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Why Georgia deserves a place in the Six Nations

By James Harrington
Georgian players celebrate their victory over Tonga at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Picture: Getty Images

The Six Nations doesn’t need to give up on Italy – but it should also welcome Georgia’s advances, writes James Harrington.

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There is, we heard this week, no room for Georgia in the Six Nations, at least not in the short-term future. Which is wrong – but it is equally wrong to suggest Italy should be booted out to make room for them.

Hopes had been high among Georgian supporters that their time had come at last. They have the 55,000-seat stadium, which they can – and do – fill. They have the backing of a billionaire former prime minister who, according to reports, can buy Donald Trump dollar for dollar and still have a tidy $800million in the bank. And Italy, after two dismal matches in which they leaked 96 points, seemed primed for the cull.

But the Six Nations’ chief executive John Feehan told Britain’s Daily Mail: “It is a closed competition, owned and controlled by the six unions … Right now, we are perfectly happy that we have the six strongest teams in Europe in our competition.”

As figurative door-slammings go, that seemed fairly definitive. Feehan did, however, offer a hint of something that might pass for an iota hope in the right light: “Are we closed to every scenario? No, but it takes a while to see a convincing argument. 10 or 15 years … At this stage, talk of bringing in other teams is premature.”

This is nothing new. Feehan is merely repackaging comments he made in The Independent a year ago. Then, he said: “It’s not our job to provide solutions for Georgia, Romania or anyone else.”

That’s true: it’s not. The Six Nations is about money, not development. But it is a sentiment that clashes with World Rugby’s mission to grow the game.

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There is no rugby reason to deny Georgia a shot. They have won the second-tier international competition Rugby Europe Championship (formerly known as the European Nations Cup) for eight of the past nine years, and have not lost a match in the competition since 2012. Their third-place pool finish in the 2015 World Cup – their best result in fourth back-to-back appearances in the tournament – means they have automatically qualified for Japan 2019. And World Rugby recognises them as a ‘high-performance team’.

On the field, Georgia are doing all that is asked of them and more. They are currently 12th in the World Rugby rankings, two places above Italy and three below World Cup semi-finalists Argentina. And, yet, outside World Cups, they hardly ever get the chance to test themselves against Tier One nations.

There are those who would claim that Georgia would be unprepared for the rigours of regular Tier One rugby because they spend their days battering the bejaysus out of other Tier Two sides. That is both self-fulfilling and patronising. France first joined the competition in 1910. They won just one game in their first four tournaments. It took them until 1954 to win a share of the title, and their first outright crown did not come until 1959.

Others would point to the travails of Italy as evidence of how tough the step-up can be. Yes, the step-up is tough, and yes, Italian rugby is a mess right now – but this should be neither an excuse to jettison the Azzurri, or reason not to consider Georgia … especially after the relative success of Argentina since they joined an expanded Rugby Championship.

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Suggesting a two-leg play-off between the wooden-spoonists of the Six Nations and the winners of the Rugby Europe Championship is also not a realistic way to close the schism between European rugby’s big six and their Tier Two relations.

Promotion and relegation works in competitions such as the Aviva Premiership that are drawn out over nine months. It is not really feasible for a hectic seven-week international competition where a bad start means it’s all over before it begins. Besides, losing a Six Nations place would be a disaster for the sport in, for example, Italy … or even Georgia.

Rather, this should be an opportunity to expand the competition brand into new territories. It’s time the Six Nations showed them – and other nations, such as Romania and Germany, Portugal and Spain – a way in. There needs to be a recognisable path to rugby’s top table in Europe, even if it presages a change in how the tournament is run and organised. And it should start with more regular matches against Tier One opposition for big fish teams that are dominating their small pool.

The good news is that – for Georgia at least – the process may be starting. They played Scotland in November, just their fifth game against Tier One opponents outside World Cups in 28 years. But they will play Argentina in June, and are due to face Wales in November. And talk now is that a Georgia-based franchise could play in either the Pro12, or even, though less likely, Super Rugby.

This is the way forward. Georgia have been battering on the door for long enough. Their route into “rugby’s greatest championship” could be fast-tracked so it comes more quickly than the 10 to 15 years Feehan has envisaged – but it cannot happen overnight.

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Jon 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

25 Go to comments
A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

25 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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