[November Tests 2016 EOYT] Georgia vs. Japan (12/11/2016)

[RugbyPUBtbilisi]

Venue: Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi
Time: 15:00 GET (UTC+4)​

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I fear we've been deprived a great contest here by the selection issues for Japan. Joseph has had to select 17 new caps for the EOYTs and we aren't even talking youth prospects. He has had to call up debutant forwards in their late 20s and early 30s. A disgrace - I don't know if the Top League are refusing to release players or what the story is.

Their scrum just about held together against Argentina (whose scrum is in my opinion far inferior to what it used to be as they have moved to more mobile forwards), but Georgia will be on another level to Argentina. Despite the inexperience of their squad Japan played some cracking stuff against Argentina in the first 20 and last 20mins. Joseph is also an absolute top rate coach and so if anyone can coach to cover Japan's weaknesses against Georgia it is him and each year the ability of a team to dominate through the scrum seems to reduce a little more.

Tanaka (SH), Tamura (FH) and Yamada (wing) would waltz into the Scottish or Italian sides and I consider the last two to be genuine world class (I prefer Shigeno at scrum half, but he isn't selected). Lemeki on the other wing impressed on his debut against Argentina and the other backs are all pretty handy. The fact that they finished strongly against Argentina shows that their fitness is decent (although it could just have been the humidity hurting Argentina). I'd have made Japan favourites if they had their full strength team available.

We all know about Georgia up front, but are there any backs of theirs we should be looking out for?

 

[RugbyPUBtbilisi]

We all know about Georgia up front, but are there any backs of theirs we should be looking out for?

Wing: Tamaz Mtchedlidze - Excellent attack, Excellent Defense, VERY powerful, (195cm, 108kg) - 23 years old (Agen, FRA)


Alexander Todua - Experienced, Fast, Powerful winger, Main N11 for Lelos - good performance in 2011 and 2015 world cups. (Lelo Saracens, GEO)

Anzor Sitchinava - recent call up, Debut for Lelos, 21 years old. Milton Haig likes him a lot. Talented player. (Academy, GEO)

Centre:

Merab Sharikadze - Excellent Defense, Excellent Attack, Excellent tackling skills, 23 years old, he can stay on feet no matter what(Aurilliac, FRA)


Davit Kacharava - Experienced Centre (30 years old), Defensive wall. He putted both tries vs Tonga in 2016 summer tests. Very reliable. Pretty good in Attack.

Giorgi Koshadze - Debut (20 years), he performed very well in 2016 U20 Championship. He had few brilliant moments smashing Italians and French on high speed.

That is a stereotype that Lelos have bad backs. These youngster are very talented. But they have no way to raise on world class level in Georgian championship. Unless they go to France like Mchedlidze and Sharikadze did.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Thanks a lot, I'll keep a look out for these guys. Good to see a couple getting experience in France and a couple of younger guys. Sorry for asking the boring and predictable question about backs.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Apparently this is the link to the official live streaming. Doesn't seem to be geolocked.

http://1tv.ge/ge/live.html

 

[FNS]

Georgia has advantaje but Japan can nail this. Georgia will probably tackle more than the Pumas but will be less attacking also.

 

[RugbyPUBtbilisi]

Georgia has advantaje but Japan can nail this. Georgia will probably tackle more than the Pumas but will be less attacking also.

That is pretty wrong... Lelos are playing in Tbilisi, 70% of tickets already sold, 8k left for sale. Full stadium. I believe 95%+ will be Georgians. They will not forgive Lelos to become defensive side against ANY T2 team in Tbilisi.

Most probably Lelos will start pushing the points from the start. And there will be HUGE advantage in set pieces... Here people think Japan will leave try less. Georgia has pretty solid aggressive defense. But that defense is only used to get the ball...

15+ points for Georgia. Thats my prediction. Geo 25-35 vs 6-12 Jap... Lets see what will happen but the points will be like this from my point of view...

 

[Croket66]

Wing: Tamaz Mtchedlidze - Excellent attack, Excellent Defense, VERY powerful, (195cm, 108kg) - 23 years old (Agen, FRA)


Alexander Todua - Experienced, Fast, Powerful winger, Main N11 for Lelos - good performance in 2011 and 2015 world cups. (Lelo Saracens, GEO)

Anzor Sitchinava - recent call up, Debut for Lelos, 21 years old. Milton Haig likes him a lot. Talented player. (Academy, GEO)

Centre:

Merab Sharikadze - Excellent Defense, Excellent Attack, Excellent tackling skills, 23 years old, he can stay on feet no matter what(Aurilliac, FRA)

Davit Kacharava - Experienced Centre (30 years old), Defensive wall. He putted both tries vs Tonga in 2016 summer tests. Very reliable. Pretty good in Attack.

