Boks’ World Cup opponents look to level up with Erasmus’ blueprint

World Cup winner Joe Worsley believes reigning champions South Africa have created the template that can take Georgia to the next level as they prepare to face the Springboks in next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Worsley, who will be part of the Georgia coaching group for a third successive World Cup campaign, played in three tournaments for England, including the 2003 triumph in Australia. Now, he is helping Georgia build up for another massive rugby challenge Down Under and the success of the Springboks, who are chasing a third successive title triumph, will be used to show the Georgian players how they can develop their game.

Traditionally, Georgia have ground opponents down with a fearsome pack, but the emergence of back-line stars like La Rochelle’s full-back/wing Davit Niniashvili, along with centre Tornike Kakhoidze, who came through their U20 squad, offers the chance to expand the tactical options.

That is what the Springboks have added to their own power game and Worsley is relishing the chance to face the reigning champions in their World Cup Pool B in Australia, which includes Italy and Romania. Georgia’s build-up, however, is once again hampered by a lack of Tier 1 opposition – they face Canada, Tonga and USA in November.

In total contrast, the Springboks continue to earn air miles as they travel the world taking on other Tier 1 opponents, following a titanic four-Test series with the All Blacks by facing Australia next weekend.

Fixture

World Rugby Nations Cup

Georgia

06:00

7 Nov 26

Canada

All Stats and Data

Georgia can only look on enviously at that kind of schedule and Worsley, who has coached extensively in France and worked with Georgia head coach Pierre-Henry Broncan at Castres, told RugbyPass: “The next Tier 1 opposition we are going to face will be at the World Cup. It does annoy me that Georgia are not getting more games against quality opposition because those fixtures shine a light onto areas that need improvement.

“Despite the lack of Tier 1 games, we will be coaching the players to be in the right shape where they can deal with it. Our games will include the Rugby Europe Championship, a couple of games with Japan, who have been doing well recently under Eddie (Jones) and possibly some matches against Top 14 sides in France nearer the Cup, but nothing is certain at the moment.

“The Springboks play the rugby that Georgia wants to harness because it suits the mentality of the players here. It is the inspiration to play that way, and the Springboks are incredible at transitioning from defence to attack, while their pressure game through their kicking is a recipe we would be very interested in delivering for Georgia.

“Defence will be the main area for me with Georgia, but also developing the game model by creating the training environment to play the game we want to deliver. There are aspects of the style of game we played at Wasps and also Castres that I want to bring in and it will be exciting.”

The Springboks’ ability to launch either waves of big ball-carrying forwards at the try line or trigger a long-range attack through their fleet-footed backs is something Worsley will have to try and counter in his defence role in Australia. For now, the priority is to build on Georgia’s own attacking threats to give the team the ability to land punches of their own.

Worsley, who played more than 300 times for Wasps and was capped 78 times by England, added: “The need for players to finish off try-scoring opportunities has been something that in the past Georgia didn’t have, but players like Davit Niniashvili have given the squad the kind of X-factor that is needed. There are a number of good young back-line players coming through for Georgia and they are vital and I am getting to know them.

“To have players who can win one-on-one battles and offload is going to be very important to put alongside the traditional strengths of Georgian rugby. The mentality and wrestling history of the country mean they are still producing great props and we have a lot of incredibly good back-rowers.

“The game plan has been developing in recent years, which means these young players coming through can express themselves.

“Players going into the World Cup have the opportunity to get into the shape of their lives and on form for the biggest competition in the sport. For a coach it’s different and while the players start thinking about the tournament when the domestic season ends, the coaching staff have been putting things in place for years.

“We are now 15 months to go in the build-up to the next Cup. It is more of a fruition of a long-term project and very different to being a player in an international team.”

Worsley will be working closely with the coaching staff of Black Lion, Georgia’s leading professional club, in the coming months. He said: “Ideally we would be playing teams that will challenge you more, but we just have to find a way around it to stand toe-to-toe with South Africa and Italy.”