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Joe Worsley: 'I know that we beat them, but Italy are a much better team'
Joe Worsley, the England World Cup winner, is revelling in Georgia’s historic victory over Italy in Batumi, but the Lelos defence coach is acutely aware of the work that still needs to be done before they are included in the Six Nations Championship.
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The 28-19 win over Italy, the perennial Six Nations whipping boys who ended a 36-match losing run in the competition by beating Wales this year, has focussed attention on Georgia’s burning desire to be allowed to join Europe’s elite competition.
However, Worsley, who has spent the last decade coaching at Bordeaux and Castres, believes there are still crucial “stepping stones” for Georgia to negotiate before they are fully equipped to make the step up to the Six Nations, either through a suggested play off with the bottom team each season or as an extra country.
In Worsley’s view, it is crucial to increase the number of Georgia matches against Tier One nations and to find a viable competition for a new provincial Georgian team (it could be the Currie Cup in South Africa) while helping the Black Lion professional club team move up the European ladder.
Worsley, a member of England’s 2003 World Cup winning squad, helped Georgia at the 2019 Cup in Japan and will have the same defence role at next year’s tournament in France where Georgia will play Australia, Fiji, Wales and the final qualifier in Pool C.
The 45-year-old former back-row forward told RugbyPass: “I cannot explain how massive a win it is and to beat a Tier One nation is enormous for a country with ambition like Georgia and it is a big stepping stone to where they want to get.
“It is too simplistic a view (immediately elevate Georgia to Six Nations membership) of a very complicated decision and Italy are probably a lot further down the line in dealing with professionalism and finding their own model. They have had a lot of issues due to either poor coaching or organisation of the club system and I know that we beat them, but Italy are a much better team now.
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“It was huge to have a team like Italy at home and you could feel the nerves because we had lost the week before to an Argentinian XV and I think a lot of the Georgian players were already thinking about the Italian game. It was a massive game with Italy and you could feel the tension around it and there is real joy at winning.
“One day there needs to be an ability to let a team like Georgia (into the Six Nations) in but there are steps before that needs to happen. More Tier 1 exposure is huge for Georgia and there is going to be one of those fixtures in November and then the European Nations competition they take part in followed by warm up games for the World Cup in France.
“Hopefully, there will be a provincial team that enters a competition like the Currie Cup in South Africa but the travelling for that seems mad. They need to find a viable solution that gives the players a constant exposure to a decent level of rugby. On top of that the international team needs as much exposure to Tier One matches as possible.
That Six Nations invite best be in the mail soon ? #GEOvITA pic.twitter.com/k94Z074D2a
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 10, 2022
“The Georgia team is getting better all the time and the launch of the professional Black Lion team has been important but until they get into a full-time professional league that is going to be a tough one. There are a lot of factors including how the players are being trained and the domestic league is probably not competitive enough to prepare players for international rugby.”
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Worsley is taking a break from full-time coaching and despite interest from French clubs his rugby focus will be on his consultancy role with Georgia for at least the next 18 months.
So what is it about Georgian rugby that keeps him coming back? “I really love rugby people who are passionate about the game and being part of that environment with Georgia is something I really appreciate,” added Worsley who won 78 England caps. “It is that passion for rugby I love.
“I had a wonderful time at Castres (who lost the Top14 final to Montpellier) and also at Bordeaux over ten years in France and it is time for some personal development with a Masters degree course. Club rugby is amazing and I will miss the weekly ups and downs but it is only for a year and half and then I will back into it. There are various offers but I am not going to change my mind.
“I am helping Georgia out on a short-term contract and I will do more nearer the World Cup in France. I have various commitments which means I won’t be with them leading into the Portugal game (next weekend).”
While Georgia are noted for the number of outstanding forwards they produce, Worsley has been impressed with the back line talent that has been emerging from their U20 team which recently hammered Scotland 55-17.
The win over of Italy last weekend saw two brilliant runs from full back Davit Niniashvili who plays his rugby at Lyon and Worsley is excited about his potential. “The guy has some talent at 19-years-old and the high catches for me – the way he spins around the air and places his foot is like a ballerina – are unbelievable.
“Having players in the Georgia backs who can bring that X-factor and break the line is massive and we still have a long way to go for the team before they can hope to regularly win games like the Italy one. All the ingredients are there and now it is about high quality games because there are more and more players coming through to the senior team and there are Georgian people putting in the money to make that happen.
“It is a long term plan and it won’t happen overnight. There is the stereotype about Georgian teams but Italy were strong in the scrum and we have seen the improvement in the Fiji scrum. You really can’t rely on that old stereotype about Georgia forwards anymore. The Georgian U20s have had success and players will push through and it is a good sign.
“Having helped out in 2019 at the Rugby World Cup, I stayed in touch with Levan Maisashvili who is the head coach. He had that terrible experience with Covid.
“At the 2019 World Cup we had players at top teams in France but if you take Georgia rugby as a whole they probably have less experience than other nations and hence they will make some mistakes others don’t make. It is now about getting the experience of high quality games and get their skills on board more quickly.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments