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Wales v Georgia

So I just casually switched to the Italy game after Georgia went 12-3 down. Maybe there was a chance of seeing history if Italy defeated the reigning world champs. Went back and watched this 'as live'. Fair to say I got a wee bit excited.

First they beat the best Italian side I've probably ever seen then back it up with a win in Cardiff whilst playing some decent stuff from minds 40-70. Just awesome. 12 of the 23 play for the Georgian pro side who have to tour the lower league in the Currie Cup and probably now the Americas in order to get any sort of a game. And I've yet to hear a Georgian fan who thinks their coach is decent (I've always defended him)!

As ever, hopefully this creates pressure for some kind of change. This group of players and their native Georgian coach could give many teams a decent encounter in Tbilisi.
 
Wow I did not expected this one.
A result of many years of hard work for the Georgian union.
I was afraid when I saw the replacement props with Abuladze, 2 caps, playing in Georgia and Kuntelia, 20 years old, 1 cap and 22 minutes of experience in Top14 while a dozen of props are regular in Top14. But the were 2 hell of monster scrummager!

2022 is a the best year ever for Georgian rugby, 2 wins over Tier1 teams at senior level, biggest win ever v Scotland at U20 level (55-17) and their new franchise Black Lions crowned Rugby Europe Super Cup champions
 
Oh how gutted am I that in my illness of the last few days I forgot to bet on Georgia. For weeks I had targeted this game as one to bet on (suspecting that the odds would be undervaluing Georgia), just was going to wait til the teams were named, check the odds and make an appropriate sized bet.
 
Hungover AND Pivac hasn't been sacked yet. Not a good start to the day. I don't get the point in giving him the Australia game. He should step down really to be honest. If the WRU are seriously considering going into the 6N with Pivac I might go on a rampage.
 
I'm waiting for him to come out and say the players are fat and weak. Can't say his brilliant "we get better the longer we stay in camp" bollix. Ignoring the fact that we were together for 10 weeks when we lost to Italy at home for the first time in our history and now a first loss to Georgia in our history to cap it off. Clown. If he had any self respect he'd walk.
 
Welsh Exile said:
I'm waiting for him to come out and say the players are fat and weak. Can't say his brilliant "we get better the longer we stay in camp" bollix. Ignoring the fact that we were together for 10 weeks when we lost to Italy at home for the first time in our history and now a first loss to Georgia in our history to cap it off. Clown. If he had any self respect he'd walk.
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Whats going on in the regions atm? Are older past it players(like AWJ) keeping their place at club level and stunting development of younger players? Also welsh players like Rowlands, for example, going well in the prem and having to move to wales where they take the place of a younger player and stunt development? Seems the system is broken.

Experience stays, imports from the prem come in and bottle neck with the young welsh players for a small number of spots in 3 teams limiting options.


Pivac is obviously failing badly as your worse than the sum of your parts but welsh club rugby needs to change.
 
Rowlands isn't Welsh. He just plays for Wales. Agree with your point though - Gatland's Law doesn't really make sense when the Welsh regions are struggling.

Rowlands probably isn't the best example considering he'd have lost his job had he stayed at Wasps, but still … moving to a poor Dragons side definitely hasn't made him a better player.

As of right now, I'm not sure Wales would be at any disadvantage if their players were getting regular game time in the Premiership or Top 14.
 
Scotty said:
Whats going on in the regions atm? Are older past it players(like AWJ) keeping their place at club level and stunting development of younger players? Also welsh players like Rowlands, for example, going well in the prem and having to move to wales where they take the place of a younger player and stunt development? Seems the system is broken.

Experience stays, imports from the prem come in and bottle neck with the young welsh players for a small number of spots in 3 teams limiting options.


Pivac is obviously failing badly as your worse than the sum of your parts but welsh club rugby needs to change.
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The regions are **** but they were generally **** throughout Gatlands tenure.

I don't think there's many players development being stunted due to old past it players keeping their place. There's obviously the issue that with only 4 regions and a non existent pathway from premiership/youth level to region then you can have players slip through the net but we've seen with the likes of Costelow, Reffell, LRZ and others that they'd have gone to England and done well.

There's a lot wrong with Welsh rugby that the WRU need to answer for but as you say, at the end of the day, Pivac has turned us into a laughing stock and a genuine tier 2 nation and when you consider in Gatlands last year he won us a GS, we're ranked number 1 in the world and got to a semi final of a WC the demise is quite staggering. He's not an elite coach, not even close. Needs to go back to NPC level.
 
BPM said:
Rowlands isn't Welsh. He just plays for Wales. Agree with your point though - Gatland's Law doesn't really make sense when the Welsh regions are struggling.

Rowlands probably isn't the best example considering he'd have lost his job had he stayed at Wasps, but still … moving to a poor Dragons side definitely hasn't made him a better player.

As of right now, I'm not sure Wales would be at any disadvantage if their players were getting regular game time in the Premiership or Top 14.
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His dads Welsh isn't he? Or does that count for nothing?
 
Haha. Just a wee bit of bait … ;)

Do you think Wales should scrap Gatland's Law?
 
BPM said:
Haha. Just a wee bit of bait … ;)

Do you think Wales should scrap Gatland's Law?
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Yeah, at this point I would to be honest. As you say, what's the point if they're still a load of ****. I'd treat the English premiership like our nursery. Tell LRZ, Tshiunza and Daf Jenkins to stay in Elgnald, send Reffell and Costelow back and flood a load of other youngsters as well. Sure we'd have the negatives of not being able to control players game volume as much and we'd have them for shorter periods in terms of training for international games but a hit worth taking in my view.
 
Bada-Bing! said:
www.bbc.co.uk

World Rugby 'cannot ignore' this result - Georgia

Georgia believe victories over Italy and now Wales in Cardiff should pave the way for entry to the Six Nations.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
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It'll take a lot more than this sadly. The Pumas had to get to a RWC semifinal twice before the door cracked open. The EPCR member unions permit the Cheetahs to play in the Challenge Cup with home games in Italy but intentionally fail to offer that option to Georgia when English sides sadly drop out. Instead curtailing the tournament as a means to exclude any Georgian presence.

The 6N unions are aggressively protectionist and have zero interest in 'growing the game'. I desperately hope Georgia can somehow eliminate Waoes or Australia from the pool stage at the RWC to shed a further light on the conduct of the Tier1 unions (excluding Argentina and maybe SA).
 
Bruce_ma gooshvili said:
It'll take a lot more than this sadly. The Pumas had to get to a RWC semifinal twice before the door cracked open. The EPCR member unions permit the Cheetahs to play in the Challenge Cup with home games in Italy but intentionally fail to offer that option to Georgia when English sides sadly drop out. Instead curtailing the tournament as a means to exclude any Georgian presence.

The 6N unions are aggressively protectionist and have zero interest in 'growing the game'. I desperately hope Georgia can somehow eliminate Waoes or Australia from the pool stage at the RWC to shed a further light on the conduct of the Tier1 unions (excluding Argentina and maybe SA).
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Well if Pivac is still in charge I doubt we'll beat Portugal.
 
Saw someone else mention it, probably on here, but what they should do to Gatland's law is add in an academy clause.
If you come through the academy of a club you can stay there and still play for Wales

It'll still prevent the "brain drain" that the WRU fear (i.e. all their starters moving abroad and being unavailable for additional training camps/out of windows tests) but also means young lads don't have to make the difficult decision to leave their club/move away from friends/family etc. to join a region
 
The thing I don't get is, what is the rationale behind keeping him? The money argument doesn't stack up because he's costing us money with how **** we are and the impending 5th/6th place 6N finish.

It can't be that he's going to turn it around, even if we beat Australia next week are we suddenly going to be on the right track? When there's a coach like Robertson available it makes even less sense. Now, maybe we've called Robertson and he's already turned us down but that is no reason to persevere with a coach that clearly isn't going to take this team forward.

I wanted Georgia to win in the hope he'd go but it looks like he's going to be our coach going into the WC but I hope an absolute trouncing by Australia will make the feather penny finally drop for the WRU.

Apologies for the ranting.
 
Welsh Exile said:
The thing I don't get is, what is the rationale behind keeping him? The money argument doesn't stack up because he's costing us money with how **** we are and the impending 5th/6th place 6N finish.

It can't be that he's going to turn it around, even if we beat Australia next week are we suddenly going to be on the right track? When there's a coach like Robertson available it makes even less sense. Now, maybe we've called Robertson and he's already turned us down but that is no reason to persevere with a coach that clearly isn't going to take this team forward.

I wanted Georgia to win in the hope he'd go but it looks like he's going to be our coach going into the WC but I hope an absolute trouncing by Australia will make the feather penny finally drop for the WRU.

Apologies for the ranting.
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Tbh I reckon he'll be gone before Christmas. Playing wise I'd agree that there's no benefit in keeping him for the Australia game, but the WRU are cynical enough to use the timing of employing a new coach to boost 6N ticket sales.

Unfortunately I can't see Santa bringing you Scott Robertson, but I can see Gatland agreeing to take you to RWC.
 
HamJan said:
Tbh I reckon he'll be gone before Christmas. Playing wise I'd agree that there's no benefit in keeping him for the Australia game, but the WRU are cynical enough to use the timing of employing a new coach to boost 6N ticket sales.

Unfortunately I can't see Santa bringing you Scott Robertson, but I can see Gatland agreeing to take you to RWC.
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People always seem to laugh off the possibility of Robertson going to Wales. I don't see why to be honest. Don't get me wrong, we can't compete with England but there's no guarantee he gets the job and a 5 year contract in the here and now would definitely be tempting for him I reckon.

But yeah, if we wait until after the WC when he's got other offers like England then we have no chance but I doubt the RFU have concretely offered him anything at the moment so there's a chance. In his mind, he turns us down then doesn't get the England job in the summer what other jobs will be available. Maybe Scotland or Australia but no guarantee.
 

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