Georgia 5 Ireland 34
A quietly impressive Ireland victory, forged on the back of a strong work ethic, controlled aggression, clever game management and flashes of real quality that ultimately separated them from Georgia in Tbilisi on Saturday night.
For all their vim and vigour, the hosts couldn’t quite reach or sustain the same standards as Paul O’Connell’s side, a conspicuous difference reflected on the scoreboard, albeit a tad harshly.
Jacob Stockdale’s injury, the third time in succession he’s suffered that fate on Ireland duty, was the only blight on the night. The left wing had been superb in attack before suffering damage to the AC joint in his shoulder. He required pain relief and left the stadium with his arm in a sling.
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It was Ireland that brought the thunder and lightning that rolled through Tbilisi before and during the game to the pitch. The visitors didn’t seek refuge from the monsoon in being conservative by rote, instead they opted for a practical and sensible appreciation of how best to manage the conditions. It wasn’t perfect but it was very good at times.
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Ireland’s interim coach Paul O’Connell was delighted in the manner in which the team stepped up and stood up, with six debutants and with scrumhalf Craig Casey – he was excellent throughout in all capacities – captaining his country for the first time.
“That’s probably the most pleasing part of the performance for us is that our halfbacks and the leadership in the team were able to just flick a switch and change the plan and deliver a really accurate plan given the conditions. We were delighted with that,” said O’Connell.
“I loved the intent the players played with, I loved the hunger they played with, I loved how accurate they were in that as well.”
O’Connell drew attention to the manner in which problems were solved without fuss, pointing to forward coach Cullie Tucker’s work at half-time in sorting out a bind issue that saw the indefatigable Tom Clarkson periodically fall foul of referee Andrew Piardi in the opening 40 minutes, as was the equally industrious Jack Boyle.
The scrums were a mess with Ireland adjudged the transgressors for the most part by the Italian referee, but it was the Georgians that found themselves on the receiving end of the Italian’s whistle after the interval. Debutant props Michael Milne and Jack Aungier’s first involvement was to win a scrum penalty, a story for the grandkids.
Ireland’s two starting novices, Tommy O’Brien and Darragh Murray, made quite the impression, the Leinster wing grabbing a brace of tries in the first seven minutes while Murray ran the lineout. The Irish pack were superb collectively, Ryan Baird outstanding in arguably his best game in a green shirt, brilliant in nicking several throws, consistently eye-catching in attack and defence.
O’Connell said: “I thought he was excellent. He’s figured a lot of things out. It’s not easy, I suppose, sometimes when you’re a young player coming into an experienced group. But he’s getting better and better at his line-of-defence stuff. It’s a real point of difference for him.
“He’s very good at it himself, but he’s very good at owning it and leading it and delivering it to the other players as well. I think his physicality has come on massively as well. The accuracy of that physicality. The tackles are very clean. His back-end pressure on the tackle is very good.”
Sam Prendergast chipped in with six from six off the tee, including two stunning touchline conversions, and had a direct assist, either a kick or pass, in three of the four tries. Tackling remains a work-on.
Stuart McCloskey and Jamie Osborne provided a largely impenetrable barrier in the midfield, while the O’Briens, Tommy and Jimmy, were sharp in their work for the most part, although Jimmy might have to explain why he didn’t give his team-mate a routine pass to nail down the hat-trick of tries.
Calvin Nash impressed after replacing Stockdale not least in his break for Casey’s try. Gavin Coombes launched the counterattack, Nash made a break, Baird carried it on, and his flicked offload allowed his captain to scoot over.
The Irish team contained novice senior internationals as well as debutants, players who haven’t yet accumulated fistfuls of caps. Boyle – he had one great saving tackle – and Gus McCarthy brought a physical edge, so too Cormac Izuchukwu, Coombes and Nick Timoney, who were diligent and conscientious in their work, leading by example literally.
Georgia showed flashes of what they can accomplish if given a consistent opportunity to play Tier 1 nations and might have got a little closer had they not failed to ground the ball successfully over the Irish line. The work of Richard Cockerill and Conor McPhillips is obvious and progressive.
Ireland arrived in Portugal on Sunday ahead of next Saturday’s Test match. There are still seven uncapped players in the squad, although the merits of wholesale changes wasn’t something that had much of a post-game appeal for O’Connell. He kept his counsel.
A little over three weeks ago a disparate group of players and coaches gathered to prep to play a potentially tricky Test in Tbilisi. They came together on and off the pitch and the manner in which they stepped up and stood out is a positive reflection of the work of all concerned.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 1 min: T O’Brien try, Prendergast con 0-7; 7: T O’Brien try, Prendergast con 0-14; 40 (+3): Jalagonia try 5-14. Half-time: 5-14; 40: Casey try, Prendergast con 5-21; 44: Prendergast pen 5-24; 60: Prendergast pen 5-27; 67: Timoney try, Prendergast con 5-34.
GEORGIA: D Niniashvili; A Tabutsadze, D Tapladze, G Kveseladze, S Todua; L Matkava, V Lobzhanidze; G Akhaladze, V Karkadze, I Aptsiauri; M Babunashvili, L Chachanidze; L Ivanishvili, B Saghinadze (capt), T Jalagonia.
Replacements: I Kvatadze for Karkadze, G Tetrashvili for Akhaladze, B Gigashvili for Aptsiauri, I Spanderashvili for Jalagonia (all 53 mins); Tornike Kakhoidze for Tapladze (59); G Ganiashvili for Ivanashvili (74).
IRELAND: J O’Brien; T O’Brien; J Osborne, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; S Prendergast, C Casey (capt); J Boyle, G McCarthy, T Clarkson; C Izuchukwu, D Murray; R Baird, N Timoney, G Coombes.
Replacements: C Nash for Stockdale (36 mins); T Stewart for McCarthy, M Milne for Boyle (both 58); T Ahern for Izuchukwu (60); M Deegan for Coombes (63); J Aungier for Clarkson (66); B Murphy for Casey, J Crowley for Prendergast (both 69).
Yellow card: S McCloskey (75 mins).
Referee: A Piardi (Italy).
