Paul O'Connell's makeshift Ireland have too much for Georgia
Ireland's Jimmy O’Brien tackled by Georgia's Giorgi Tetrashvili. Pic: Ben Brady, Inpho
Ireland did all that was required of them in difficult conditions in Tbilisi as Paul O’Connell’s side ran in four tries to make it six wins from six against Georgia.
The makeshift side, as expected, encountered difficulties against the renowned Georgian scrum but did more than enough to manage the game and prevent a loss to Richard Cockerill’s side before they head to Lisbon to take on Portugal next Saturday.
Georgia, with 14 of their matchday 23 currently with French clubs, including nine starters, knew this was a glorious opportunity to make a mark against a tier one country in Tbilisi, a match they switched to Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, the football ground with a capacity of over 27,000 but it was not full.
Their hopes of taking out a Six Nations country for only the third time, three years on from defeating Italy, were certainly boosted by the heavy rain which fell in the Georgian capital throughout the night for a game that kicked off at 9pm local time.
Interim head coach O’Connell knew the value of a strong start to curb the Georgian enthusiasm and his side certainly delivered, racing into a 14-0 lead after just eight minutes.
As debuts go Tommy O’Brien could scarcely have hoped for a better start, crossing for his first try after just 95 second and then getting in for another six minutes later.
A chip from Sam Prendergast was deflected into his flight path as he chased through to score beside the posts and he was involved in the move which led to his second, again chasing a Prendergast chip, catching and sending a grubber in one movement with Georgian scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze forced to concede a five-metre scrum after the ball unkindly hit the bottom of the left post and came back to him as he chased back.
Ireland held firm in that initial scrum with Craig Casey feeding Prendergast and his long, looping pass out wide was taken by O’Brien to score in the right corner. Prendergast landed a superb conversion to make it 14-0.
Those scores really deflated Georgia’s big night but they built through the phases, the difficult handling conditions leading to plenty of scrums for them to work their way into the game and it took a good retreating tackle from Jamie Osborne to deny winger Aka Tabutsadze after Jacob Stockdale missed a tackle on La Rochelle bound full-back Davit Niniashvili.
Italian TMO Matteo Liperini did his utmost to convince his compatriot referee Andrea Piardi to award the try despite the winger clearly losing possession but the referee — no stranger to Munster fans following that incident in the Bulls game in the URC last season — overruled his assistant and rightly disallowed the try.
Georgia got an edge in the scrums but didn’t make the most of it, not least hooker Vano Karkadze whose over-exuberance in celebrating a scrum penalty let to a melee and a reversal of the decision. Ireland failed to make the break count, with hooker Gus McCarthy pinged for a crooked throw in the left corner.
Prendergast kept Georgia turning with some neat kicking from the hand, but it wasn’t flawless either from him and they struggled to build phases.
Niniashvili did well to deny Prendergast in the corner after Tommy O’Brien turned provider, while Stockdale’s night ended four minutes from the break when he went off with what seemed a shoulder injury, with Calvin Nash coming on for his eleventh cap.
Georgia struck a telling blow before the break. They were rewarded for not putting the ball out inside their own 22 when they won a penalty after another slow Irish move broke down and a series of penalties down field ended with a fine try off a lineout in the left corner when No.8 Tornike Jalagonia, who plays for Provence in the French ProD2, powered over to leave it 14-5 at the break.
Ireland made a great start to the second half. Gavin Coombes collected a clearance, sent Calvin Nash away down the left before Ryan Baird took it on and he held off the challenge of centre Demur Tapladze long enough for Craig Casey to get on his shoulder and the scrum-half crowned his first match as captain with a try.
Prendergast converted and then landed a penalty from 35 metres after debutant lock Darragh Murray had stolen a Georgian lineout to push the lead out to 24-5.
Coombes, winning his third cap four years after his last one, came more into the game and did well to deny Georgian hooker Karkadze in the left corner after the Georgians had gone to touch with a penalty.
Both sides starting emptying their benches with Michael Milne becoming the third Irish debutant on the night when he came on for Boyle, while on the other side of the scrum Connacht’s Jack Aungier made his bow after 69 minutes when he replaced Clarkson, by which time Waterford native Tom Ahern came on for his first international cap when he replaced Cormac Izuchukwu.
Max Deegan, a pre-match replacement for Cian Prendergast who was ruled out with a bug, came on for his first cap in four years when he replaced Coombes 15 minutes from time.
Nick Timoney, in the international wilderness since 2022, made it four tries in four appearances when he did well to get through winger Tabutsadze and out-half Matkava after a crosskick from Prendergast set him up in the left corner.
Prendergast converted from the last touchline to make it six from six before making way for Jack Crowley, while scrum-half Ben Murphy became the sixth debutant and third from Connacht on the night when he replaced Casey.
O’Brien came close to completing his hat-trick seven minutes from time but Nash was not able to link with him as they opened the home defence.
Ireland finished with 14 men when centre Stuart McCloskey was binned for not retreating ten metres at a penalty but Ireland defended a late Georgia surge despite being down a man.
Georgia: Tries: T Jalagonia.
Tries: T O’Brien (2), C Casey, N Timoney. Cons: S Prendergast (4). Pens: Prendergast (2).
D Niniashvili, A Tabutsadze, D Tapladze (T Kakhoidze 61), G Kveseladze, S Todua, L Matkava, V Lobzhanidze; G Akhaladze (G Tetrashvili 55), V Karkadze (I Kvatadze 55), I Aptsiauri (B Gigashvili 55); M Babunashvili, L Chachanidze, L Ivanishvili (Guram Ganiashvili 75), B Saghinadze, T Jalagonia (I Spanderashvili 55).
J O'Brien; T O'Brien, J Osborne, S McCloskey, J Stockdale (C Nash 36); S Prendergast (J Crowley 70), C Casey (capt) (B Murphy 70); J Boyle (M Milne 59), G McCarthy (T Stewart 59), T Clarkson (J Aungier 69); C Izuchukwu (T Ahern 63), D Murray; R Baird, N Timoney, G Coombes (M Deegan 65).
Andrea Piardi (Italy)Â
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