, imagine the mutual benefits of 10-15000 travelling fans going there. Same with Edinburgh. Now I know nothing about Tbilisi I must say, but I'd imagine there wouldn't be the same interest in going there for away fans. It's a lot further geographically for a start. Plus as we've already seen in this thread, their federation can't bring as much to the table in terms of finances. In addition, there's always the disastrous possibility (albeit extremely unlikely) of say a traditional power like France or Wales coming last and losing the play-off. Therefore not taking part for a year.

So I don't think the status quo is going to change for a while yet sadly.

It will don't change for a while because IRB (World Rugby now) don't care. Italy's IRB grants were 5 M€ in 2014, the entire budget of the romanian federation is 3 M€ which include 800 000€ from Ministry of Sports, sponsoring (CEC Bank as main sponsor and about 40 partners), tickets... so I guess the IRB grant for Romania is less than 1M€, maybe less than 500 000€. Considering Georgia is also a Tier2 european nation qualified for the RWC, I think the IRB grant to Georgia is about the same.
Same problem in European Cups. Do you think today was played the Day 1 of the Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition? Viadana won over the spanish side El Salvador 36-7 and Lisbon lost at home against the russian side Enisey-STM 6-28. I found these results on clubs website/facebook. There is nothing on the EPCR website and EPCR don't give any euro to these team.
I have to agree Rome is more attractive than Tbilisi.
Another example, in 2012, Georgia won to Italy during the U18 championship and finished 6th (8 teams in the U18 euro champs) while Italy finished 7th usually the 2 teams who finished on the bottom have to play in a qualifying tournament. The following year Italy was automatic qualified while Georgia had to play the qualifying tournament...

sydneybound wrote: »

I see Zirakashvili is in Midi's team of the week again. He's certainly having a great season.

He is also named in the Planet Rugby team of the week.
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9676182,00.html

3 Davit Zirakashvili (Clermont): While Thomas Domingo got penalised a couple of times, Zirakashvili was solid as a rock in the Clermont scrum, while playing his part around the park. A willing carrier at close quarters, the Georgian also got stuck in defensively as Saracens never really threatened to break down the Clermont defence.

Zirakashvili is a very important player for Clermont and of course for Georgia.
He is more than a great scrummager, but he has a leadership mind and is also fast and have good skills from a prop.
The georgian team is not the same when Zirakashvili and Gorgodze are out especially as most of the players from the forwards pack are under 25.

Great performance for Toulon's tighthead Levan Chilachava. He was named 'Man Of The Match' and scored a try (video). He also destroyed his opponent in scrum.


Mamuka Gorgodze was strong as often. 11 tackles (1 missed), 34m run ball in hand and 6 offloads. Unfortunately, he was injured, I hope it's not too serious

Lock Konstantin Mikautadze played about 30 minutes and did well with one clean break, one defender beaten and 5 tackles (0 missed).

In ProD2, young backs Tamaz Mchedlidze and Merab Sharikadze will be face to face tomorrow
Merab Sharikadze (21 years old) will start at inside centre for Aurillac while Tamaz Mchedlidze (also 21 years old) will start on the right wing for Agen.
They was teammates last year at Bourg-en-Bresse. Both started the game against Ireland last november.
Another georgian, Levan Datunashvili, will captain Aurillac.

Georgia starting XV to face Germany

1- Mikheil Nariashvili (Montpellier - Top14, 21 caps)
2- Zurab Zhvania (Stade Français - Top14, 13 caps)
3- Davit Zirakashvili (Clermont - Top14, 44 caps)
4- Vakhtang Maisuradze (Albi - ProD2, 22 caps)
5- Giorgi Nemsadze (Tarbes - ProD2, 44 caps)
6- Giga Tkhilaishvili (Batumi RC - Georgia, 16 caps)
7- Shalva Sutiashvili (Massy - ProD2, 43 caps)
8- Beka Bitsadze (Locomotive Tbilisi - Georgia, 10 caps)
9- Vasil Lobjanidze (Armazi Tbilisi - Georgia, uncapped)
10- Lasha Khmaladze (Lelo Saracens Tbilisi - Georgia, 34 caps)
11- Alexander Khutsishvili (Kochebi Bolnisi - Georgia, uncapped)
12- Merab Sharikadze (Aurillac - ProD2, 28 caps)
13- Davit Kacharava (Enisey-STM - Russia, 76 caps)
14- Sandro Todua (Lelo Saracens Tbilisi - Georgia, 44 caps)
15- Giorgi Aptsiauri (Aia Kutaisi - Georgia, 1 cap)

16- Shalva Mamukashvili (Sale Sharks - Premiership, 27 caps)
17- Levan Chilachava (Toulon - Top14, 18 caps)
18- Davit Kubriashvili (Stade Français - Top14, 38 caps)
19- Konstantin Mikautadze (Toulon - Top14, 26 caps)
20- Dimitri Basilaia (Perpignan - ProD2, 36 caps)
21- Giorgi Begadze (Kochebi Bolnisi - Georgia, 28 caps)
22- Lasha Malaguradze (Bagnères - Federale1, 51 caps)
23- Tamaz Mchedlidze (Agen - ProD2, 21 caps)

Zurab Zhvania will start for the first time at hooker for Georgia. Usually loosehead prop, he started 3 European Challenge Cup games at hooker for Stade Français this season. Kakovin is again injured and Chilachava, usually tighthead prop, is on the bench to cover the loosehead spot.
At lock, Vakhtang Maisuradze is called up to play his first game since june 2013. Usually starter, Toulon's lock Mikautadze is on the bench while Aurillac's captain Levan Datunashvili is not in the squad.
With injuries of Kolelishvili and Gorgodze, Tkhilaishvili and Sutiashvili will start at flanker. Bitsadze will play #8 despite he is usually 4th choice behing Lomidze (rested), Basilaia (on the bench) and Chkhaidze (rested).
As for the backs, Lobjanidze (18 years old) and Alexander Khutishvili (22 years old) will play their first game for Georgia while Aptsiauri (20 years old, 1 cap) is for the first time in the starting XV instead of Kvirikashvili (80 caps, rested). Agen's winger Mchedlidze is on the bench.

As expected, Georgia won easily in Germany (8-64, 10 tries scored by Georgia)
Despite the score, Georgia had a disastrous first 30 minutes (the score was 8-14 after 35 minutes)
And they were weak during last 20 minutes (only one try scored).
The german scrum was destroyed by the georgian one (no surprises here) and conceded 2 penalty tries.

Tries of the game

Georgia - Portugal live now : http://1tv.ge/en/live.html