Italy v Georgia [17/11]

[Croket66]

ITALY
15 Matt GALLAGHER (Benetton Rugby, 1 cap)
14 Jacopo TRULLA (Zebre Parma, 10 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 39 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lyon 33 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon, 40 caps)
9 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
8 Ross VINTCENT (Exeter Chiefs, 7 caps)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 42 caps) – captain
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 56 caps)
5 Dino LAMB (Harlequins, 7 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps)
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 57 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Stade Francais, 26 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 45 caps)

Replacements
16 Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Toulon, 26 caps)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
18 Pietro CECCARELLI (Perpignan, 33 caps)
19 Riccardo FAVRETTO (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps)
20 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 25 caps)
21 Alessandro FUSCO (Zebre Parma, 17 caps)
22 Leonardo MARIN (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
23 Giulio BERTACCINI (Valorugby Emilia, new cap)

GEORGIA
15 Davit NINIASHVILI (Lyon, 33 caps)
14 Akaki TABUTSADZE (Black Lion, 44 caps)
13 Giorgi KVESELADZE (Grenoble, 61 caps)
12 Tornike KAKHOIDZE (Black Lion, 7 caps)
11 Sandro TODUA (Black Lion, 115 caps)
10 Luka MATKAVA (Black Lion, 23 caps)
9 Vasil LOBZHANIDZE (Oyonnax, 88 caps) - captain
8 Tornike JALAGONIA (Provence Rugby, 36 caps)
7 Giorgi TSUTSKIRIDZE (Black Lion, 39 caps)
6 Ilia SPANDERASHVILI (Valence-Romans, 9 caps)
5 Giorgi JAVAKHIA (Grenoble, 15 caps)
4 Mikheil BABUNASHVILI (Black Lion, 11 caps)
3 Irakli APTSIAURI (Lyon, 11 caps)
2 Vano KARKADZE (Montpellier, 16 caps)
1 Nika ABULADZE (Montpellier, 16 caps)

Replacements
16 Luka NIORADZE (Aurillac, 9 caps)
17 Giorgi AKHALADZE (Clermont, 8 caps)
18 Luka JAPARIDZE (Montpellier, 7 caps)
19 Lado Chachanidze (Black Lion, 19 caps)
20 Luka IVANISHVILI (Black Lion, 15 caps)
21 Gela APRASIDZE (Perpignan, 51 caps)
22 Tedo ABZHANDADZE (Aurillac, 55 caps)
23 Demur TAPLADZE (Black Lion, 40 caps)

 

[Crash Hamster]

Shall be watching, it'll have to be with the sound down as it's that idiotic commentator WHO. TALKS. LIKE. THIS. ALL. THE TIME.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Rugby finally breaking out. What a try.

Italy looking a shadow of their 6n team.

 

[Crash Hamster]

Seriously impressive backs play by Georgia. I can only imagine the ecstasies that bloody woman worked herself into. She described the Georgian team as 'muscular goldfish' before the game. I don't even have to make it up.

Anyway, is this a play-off game for who replaces Wales in the Five Nations?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Georgia need some regular t1 rugby. Expand the 6 nations.

 

[ntun82]

Wake up ragazzi

 

[ntun82]

If only Garbisi tackled as much as he acts like a top player, we all would be thankful

 

[ntun82]

Georgia need some regular t1 rugby. Expand the 6 nations.

Italia needs some T2

 

[Crash Hamster]

Two very impressive tries from Georgia, nice hands and support play. They'd definitely be worth a 7N/8N with Portugal spot.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Two very impressive tries from Georgia, nice hands and support play. They'd definitely be worth a 7N/8N with Portugal spot.

It'd be great if the quality balance was less lopsided between Mainland Europe v Ireland and Britain.

Two pools of Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland and France, Italy, Georgia and Portugal with rotating home games each year and semi finals for top spot and 5th place would be so natural and keep the triple crown alive.

I'd happily create the tournament with that format based on rankings in a rolling two year period with that format and bin the triple crown though. Georgia are playing a fantastic level of rugby consistently and it's based off scraps of exposure to the elite level of the game.

 

[ntun82]

It'd be great if the quality balance was less lopsided between Mainland Europe v Ireland and Britain.

Two pools of Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland and France, Italy, Georgia and Portugal with rotating home games each year and semi finals for top spot and 5th place would be so natural and keep the triple crown alive.

I'd happily create the tournament with that format based on rankings in a rolling two year period with that format and bin the triple crown though. Georgia are playing a fantastic level of rugby consistently and it's based off scraps of exposure to the elite level of the game.

Swap France with Wales and you get my OK

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Swap France with Wales and you get my OK

I mean it as all one tournament rather than two divisions. Based on current rankings it would look something like the following depending on the draw:

Pool 1 - Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Portugal
Pool 2 - France, England, Wales, Georgia

Top two of each pool into semi finals for the cup and bottom two into a shield competition.

It guarantees the top performers opportunities to rotate a bit more but also three top class internationals as well as growing the game.

Figuring out a way to guarantee two home games minimum a year for each team is the challenge.

 

[ntun82]

I mean it as all one tournament rather than two divisions. Based on current rankings it would look something like the following depending on the draw:

Pool 1 - Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Portugal
Pool 2 - France, England, Wales, Georgia

Top two of each pool into semi finals for the cup and bottom two into a shield competition.

It guarantees the top performers opportunities to rotate a bit more but also three top class internationals as well as growing the game.

Figuring out a way to guarantee two home games minimum a year for each team is the challenge.

I like it

 

[ntun82]

Finally some white hair on O'Keef's head
I thought I was the one getting old

 

[ntun82]

not rolling away deliberately, it is a yellow eh

Garbisi kicking two meters off the try line, Mamma mia

 

[ntun82]

get the card out of your pocket

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

That's a penalty try.

 

[ntun82]

Penalty try, come on

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Is there a call for a double yellow card? Team one and then the PT offence.

 

[ntun82]

they have the face to talk on this decision!
more Italian than Italians!