Wales will meet the Lelos for the first time in the second of the four games in next month’s series and they will arrive hoping to make a statement on behalf of the European countries not involved in the RBS 6 Nations.
So what can we expect from a team that has already tasted the atmosphere at the Principality Stadium during the 2015 World Cup? They may have gone down 43-10 to the All Blacks, but they did enough to earn a standing ovation from the 69,187 crowd.
With only a month to go to the fixture, here are a few thoughts on the Georgians
Georgia as a Nation
Georgia only became an independent nation in 1991 and has a population of less than 4 million. Its history is one of conflict down the ages. The last war, against Russia, took place as recently as 2008. Sitting on a trade route between Europe and Asia, it has had to contend with the Mongol, Ottoman and Russian empires.
Milton Haig
Their Kiwi coach has been with them since 2011 and has already led them to Test victories over Samoa, Canada, USA, Tonga and Namibia. There were victories over Tonga and Namibia at the 2015 World Cup which helped them to finish third in their pool and gain automatic qualification for the 2019 tournament.
European Players
There are 25 Georgian players registered for the 40 teams playing in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup in Europe. Of that number, 15 are props, four are back row forwards and there is a hooker, lock, outside half, scrum half, wing and centre. Clermont Auvergne, Montpellier and Toulon all have three Georgians in their Champions Cup squads.
Props
When Milton Haig was appointed as the Georgia coach he was told that there were 30 Georgian props playing in the TOP 14 in France. Two years later there were more than 50 plying their trade in the top two French divisions, including the academies.
Davit Zirakashvili
Currently in his 13th season at Clermont Auvergne and a legend in French rugby. He has played 58 games in the European Cup. “We are always in a battle so we love to scrum. Scrummaging is the main part of Georgian rugby culture. The challenge is to defend this culture and to improve it and show the best side of Georgian culture.”
Davit Kubriashvili
The first Georgian player to win a Champions Cup winners medal with Toulon in 2013, he is currently at Montpellier. Levan Chilachava followed him to Toulon and was a Champions Cup winner in 2015 and is still at the club.
Backs
Tyler Morgan will get a taste of what he can expect if he plays against the Georgians next month when he heads to Russia with the Dragons this weekend to face Enisei-STM. Potentially up against him will be Davit Kacharava, who boasts two World Cups, 102 caps and 22 Test tries. His last try came in the 45-29 defeat to a fully loaded Pumas side in San Salvador in June. Across the road in Georgia is the Krasny Yar club, who have the 78 times capped outside half Lasha Malaguradze.
Vasil Lobzhanidze
At just 5’ 9” tall and weighing in at 11st 11lb, the Brive scrum half is a pocket rocket who is making a big name for himself in the game. At the 2015 World Cup he became the youngest player in tournament history when he took the field against Tonga at Kingsholm when he was only 18 years and 340 days old.
Last Time Out
Georgia’s last international outing was against Argentina in San Salvador on 25 June, 2017. They were beaten 45-29. The team they played had only four players from clubs in their country and there were 13 players from French clubs. This was their team with current clubs:
15 Merab Kvirikashvili (Gueret)
14 Tamaz Mchedlidze (Agen)
13 Davit Kacharava (Enisei-STM)
12 Merab Sharikadze (Aurillac, captain)
11 Sandro Todua (Tbilisi Caucasians)
10 Lasha Khmaladze (Tbilisi Caucasians)
9 Vasil Lobzhanidze (Brive):
1 Mikheil Nariashvili (Montpellier)
2 Jaba Bregvadze (Krasny Yar)
3 Soso Bekoshvili (Brive)
4 Giorgi Nemsadze (Bristol)
5 Kote Mikautadze (Montpellier)
6 Otari Giorgadze (Clermont Auvergne)
7 Vito Kolelishvili (Clermont Auvergne)
8 Lasha Lomidze (London Irish)
Replacements
16 Shalva Mamukashvili (Carcassonne)
17 Tornike Mataradze (Lyon)
18 Anton Peikrishvili (Cardiff Blues)
19 Giorgi Chkhaidze (Lille)
20 Giorgi Tsutskeridze (Aurillac)
21 Giorgi Begadze (Kochebi Bolnisi)
22 Lasha Malaguradze (Krasny Yar)
23 Soso Matiashvili (RC Academy)
Under Armour Series 2017 – BUY TICKETS HERE
WALES v AUSTRALIA – Saturday, 11 November 2017 (17:15)
WALES v GEORGIA – Saturday, 18 November 2017 (14:30)
WALES v NEW ZEALAND – Saturday, 25 November 2017 (17:15)
WALES v SOUTH AFRICA – Saturday, 2 December 2017 (14:30)
