“Some kind of power helped us from above during the whole match and we won the match with its help. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to beat such team” – stated Mamuka Gorgodze, captain of “The Lelos”, after the match.
The Georgian national rugby union team and its each member showed us how not only sportsmen but each of us should love Georgia, how we should fight for the fame of our country and make the nation happy. These boys have never disgraced fans and never left the field without fight. Now this devotion paid off and the Georgian team defeated the first level team for the first time in the history of Georgian rugby.
It was not just a victory – it was a deserved victory over the team which plays the highest level teams regularly, defeated Wales and Italy four-four times, Argentina three times, Australia, France, Ireland and Scotland once. It is worth mentioning that Samoa beat Australia in 2011, Wales last year, Italy and Wales in June. The Samoan team arrived in Tbilisi with loss but the Georgians also lacked 6-7 rugby players.
15 000 spectators who gathered on the tribunes watched a devoted play from the Georgian rugby layers. It was not just a play. The rugby players of Milton Haig fought like going through the final of World Cup depended on this match. Their devotion paid off. “The Lelos” congratulated the whole Georgia on St George’s Day by this historic victory. “The Lelos” proved once again that they deserve more appreciation from the government, fans and when the tribunes are crowded even the world’s leading teams cannot stop them.
Before the start of the match few believed that the Georgians could create miracle but it is pleasant that a lot of spectators gathered on the tribunes. Of course, it is good and after the match Mamuka Gorgodze and Giorgi Nizharadze, president of Rugby Union, mentioned the merit of the spectators. However, before the start of the match the spectators booed traditional “Sivi Tau” of the Samoans. It is unacceptable in rugby and it will be good if it does not happen in the future.
Then, a great battle started and a 80-minute hard way to the historic victory of the Georgian rugby. The first minutes showed that the rugby players were on a fighting mood but it was tough to stop the Samoans.
The first danger showed up soon when Samoa played penalty and there was a danger of try but Gorgodze tackled the Samoan so well that he did not let him make assist. However, referee awarded the Samoans with penalty but Tusi Pisi missed it from 40 meters. The Georgian team attacked from 40 meters and Merab Kvirikashvili won a right to take a penalty and scored it from 30 meters – 3:0.
The Georgian team had advantage in scrum. Good defense and devoted play paid off and the opponent could not overcome the center but later, they started playing with foot. Jack Lam broke the line and it finished with a try of Alapati Leiua. The Samoans could not use conversion but in three minutes Gorgodze tackled the Samoan in the throat and when the Georgian understood his fault he raised his hands up.
The Samoans wanted to start fighting but the captain knew his responsibility and was not provoked. However, the referee showed yellow card to Gorgodze. It is tough to play such team without the fifteenth player but the boys managed to gain point. Before that, the guests attacked us from their half but Merab Sharikadze tackled the Samoan at the central line. Shalva Mamukashvili caught the ball and ran. Nobody was in front of him and he was stopped at the penalty line. While we had advantage, Giorgi Begadze could have continued offence on the right but he did other way. Kvirikashvili scored penalty and at the 18th minute “The Lelos” advanced – 6:5.
When we kicked the ball with foot Samoa attacked us.
Samoa scored try at the 26th minute. Jack Lam was the author of this try. Pisi used conversion. At the 30th minute the opponent had another chance to score try but Leiua was stopped in 5 meters from the try line. At the end of the half, Kvirikashvili had a chance to minimize the score but he missed from 47 meters – 6:12.
In short, in the first half we had advantage in scrum, we won line-out of the opponent four times but the Samoans used two chances from three mistakes in defense. Our team was more mobilized in the second half.
The beginning of the second half was ideal. “The Lelos” had advantage in scrum. Giorgi Chkhaidze attacked but he was stopped in 12-13 meters from the try line. We moved forward with some short shots. Begadze assisted Lasha Khmaladze who assisted Merab Sharikadze and he created another miracle – he passed two tacklers, three Samoans and scored try. Kvirikashvili used conversion and the Georgian team restored moral advantage – 13:12.
Soon Kvirikashvili attacked but he was stopped without ball and Samoa received foul. Kvirikashvili missed the penalty from 40 meters. Besides that, “The Lelos” played a perfect defense. Samoa committed foul several times. Kvirikashvili threw the ball out and the referee sin-binned Teofilo Paulo.
The Georgian team controlled the ball and attacked with short shots but we lacked two meters till the try. “The Lelos” attacked and if the offence had gone on long wing, we would have had numeral advantage there but it did not happen. Then, the Samoans started offence. They could not cross the central line and after five minutes when everybody thought the play was stopped the referee showed to go on playing. Samoa used it and Kvirikashvili saved us from the try. However, Pisi scored penalty.
The Georgian team played on victory and had some chances to score try. But the Samoan defense played well.
Soon the Georgians were awarded with penalty and Kvirikashvili scored it – 16:15. The referee showed four minutes were left and it started – we should not commit foul, the referee did not notice that the Samoans dropped the ball forward. “The Lelos” fought till the last drop of the blood. The Georgians did not give a chance to the opponent and deservedly gained victory.
The Georgians made line-out for the Samoans and let them make their “Sivi Tau” again. After that “The Lelos” took photos and Gorgodze was named as the best rugby player of the match. The Georgian team gained the most important victory over the strongest team and next year “The Lelos” will participate in the qualifying round of World Cup.
Press conference
Stephen Betham (head coach of the Samoan team): “I congratulate Georgia on deserved and brilliant victory. We had some advantages but it did not last 80 minutes and that is why we lost. We expected exactly such opponent. Georgia had advantage in scrum, line-out. It is tough to say something from one match but in my opinion, the second level teams, including Georgia, must often have a chance to play the first level teams”.
Kahn Fotuali’i (captain of the Samoan team): “I was very pleased with the atmosphere on the tribunes. The same happens in our country and the fans did a great job today. But we cannot blame the tribunes for our failure because we have played in front of 60 000 spectators as well. A better team won today”.
Milton Haig (head coach of the Georgian team): “We won a very important match. The Georgians beat the world’s leading team for the first time. This victory is the most important for the rugby players, fans and Rugby Union. Now we can say that our work paid off. We are ready and it will be good if we often face such teams. The match against Argentina taught us something and we used it today. Our tackles did not work in the first half but it did in the second one. We won the match in the second half”.
Mamuka Gorgodze (captain of the Georgian team): “Fans support is important is each sport but it has a special influence on the rugby players. I want to thank everybody who came to the tribune. I want to thank each of them – we won this match all together”.
Giorgi Nizharadze (president of Georgian Rugby Union): “I agree with Mamuka. Supporting was great and I thank everybody who supported us. You cannot imagine how the tribunes help the boys. Of course, the grace of St George helped us and thanks God, we gained a historic victory. The fact that the Georgian team deserved playing such teams means a lot. I understand the fans want us to win all ten matches over the USA and Canada but it does not happen. Today we defeated world’s eighth team but tomorrow we can lose to the second level team. It is normal process and we will develop step by step. You cannot get in Top 10 in five minutes and if in football Luxembourg can draw with Brazil, it cannot happen in rugby. It was a miracle today and the Georgian team made sensation. I have not seen such creative play from our team. We gained a great respect with this victory and now we must work harder to keep this respect”.
23 November. 16:30
Tbilisi. “Mikheil Meskhi”. 15 000 spectators
Georgia – Samoa 16:15 (6:12)
Georgia: 15. Merab Kvirikashvili, 14. Tamaz Mchedlidze (22. Tedo Zibzibadze 45), 13. Davit Kacharava, 12. Merab Sharikadze, 11. Giorgi Shkinini (23. Beka Tsiklauri 71), 10. Lasha Khmaladze, 9. Giorgi Begadze; 1. Mikheil Nariashvili (17. Zurab Zhvania 62), 2. Shalva Mamukashvili (16. Simon Maisuradze 62), 3. Levan Chilachava (18. Davit Kubriashvili 41), 4. Konstantine Mikautadze (19. Giorgi Nemsadze 52), 5. Levan Datunashvili, 6. Giorgi Tkhilaishvili (20. Shalva Sutiashvili 62), 7. Mamuka Gorgodze (cap.), 8. Giorgi Chkhaidze.
Substitute: 21. Vazha Khutsishvili.
1 try: Merab Sharikadze
1 conversion: Merab Kvirikashvili
3 penalties: Merab Kvirikashvili
1 sin-binned: Mamuka Gorgodze
Head coach: Milton Haig
Samoa: 15. Fa’atoina Autagavaia, 14. Alapati Leiua, 13. Isaia Tuifua, 12. Johnny Leota, 11. Brando Va’aulu, 10. Tusi Pisi, 9. Kahn Fotuali’i (cap.); 1. Sakaria Taulafo, 2. Ti’i Paulo, 3. James Johnston, 4. Piula Faasalele. 5. Teofilo Paulo, 6. Ofisa Treviranus, 7. Jack Lam, 8. Faifili Levave.
Substitutes: 16. Wayne Ole Avei, 17. Viliamu Afatia, 18. Anthony Perenise, 24. Joe Tekori, 20. Taiasina Tuifu’a, 21. Jeremy Su’a, 22. Sinoti Sinoti, 23. Ken Pisi.
Head coach: Stephen Betham
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Touch judges: Andrew Mcmenemy (Scotland), Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
Zura Ksovreli
