GEORGIA CAN MAKE THEIR CASE WITH STAND-ALONE ITALY GAME

GEORGIA will be given the chance to make a Six Nations statement next year in a showcase Test against Italy.

The fixture was approved at a World Rugby meeting in Los Angeles and will take place during the 2018 autumn internationals.

Six Nations CEO John Feehan has consistently rejected calls for Georgia to be invited into the tournament, despite attracting crowds of 60,000 in Tbilisi and being ranked above Italy.

Georgian officials even had proposals for an inconsequential ‘show match’ between the Six Nations losers and Rugby Championship winners turned down earlier this year.

Feehan said at the time: ‘We’ve got to look at it from the integrity of our competition and what’s good for us and not necessarily what’s good for Georgia.

‘A game like that could involve all sorts of speculation that wouldn’t necessarily be helpful.’

But now World Rugby have granted the fixture, Georgia’s case should gain momentum.