Georgian superstar Davit Niniashvili drops hint about future

Georgia’s best player, Davit Niniashvili, has hinted that he may be tempted into a Tommy Freeman-style switch of positions in the not-too-distant future.

The 23-year-old has started at full-back, wing, and even fly-half, in his 44-cap Test career, which has brought him 14 tries and 111 points.

And now, in an interview on the What’s All The Ruckus podcast, the La Rochelle player revealed he is contemplating a fourth position, outside centre, or a fifth, if you count his pre-U18 days as a lightweight flanker.

“I am open to play everywhere, just not the scrum, not the scrum!” he said.

“I want to try another position, too. I have already played at 10, 15, 11, and now I want to try 13. We will see what will happen.

“I’m not too strong for 12 because you need some muscles, and I don’t have the muscles. I don’t want to try nine because it’s difficult and it’s not the same.

“I love to play rugby, I don’t care what they put on my back, I just love to play the games, and after a number change, you are still the same player on the field.”

Freeman made history in last year’s Six Nations by becoming the first England player to score in every round of the tournament, on the wing.

But Freeman’s club Northampton and England see a future for him at 13, due to his muscular presence. At 103kg and 1.91m, he is 13kg and five centimetres bigger than the lightning-quick Niniashvili.

You can watch Niniashvili and his Georgia team-mates attempt to defend their Rugby Europe Championship title on RugbyPass TV, which will broadcast all the games from the tournament.

Georgia face unfancied Switzerland in their opening match, on February 8th, and are on the road again a week later in round two, taking on the Netherlands in Amsterdam.

The Lelos’ final pool fixture is a repeat of last year’s final, with Spain the visitors to Tbilisi.