Giorgi Koshadze - Debut (20 years), he performed very well in 2016 U20 Championship. He had few brilliant moments smashing Italians and French on high speed.

That is a stereotype that Lelos have bad backs. These youngster are very talented. But they have no way to raise on world class level in Georgian championship. Unless they go to France like Mchedlidze and Sharikadze did.

I can't put Koshadze, Todua and Sichinava as players to watch TBH. I seen Koshadze last U20 WC and Sichinava the previous year, they did well but not so impressive and it was U20 level. To me Todua is a really bad defender, and not so powerfull but he got some skills. He played 2 seasons in ProD2 between 2011 and 2013 but he finally don't made the break at professional level.

The one who impress me is Tamaz Mchedlidze. As you said he is very powerfull, good defender, not excellent in attack but he use his power to break the line. Last season he scored 6 tries in Top14 for Agen. The club was relagated but he already scored 4 tries in 8 games (7 starts). I prefer him at inside center, as Agen use him this season but Georgia already have 2 very good centres and wingers are very average. Mchedlidze is only 23 years old and plays in France since he is 18, played his first Challenge Cup game at 19 and his first Top14 game at 20.

Merab Sharikadze is a very skilled and an impressive defender. I remember when he made 22 tackles against Ireland in 2014 EOYT! He plays for the national team since he is 18 years old, already 44 caps (starting 43 games) at 23 years old only. He learnt his skills in England, playing for Hartpury College and Gloucester U19 before signing in France ProD2 at 20 years old.

I also rate high centre Davit Kacharava. He plays for the russian side Enisei-STM and was named player of the year and top try scorer for the team. He started all 6 Challenge Cup games for Enisei last season, playing each time 80 mins and scoring twice against Newcastle Falcons. This season he played the first two games of the Challenge Cup (also 80 mins each) and scored a try against Worcester. But he is not knwon for his attacking skills, more for his very good defense, it's very rare to see him missing a tackle (I remember his tackle on Conrad Smith last RWC)


But I think you forgot to mention scrumhalf Vasil Lobzhanidze aka the younger player ever to play RWC. Already 15 caps at 19 years old he is the only back to play in Top14 he is probably the most promising player of the squad

 

[FNS]

That is pretty wrong... Lelos are playing in Tbilisi, 70% of tickets already sold, 8k left for sale. Full stadium. I believe 95%+ will be Georgians. They will not forgive Lelos to become defensive side against ANY T2 team in Tbilisi.

Most probably Lelos will start pushing the points from the start. And there will be HUGE advantage in set pieces... Here people think Japan will leave try less. Georgia has pretty solid aggressive defense. But that defense is only used to get the ball...

15+ points for Georgia. Thats my prediction. Geo 25-35 vs 6-12 Jap... Lets see what will happen but the points will be like this from my point of view...

No no im not saying lelos will not attack what i mean is that their attack is not fast paced as pumas. So japan will be better prepared to defend that but japan will have trouble attacking a strong Lelos defense.

 

[RugbyPUBtbilisi]

Georgian Squad for Japan:

1 - Mikheil Nariashvili (Montpellier, FRA)
2 - Jaba Bregvadze (Worchester, ENG)
3 - Levan Chilachava (Toulon, FRA)
4 - Konstantin Mikautadze (Montpellier, FRA)
5 - Giorgi Nemsadze (Bristol, ENG)
6 - Mamuka Gorgodze (Toulon, FRA)
7 - Viktor Kolelishvili (Clermont, FRA)
8 - Beka Bitsadze (Chamberien, FRA)

9 - Vasil Lobzhanidze (Brive, FRA)
10 - Lasha Khmaladze (Lelo Saracens, GEO)
11 - Giorgi Aptsiauri (Lokomotivi, GEO)
12 - Merab Sharikadze (Aurilliac, FRA)
13 - David Kacharava (Enisei, RUS)
14 - Tamaz Mchedlidze (Agen, FRA)
15 - Merab Kvirikashvili (Lelo Saracens, GEO)

16 - Badri Alkhazashvili (Toulon, FRA)
17 - Vasil Kakovin (Toulouse, FRA)
18 - David Kubriashvili (Montpellier, FRA)
19 - Lasha Lomidze (Beziers, FRA)
20 - Giorgi Tkhilaishvili (Batumi, GEO)

21 - Giorgi Begadze (Qochebi, GEO)
22 - Lasha Malaguradze (Krasny Yar, RUS)
23 - Anzor Sichinava (Academy, GEO)

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Ignore my previous link. It's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjvSIQPC6KY

15 mins gone, Japan up early. Good atmosphere.

 

[Gavin]

This is a great game

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Yup. A stonker now and you couldn't have more clashing styles. Japan look fitter, so maybe conditioning in the Top League is decent. This is must win for Georgia if they want to get into the top 10 this year.

 

[Manu_ARG_JPN]

Nice match !!Nippon nippon!!