Georgia have Euro Cup on their mind
BRENDAN GALLAGHER previews the upcoming REC by talking to Georgia coach Milton Haig
AS the Rugby Europe Cup hoves into view – a competition Georgia failed to win last season for the first time since 2010 – the Lelos are shelving all talk about an expanded Six Nations and the pros and cons of promotion and relegation.
“We’ve made a conscious decision now to stop banging on about the Six Nations, it’s beyond our control anyway and we don’t want to bore people and try their patience,” says Georgia’s coach Milton Haig. “The case for expansion is clear enough and has also been made very eloquently by many people other than ourselves, which is gratifying, but we will leave it at that for the time being. We have plenty to be getting on with.
“We must concentrate totally on what is in our control, namely the two annual events which we are allowed access to – the Rugby Europe Cup and the Junior World Cup – and the four yearly World Cup in which qualification is totally in our own hands. Outside of that we will lobby and network like crazy for as many testing games as possible.”
Haig’s eminently sensible approach is clearly the way forward for now. Obsessing over the Six Nations could be counter-productive for Georgian rugby. Banging your head against a brick wall can seriously damage your health, mental and physical.
At some stage the tournament will expand, but as the existing Six Nations cabal are entirely self-serving and money driven that will happen only when Georgia can prove beyond question that they can bring financial as well as rugby value to the competition. They are some way short off that but if they can develop and start reaching the knock-out stages of World Cups – rather like Argentina – then not even the Six Nations dinosaurs will be able to keep them at bay. Market forces will demand their inclusion.
So, for the time being, Georgia must whole heartedly pursue other avenues. Their November fixture list is getting strong, they are proving ambitious and energetic summer tourists and the REC is becoming quite a feisty affair again with Romania very much on the up, Russia still difficult to beat and Spain nipping at the heels of the Eastern Europeans.
“Our game against Wales last November was incredibly valuable in our progression and the entire week in Cardiff was inspirational for our players,” continues Haig. “We thank Wales for that and the reception we received, and we are looking forward to playing Italy this November. I was
delighted the other day to see some warm words from Conor O’Shea about how Italy support Georgian rugby and the right of all teams to expand and think big.
“That’s the reality, there is no friction here. We support Italy as well in their attempts to take on the big boys every year against the odds. We need to stick together, we are fighting a common cause and it should be a cracking game.
“We are looking to test ourselves as much as possible and we are coming along. Our pack remains strong and we have depth up front and we now have two or three players out wide who can damage teams. We work all the time on core ball skills, but we still need more creativity and control at times. That will come if we can play the best teams.
“We are off down to the Pacific Islands again this summer – we were there in 2016 as well – and although it’s a lot of travelling the opportunity to train and play in very different and alien conditions is priceless.
“The REC is beginning to beef up. We had it all our own way for a long time but Romania are putting a good side together. They’ve always had the setpiece strength up front but some of the Islanders who have qualified for them are giving Romania some X-factor behind the scrum.
“We weren’t quite at full strength last season, we were blooding a few players, but Romania deserved to be champions no question and that stung a little. Let’s just say we want the title back.
“Russia are a stronger team than some people give credit although we always seem to save our best for them. We have a great rivalry. Their two sides from Krasnoyarsk have gone reasonably well in Europe this season – we enjoyed hosting them in Tbilisi the other week as a warm weather venue for their last round of games in Europe – and that experience of playing at a higher level will soon translate into their national team soon.
“Spain have some very useful players indeed with their French connection and are unpredictable. They might lack consistency but when they are good the Spanish are very dangerous and they will be looking for a big season with World Cup qualification up for grabs.
“Germany and Belgium can test you as well. I watched Germany against a strong USA team in the autumn and it was only the Eagles fitness in the second half that saw them pull away. All these teams need to be treated with respect.”
The other focus for Haig at the moment is building his U20 squad into a crack outfit after three encouraging years at the Junior World Cup where they have visibly improved and competed hard against some formidable opposition. Not only is Haig looking for a regular conveyor belt of talent, the competition is a massive shop window for Georgians looking to play professionally in France which continues to be the breadbasket of Georgian rugby.
Georgia are putting huge resources into the U20s. Last year they went on a tour of Argentina which combined an intensive camp with some high-quality games ahead of the Junior World Cup and this year they will be staging a camp in France before touring South Africa culminating with an U20 Test against the Boks.
Haig says: “We have built up a very good relationship with the South Africans and quality rugby time spent down there playing and training will be money in the bank for our young guys. Some of these players will be featuring at RWC2019 and a whole bundle of them will be in the squad for RWC2023 which is an exciting prospect.
“Many of the home based U20s will be in camp training with the senior squad over the coming weeks and my gut feeling is that we will be even stronger than last summer. We have an exceptionally strong U18 group coming through and a fair number of last year’s team are still available. We are hopeful although as ever the competition is incredible.”
For the next six weeks, though, it’s all about the Rugby Europe Cup. For any dreams to come true, Georgia must maintain their pre-eminence, it’s their launching pad and success in the tournament maintains rugby as the nation’s number one sport and keeps its profile high.
That ensures the existing government remains happy and supportive along with the team’s ever-generous benefactor Bidzina Ivanishvili, the multi-billionaire former Prime Minister and rugby fan who ensures Georgian sides never lack for the wherewithal to travel, train and play anywhere in the world as their rugby odyssey continues.