Georgia’s rise in rugby over the past 20 years has been substantial.
From their first qualification into a Rugby World Cup in 2003 to finishing third in their pool in the 2015 World Cup and their yearly rise up the World Rugby rankings to 12th best in 2020, Georgia has become a talented side with a huge amount of potential.
They have won the Europe Rugby Championship eight out of the past nine times, beating Romania, Russia, Portugal, Belgium and Spain every year to be crowned the champions of the competition through the use of their dominant scrum, lineout and driving maul.
The Georgian team is clearly head above shoulders compared to the other teams in the second division championship in Europe.
On top of this, Georgia were impressive in last year’s Rugby World Cup, finishing fourth in their pool and losing to Wales 43-14, Fiji 45-10 and Wallabies 27-8.
Empathetically Winning their match against Uruguay using their scrum and physicality 33-7 showcased the strength of the Georgian forward pack and how they are a force to be reckoned with.
Although largely ignored by World Rugby in their claim to be put into the Six Nations, the signs have been positive, with Georgia playing against Scotland twice before the Rugby World Cup last year, including a match hosted in Georgian capital city Tbilisi. In both matches Georgia were impressive in parts but lost 44-10 and 36-9 respectively.
This year they started well, beating Romania 41-13, Spain 23-10, Belgium 78-6 and Portugal 39-24.
After Japan pulled out of the Autumn Nations Cup due to COVID restrictions, Georgia were invited to play in the competition. This was a huge moment for the Georgian team as it is a huge opportunity for them to compete against Tier 1 Nations such as England, Ireland and Wales.
In their first trial match before the Autumn Nations Cup they played Scotland in Edinburgh and lost 48-7. The match was defined by costly handling errors and poor kicking from the Georgians.
In their first match of the Autumn Nations Cup they played World Cup runners-up England at Twickenham, suffering a heavy 40-0 defeat. Yet again the match was defined by handling errors and a poor maul defence.
Their final three matches are against Wales, Ireland and an opponent to be decided depending on where Georgia finish in their pool, most likely Fiji or Italy.
These next three matches are so important to the Georgian team as it looks to prove the point that they belong at this level. The next step in their progress is a game against Wales on Saturday Night.
To conclude, Georgia have improved drastically over the past 15 years, winning the Rugby Europe Championship eight of the last nine times and their ranking has risen every year to 12th in 2020.
Georgia have played Scotland in three matches in the past two years and hosted a Tier 1 nation for the first time against Scotland last year in Tbilisi. Now, in the Autumn Nations Cup, competing against some of the best teams in the world, they have a huge opportunity to show the world that they deserve to be at this level and deserve to be a mainstay in the Six Nations for years to come.
Armchair Halfback
Roar Rookie
Something like that - the team name Lelos derives from the game lelo burti
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
I saw a program on Georgian rugby which looked at an ancient ritual called the Lelo (?) which is basically a huge rolling maul involving an entire village. Perhaps someone could clarify this further?
Tutema
Roar Rookie
You should include Namibia and maybe another Country in the Europe / Africa B group
Tutema
Roar Rookie
In America the ARCh is a competition involving USA, Canada, Uruguay, Brasil, Chile and Argentina XV. It has been getting better and better in the few (I think 3?) years it has been in place. This is a model that helps developing the teams (this is the base for Uruguay's win over Fiji from las RWC)
Tutema
Roar Rookie
Also, the win over Uruguay came after Uruguay had only half a week to recover from beating Fiji (which was huge and extremaly demanding)
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Africa should align with Europe (ask SA). SH nations can't even 100% proof their own game from the North
Brian
Guest
But that is why there would be promotion/relegation so if Georgia are ever good enough they can get there. Italy will be in the six nations when they strong but not when they are weak. Its never going to be perfect so the European T2 is stronger just as athe All Blacks are better then anyone else generally as well. If you take a country like Italy or a USA or Georgia they will do much better in the long run with years of winning and losing rather then Italy just losing against the best sides every year. To improve both on-field and off-field interest competetive games are needed.
Mark
Guest
In the 1990s Italy beat France, Scotland (a number of times), Ireland (a number of times) and Argentina (a number of times) and pushed England (and Australia) close. That's one of the reasons they were admitted to the 6N in 2000 - they were very competitive against 6N and tier 1 opposition. The problem is that their performances have dropped off since they joined the 6N. They struggle to win at all now, whereas 20 years ago they were almost at the level of Scotland and Ireland (who were not the power then they have become since).
