Georgia 17 Tonga 10
Former Irish scrumhalf Michael Bradley shared Joe Schmidt's experience on Saturday when Georgia beat Tonga 17-10 in their opening game of the Rugby World Cup at Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester.
The opening match of Pool C saw Georgia take a 10-3 lead into half-time with a try from their captain Mamuka Gorgodze and a penalty from veteran fullback Merab Kvirikashvili.
Handling errors plagued both teams in the second half, but flanker Giorgi Tkhilaishvili managed to touch down for Georgia's second try with the Tongan defence stretched after a meandering run from Kvirikashvili.
Tonga, who are ranked four places above Georgia, snatched a late consolation try through winger Fetu'u Vainikolo after they had two previous efforts disallowed.
Having joined the Georgian team set up in 2013 as an assistant to coach Milton Haig, Bradley remains one of the assistants with the team.
Bradley, who was capped 40 times for Ireland and who guided Connacht for seven seasons before departing to Edinburgh Rugby, was also interim Irish coach for a summer tour to New Zealand and Australia in 2008.
Following the match Gorgodze hailed it as the best result in the history of Georgian rugby. The team have competed in the last three editions of the Rugby World Cup in 2003, 2007 and 2011 but have never gotten out of the pool stages.
“You could see by the reaction of the players, fans and coaches at full-time how much this meant to us,” said Bradley after the match. “There was a certain amount of relief too, given the intense pressure Tonga were applying towards the final whistle.
“I think, overall, when we led 10-3 at half-time it was a good place to be and that lead meant Tonga had to come out and play. We set up a defensive structure from there and until their try we did enough to get over the line.”
Georgia's next match is against Argentina in Gloucester on September 25th before they face the might of the tournaments favourites New Zealand in Cardiff a week later.
“They are big favourites. Argentina are one of the best teams in the world in the scrum, but maybe we’ll change history,” added Gorgodze.
“Maybe Georgia will be the best, but maybe after the game I can say that. Argentina is one of the best teams in the world and it will be very, very difficult. I’m sure that Georgia will give everything.”
