Beating the Scots highlights how Georgia's age-grade evolution is in full swing
A dominant scrum and an array of hard as nails front rowers have long been the staple of Georgia rugby. However, while that strength and philosophy is not departing anytime soon, there are signs of evolution on the pathway for the Lelos.
The Georgian under-20s had suffered two defeats so far in the World Under-20 Championship in Argentina. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surpriseal given they were in a pool with South Africa and New Zealand.
What they will be pleased with this Wednesday, though, is how competitive they were with New Zealand and their performance in their 17-12 win over Scotland.
It wasn’t just that they were competitive up front, either. It was the creativity and composed execution of their back line which shone through, something which hasn’t always been the case with Georgia as a rugby-playing nation.
As touched on earlier, their scrummaging is consistently among the best in the world and that shows no signs of abating with this group of under-20s. Loosehead pair of Nika Gvaladze and Luka Azariashvili are standing out as destructive set-piece operators.
?? Georgia 17-12 Scotland ??????? #???????????? #???????? ???
FT in Rosario, with the #JuniorLelos winning a massively tough match against very tough U20 @Scotlandteam 17-12 ? pic.twitter.com/zkq96nEYvU— Georgian Rugby Union (@GeorgianRugby) June 12, 2019
With the regular pipeline of young Georgian front rowers to the top two leagues in France, where scrummaging is particularly prized, the continued existence of a strong Lelos scrum is one of the more certain things in international rugby.
Away from that area of strength, 19-year-old fly-half Tedo Abzhandadze is the potential spearhead of an evolution, if not revolution, in the way Georgia operate.
Despite still being at the forefront of Georgia’s efforts in Argentina at the age-grade championship, he already has seven senior caps to his name and has been touted by coach Milton Haig as potentially “world class”. The playmaker is – barring injury – a certainty to be part of Georgia’s World Cup bid in Japan later this year.
Abzhandadze’s ability to play late on the gain line is bolstered by the handling skills of his midfield options of Lasha Lomdize and Demur Tapladze, with Georgia at U20 level as adept at drawing defenders, off-loading and running at and exploiting space as they are at playing a more direct style. The creativity and distribution ability of players like Dachi Papunashvili and Teimuraz Tchitchinadze at full-back also adds to the variety and incision on offer.
With Georgia having ambitions of being regularly competitive with tier one nations, this evolution of their game, that has to start in the age-grades, bodes well for the Lelos. It’s not that they are exciting talents for a tier two nation, either. It’s that they are exciting talents full stop.
The front row is in fine shape at senior level, there are a handful of controlling and opportunistic scrum-halves, and now playmakers are being found and developed at fly-half and in the centres and at full-back.
It leaves Georgia with two substantial holes as they bid to compete with the world’s best – the lack of athletically-gifted second and back rows that have come to the fore for most other nations over the last few years, and the more dynamic wings, who either prosper through power or game-changing speed.
Current under-20 No8 Ioane Iashagashvili has impressed in Argentina with a turn of pace that has seen him break plenty of tackles. The young back rower is comfortable with the ball in his hands beyond the gain line, whether passing, off-loading or continuing to run at space.
Unfortunately for Georgia, there isn’t a Maro Itoje or James Ryan coming through in the locks quite yet, but with a set-piece focus built around a dominant scrum rather than lineout ability, particularly on the defensive side of the throw, that’s not too surprising.
The @GeorgianRugby U20s belt out their anthem as match day three kicks off at the #WorldRugbyU20s
It's GEO v SCO and ITA v IRE.
Watch live https://t.co/CL5sVkoYl9 pic.twitter.com/yOQXGQDshc
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) June 12, 2019
Wings Otar Lashkhi and Kote Marjanishvili have had good tournaments so far and generate a noticeable amount of power through their footwork prior to contact, but they aren’t the physical specimens that some of the tier one nations are able to call upon, nor do they have the speed to be threats to score from anywhere on the pitch.
The power and size of Georgia is never going to be called into question and with the skilful playmakers that are being produced alongside that now, they have players capable of exploiting those advantages that their forwards can give them.
Huge celebrations as @GeorgianRugby secure their first win on the #WorldRugbyU20s 2019, beating Scotland 17-12 pic.twitter.com/q0EiU8zCOk
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) June 12, 2019
Top-end speed, especially away from the half-back and fly-half positions, and vertical ability remain the missing ingredients, but it is impossible not to be encouraged by the quality and quantity of player that Georgian rugby is producing at present.
As formidable as the senior side have been in one-off games against Tier 1 opponents at times over the last few years, Haig and his staff will know that they need to be a balanced and versatile squad if they are to compete on a more consistent basis.
It’ll take time to blood these youngsters and get them up to speed with international rugby, but the calibre and all-round skill set of the players being developed speaks to a bright future for the Lelos.
WATCH: Part one of The Academy, the six-part RugbyPass documentary on how Leicester Tigers develop their young players
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
12 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments