Georgia head coach Milton Haig hailed Georgia’s Pool C victory over Tonga at Kingsholm yesterday as “historic” and is confident there is more to come from the Lelos during the tournament.

Georgia braved a late Tonga fightback to secure only their third Rugby World Cup victory – but their first in an opening RWC match – in which the Islanders saw two tries disallowed and Georgia made 213 tackles against 48 by their opponents.

Scores from their captain, Mamuka Gorgodze, and flanker Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, either side of half-time, were enough to seal victory but Georgia had to see out the final eight minutes with 14 men after their full-back, Merab Kvirikashvili, was sin-binned following a late try from Tonga wing Fetu’u Vainikolo.

“This has been four years of planning and it’s been four years of work,” Haig said. Fiercely contested

The scrum, as expected, was fiercely contested and it was Tonga who were first to show their strength at the set piece. The Georgia pack collapsed within kicking range for flyhalf Kurt Morath, who notched the first three points in the 10th minute.

Kvirikashvili missed his first strike at the posts moments later as Georgia steadied their scrum, but he fared better in the 20th, converting a penalty earned by the mighty Lelos driving-maul.

Tonga looked sharp with the phases, wings Vainikolo and Telusa Veainu both showing flair on the counter-attack, but the Europeans were winning the battle up front and were rewarded for their patience in the 28th minute as mammoth man of the match Gorgodze scored with an outstretched arm at the base of the posts to complete a powerful surge from the Lelos pack.

Training ground move

As the half came to a close, the Ikale Tahi looked to have pulled themselves back in touch with a clever lineout move straight off the training pitch. Five metres out, Tonga captain Nili Latu guided a disguised, but slightly forward, pass to the charging number eight, Viliami Ma’afu, who sliced through, only to see the try disallowed.

Tonga struggled to escape their own half throughout the second period and were duly punished. Morath hit an up and under which was clasped safely by Kvirikashvili at fullback. He burst into life, cutting round Vainikolo to set Georgia on their way to a second try.

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