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The 4 uncapped Georgians to watch out for this November
Georgia have announced their 34-man squad for their upcoming November internationals as they look to take some scalps ahead of the World Cup next year.
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The team have a training camp in France from where Georgia national team will travel to Florence to face Italy on November 10 at Artemio Franchi stadium – a match billed in some quarters as a pseudo Six Nations playoff.
They also have two home Tests against Samoa on November 17 at Avchala Rugby Stadium and against Tonga on November 24 at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.
There are four uncapped players in the squad, but just who are they:
Guram Gogichashvili
Another loosehead prop from the front row production line that emerges from Georgia. 116kg Gogichashvili made a name for himself at the recent World Rugby Under 20 Championship. He’s at Racing 92 and made his Top 14 debut against Agen on September 8th, four days after his 20th birthday. He’s also started in each of Racing’s Heineken Champions Cup matches so far, against the Scarlets and Ulster.
Tedo Abzhandadze
A flyhalf who has spent time in Ireland with Terenure’s Under 20’s and then was then part of the first Georgian side to beat Ireland at the World Rugby U20 Championship when they recorded a 24-20 win last summer.
He has caught the attention of Georgian head coach Milton Haig who says Abzhandadze “plays a lot older than he really is” and added “he makes good decisions, he controls people in front of him, which is a really big plus for somebody so young to direct play as well as he does, he’s a got a good kicking game and attacks the line well”. He’s currently on the books at RC AIA Kutaisi in Georgia’s domestic competition and at 19-years-old he has bags of potential.
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Continue reading below…
Watch: Georgia scrummaging session with England in February 2018
Beka Gigashvili
Another who has already bagged himself a contract in France, playing with Grenoble. He joined the club in 2017 originally signing a two-year contract, which has been subsequently extended to 2021. The 26-year-old had a chunk of last season taken away because of injury. He’s only played once in the Top 14 so far this season. His versatility is without question, the 114kg front rower is comfortable playing loosehead, tighthead and hooker.
Grigor Kerdikoshvili
Can play at number 8 or lock. He spent time in the USA playing for the Glendale Merlins and then subsequently for the Glendale Raptors in the inaugural Major League Rugby season, helping them finish top of the regular season table, only for them to falter in the post-season .
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He returned to Tbilisi over the summer to play for Lelo Saracens and is called up by head coach Milton Haig for the first time.
SQUAD UPDATE | Milton Haig selected 34 for TBC Rugby Series 2018
Check out the squad and more here 👉 https://t.co/6gk03n8AfuDon't miss TBC Rugby Series tests in #Tbilisi get tickets here https://t.co/T8BFVTts7E
Nov 17: Georgia vs @manusamoa
Nov 24: Georgia vs @officialTongaRU pic.twitter.com/g0rJ1iILXx— Georgian Rugby (@GeorgianRugby) October 26, 2018
The three matches are likely to be the four potential debutantes last chance to stake their claim for a World Cup spot, with Haig has describing the games as key building blocks.
“With less than 11 months to go before the Rugby World Cup begins in Japan, this is an important stage in our over-all ‘Preparation Plan’ and a great opportunity to test ourselves against very good teams who will also compete at the Rugby World Cup next year.”
You may also like: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus speaks ahead of South Africa’s year-end tour
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
88 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments