Confident Georgia are looking to make a stir in Wales

Georgia say are hoping to “make a statement” to World Rugby and to the Six Nations today when they face Wales at the Principality Stadium, and captain Merab Sharikadze is adamant they can cause a huge upset.

The Lelos have won six of the past seven Rugby Europe Championships, are bankrolled by billionaire former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, and made history at the World Cup in 2015 when they won two games to finish third in their group and ensure automatic qualification for Japan 2019.

But despite a groundswell of

public support for their inclusion into the Six Nations – or at least the chance to compete through some sort of promotion and relegation playoff – they have found the doors of entry to what is effectively an exclusive members’ club firmly barred, with Six Nations chief executive John Feehan saying this year there was no likelihood of promotion-relegation happening in the “short to medium term”.

Feehan has yet even to accept an invitation to visit the country and experience Georgian rugby first hand. But Milton Haig, Georgia’s Kiwi head coach for the past six years, is ever optimistic.

“Yeah, we think it is, absolutely,” Haig replied yesterday when asked

whether he felt a visit from Feehan and the Six Nations heirarchy was long overdue. “We would like to invite him out there – I already have but have not had a reply yet. Hopefully, one day [after they visit] they will get on the plane two days later with very happy faces, that’s for sure.”

One other thing that is for sure: Wales will underestimate the Georgians at their peril. Eyebrows were raised when Warren Gatland made 14 changes to the team who lost narrowly against Australia last weekend; full-back Liam Williams is the only survivor as Gatland tries to save his stars for the All Blacks and South Africa in the next fortnight. Gatland will hand Ospreys

flanker Sam Cross – an Olympic silver medallist in rugby sevens – his first international start, along with prop Leon Brown, second row Adam Beard and centre Owen Watkin.

Wales are heavy favourites but Georgia are in good nick, having pummelled Canada 54-22 in Tblisi last weekend. Strong up front as ever – most of their forwards play at a high level in France – they are starting to throw it around a bit in the backs, too. Haig has named an unchanged team and you can sense they smell blood.

“We are in really good form,” said Sharikadze. “We will show that tomorrow. Nowadays, we don’t get too many opportunities to play