Max power
Guest
On top of this, Georgia were impressive in last year’s Rugby World Cup, finishing fourth in their pool and losing to Wales 43-14, Fiji 45-10 and Wallabies 27-8. Maybe you want to re write that and think about how weak your argument if
Outside Observer
Guest
People who call for Italy to be replaced by Georgia forget that it would result in Italy going bankrupt as world rugby don't provide financial support in the same way that they did to Argentina for the Jags. We wouldn't end up with 11 T1 but 9 T1. Georgia are a big fish in a small pond and have a good u20 side. But their "professional" teams can't beat Italy's second tier teams let alone their pro14 teams. Professional rugby is the only way to grow rugby in a country. Italy are miles ahead and if they played the teams that T1 nations put out against Georgia they would win alot more. To say that Georgia were compeditive in the WC means Italy were contenders. The Nations League was a way to balance rugby into 2 groups, Europe and Not Europe. Europe has its 4+ levels while the rest of the world has joined up levels but teams are terrible imbalance which is why Nambia have fallen so much. The nations league was in part about helping the T2 world teams keep up with the T2 europeans who are busy setting up professional leagues. At u20s the non 6 nations European teams are pushing hard leaving Fiji and Japan just making it back up each year, Georgia are already in the main u20 tournament. The B 6 Nations is of a simmillar standard to Samoa, Tonga, USA, Nambia, Uraguary and Canada. The SH needs to put structures in place to build up from 4 Nations and meaningful T2 competition or Africa will align with Europe and have 8 team divisions instead of 6 as it's the best structure mainly down to geography. We are seeing that even SANZAR are struggling to keep the structures they have.
Outside Observer
Guest
Beat South Africa 2016. Italy have quiet a few young players coming through which they haven't had since professionalism started.
Outside observer
Guest
Only issue with that is that Italy are better then every T2 nation outside of maybe Japan and Fiji who they do well against in head to head. Half the teams in World Ranks at 10, 20, 30 etc are European. The B 6 Nations (European T2) have teams that are the same standards as the test of world outside of Japan and Fiji. The problem for Georgia and the other European T2 nations is that the 6 Nations team play the other T2 nations around the world both home and away but the SH teams don't play the European T2 nations.
Brian
Guest
Can't see it happening. I recall what Argentina had to do to be invited to something, they were just about the best team at the 2007 World Cup. I'd love to see a Nations League style with tiers of 6 and promotion/relegation Euro/Africa A England South Africa France Ireland Wales Scotland Euro/Africa B Italy Georgia Romania Russia Spain Portugal Pacific A New Zealand Australia Argentina Fiji Japan USA Pacific B Canada Tonga Samoa Uruguay Brazil Hong Kong
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
You can get really good odds on a Georgia win at the tote.. Its worth a wager.. Player for player Wales superior.. But they are in dissaray.. Players struggling with Pivacs game plan, support staff resigning... They are under pressure and may start trying to play to much too soon in the wrong areas.. In other words abandon their traditional strength which is patient rugby, pressuring the opposition into errors..Wales have an identity crisis.... Big question is.... Have Georgia knowing they may have to target certain games only for a win, decided weeks ago that Wales may be that big game..? Certainly worth a small bet.
Homer Gain
Guest
Love the Georgians to bits. But they just aren't good enough. Check out their results v Italy in recent years. Of course there is an argument that they might improve given more regular exposure to higher-level teams. But, as the author notes, that doesn't seem to be happening for Italy. And more often than not those demanding change, are the first to decry it when it doesn't bring immediate results.
Armchair Halfback
Roar Rookie
They just love scrummaging don't they?! Half the props in France Top14/D2 must be of Georgian extraction. They just lack class in the threequarters, once they can cultivate talent there, then the sky (or RWC) is the limit!
Rhys
Roar Rookie
They could have back in the 1980s from memory but Ital got the nod instead. I wonder what would've been had they been invested in from the start (and yes, my hypothetical is glossing over the glaring corruption and other issues plaguing the game admin there)
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Actually they had already booked their tickets for a tour to South Africa when the pandemic forced its cancelation.. But it's been put on ice hopefully not for too long now.
Oscar
Roar Rookie
Have Italy had success against tier 1 nations? haven't won a six nations game since 2015 vs Scotland
CPM
Roar Rookie
It would be better for tier 1, 6N teams to play their A teams in the Euro championship to test teams like Georgia, Spain, Russia etc. Maybe Italy should be dropped out of the 6N as well to join the other developing teams as they are just whipping boys with no idea what a victory feels like.