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Georgia player ratings vs Portugal | Rugby World Cup 2023
It was a tough day at the office for Georgia in Toulouse, recording an 18-all draw with Portugal which has likely ended their hopes of a quarter-final berth at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
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Despite dominating territory and possession in the first spell, Los Lelos were only able to build a 13-0 lead at the break when it could’ve been considerably higher. Portugal made all the plays in the third quarter and took the lead with 20 to play but a last-minute try to Georgia eventually tied up the scores.
How did Georgia rate in the draw?
1. Mikheil Nariashvili – 5
Work at the set-piece was solid but wasn’t able to get his carrying game going. Off in 51st minute.
2. Shalva Mamukashvili – 7
Hit his lineout targets with no problems. Threw a lovely in-field ball to Davit Niniashvili to create a linebreak for Georgia. Penalised for getting overzealous at the breakdown when Portugal were looking likely, ceding three points. Popped up occasionally in the wider channels to good effect. Off in 55th minute.
3. Beka Gigashvili – 6
Toiled away on defence and at the breakdown. Part of a solid scrummaging effort that won a couple of penalties. Off in 59th minute.
4. Lado Chachanidze – 6
The key lineout target for Georgia, winning four throughout the match. Useful at maul time. Copped one penalty for a high tackle.
5. Konstantin Mikautadze – 5
Beavered away around the park without making a massive mark on the game. Did some nice work as a pillar at the breakdown, charging down one Portugal clearance attempt. Off in 55th minute.
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6. Tornike Jalaghonia – 6
Spent plenty of time hitting rucks and Portuguese ball carriers and was often called upon to hit the ball up in the midfield, though he was never able to shake free of the Lobos defenders. Finished as Georgia’s top tackler.
7. Beka Saghinadze – 6
Used efficiently in the lineouts and like his fellow loose forwards, was forced to make plenty of tackles throughout. Made a defensive misread that allowed Raffaele Storti the space for Portugal’s first try of the game. Off in 70th minute.
8. Beka Gorgadze – 8
Really came to the fore in the final quarter. Got within inches of getting a try with a good charge over the line but was eventually held up. Forced a crucial breakdown penalty with nine minutes to play when Portugal were building phases just outside Georgia’s 22. Finished with 10 carries to his name, the most of any forward, and 11 tackles, the second-most of any Georgian player.
9. Gela Aprasidze – 5
Passing wasn’t always accurate but kept Portugal honest with plenty of darts around the base of the ruck. Almost comically attempted to pass the ball back in-field after running two or three steps into touch from a nice Georgian attack. Penalised once for not giving up the ball after a penalty against his side. Another at fault for Storti’s score. Off in 59th minute.
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10. Tedo Abzhanadze – 5
Struggled to get the backline humming in the first half but nailed his three attempts on goal. Attempted a number of cross-field kicks, none of which hit their target. Crept up offside when Portugal were hot on attack. Off in 53rd minute.
11. Sandro Todua – 3
Not a great afternoon for the left wing. Penalised for an early tackle off a high ball. Kicked the ball out on the full and then was left completely wrong-footed by Storti. Off in 67th minute.
12. Merab Sharikadze – 6
Kept busy on defence, particularly in the second half when Georgia were under the pump. Perhaps needed to have a word with some members of his backline to cool the heads when too many passes were being forced or the ball was being needlessly pushed wide.
13. Giorgi Kveseladze – 5
Threw his body into defenders with reckless abandon and usually looked for an offload opportunity. Lost the ball in the final 10 minutes when Georgia just needed to hold onto possession.
14. Akaki Tabutsadze – 6
Executed some great tackles in the wider channels on defence. Touched down for the first try after some good work from his fullback. An important high-ball take inside his own 22 saw Georgia claim a relieving penalty.
15. Davit Niniashvili – 7
Proved almost impossible for Portugal to contain in the first half. An ever-present danger from the backfield and caused havoc from every counter-attack. A nice draw and one-handed pass saw Georgia earn their first try of the game. Saw precious little ball in the second half and his influence waned considerably.
Reserves:
16. Tengiz Zamtaradze – 7
On in 55th minute. Grabbed the late try for Georgia which salvaged a draw.
17. Guram Gogichasvili – 5
On in 51st minute. His arrival coincided with the Georgian scrum losing much of its shape.
18. Guram Papidze – N/A
On in 59th minute.
19. Nodar Cheishvili – 6
On in 55th minute. Put his hand up to carry and made some useful tackles towards the final stages of the match.
20. Giorgi Tsutskiridze – N/A
On in 70th minute. Pinged for some offside defending.
21. Vasil Lobzhanidze – 6
On in 59th minute. His presence on the pitch appeared to calm his teammates.
22. Luka Matkava – 7
On in 53rd minute. Delivered a couple of big hits on defence late in the match and started to challenge the line and create opportunities for the men outside him. Couldn’t nail the last-minute sideline conversion which would have handed Georgia the win.
23. Demur Tapladze – N/A
On in 67th minute.
