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The excitement of Ireland coming to town in Tblisi is growing by the minute before kick off! The level of media coverage has significantly increased to showcase the spectacle of such an important test for the future of Georgian rugby. It may only be as some say a Ireland A team, due to the ongoing Lions Tour. However, Paul O’Connell will not let the Irish standards slip and will be expecting a big result to start the summer tour and potentially silence the noise around Georgia in the 6 Nations. Especially, if they can’t get a result against a heavily rotated Irish side.
The excitement of Ireland coming to town in Tblisi is growing by the minute before kick off! The level of media coverage has significantly increased to showcase the spectacle of such an important test for the future of Georgian rugby. It may only be as some say a Ireland A team, due to the ongoing Lions Tour. However, Paul O’Connell will not let the Irish standards slip and will be expecting a big result to start the summer tour and potentially silence the noise around Georgia in the 6 Nations. Especially, if they can’t get a result against a heavily rotated Irish side.
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SwitzerlandGeorgia enter the Summer tour after another Rugby Europe Championship tournament victory, they were put under pressure in the first half against Spain but managed to go through the gears to win the final comfortably. A number of the players have been away with their French clubs having mixed success for the season closure, the rest of the squad will have been together with their Black Lion team mates but with only a few recent competitive friendlies in their Scotland tour. Will the Georgians be match ready to take on Ireland and show their true ability at this level?
The Georgian pack offers the same hard carrying, scrum dominating and lineout maul masters to cause devastation at set piece time. They have their own version of the bomb squad to come on, lead by the experienced Beka Gigashvili.
The Georgian backline will be a joy to behold in full flight! Luka Matkava is welcomed back after missing the end of the REC due to his brothers passing. Vasil Lobzhanidze will be preying on any gaps around the breakdown and leading the game plan from scrum half. Abu Tabutsadze will be looking to increase his unstoppable try scorer feats at international level and Davit Niniashvili will be key to pretty much anything and everything Georgia will do. If he was part of any ‘Tier 1’ Nation, the world would be talking about him in the similar breathe to DuPont! Yeah, I said it!
With 6 uncapped players in the Matchday squad, we will get to see what the next level of Irish rugby will have to offer the world! The pack is fully rotated from the usual Irish side and will get a true test from the physical Georgians. Cian Pendergast will be looking to put his mark on the game from the bench.
The Irish back line will also look to excite when they can get the platform from their pack. Craig Casey will lead the side with the armband and from scrumhalf. He will have to dictate the play and allow Sam Pendergast to express himself. Sam will be a target for the Georgian physicality and after question marks around his tackling recently, this will be a true test. Jack Crowley will be ready to step in though and show his case to be the starting 10 anyway. A great centre partnership with Stuart McCloskey and Jamie Osborne will be looking to exploit any gaps they can find too. Back 3 with Jacob Stockdale, debutant Tommy O’Brien and Jimmy O’Brien will have their hands full defending the Georgian speedsters but will definitely return the pressure at every opportunity. Calvin Nash will be chomping at the bit to step in and take his opportunities too.
This has a barnstormer written all over it for me, Georgia will take the lead and lead through to half time. We will see Ireland come back into the game for most of the second half. But I can see a Georgia victory for this game, it will be all down to the forwards winning the battle. The pack that wins the battle will win the game for their team.
