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Gloucester snap up Georgian centre Kveseladze, scorer of that incredible solo try last month versus Ireland
Gloucester have snapped up the services of Giorgi Kveseladze, the Georgia centre whose mesmerising solo try versus Ireland in the Autumn Nations Cup left the legendary Brian O’Driscoll singing his praises. Ex-Ireland skipper O’Driscoll, a veteran of four successive Lions tours, took to Twitter last month in the wake of the 23-year-old’s stunning Aviva Stadium score.
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“If I was a European club looking for a centre next year (contract dependent) I’d be having a serious look at Giorgi Kveseladze (13) for Georgia. Besides the excellent try, he really gets the defensive part of his game too. Abrasive and hard working. Could have been MOTM.”
The Georgian midfielder’s excellent work didn’t go unnoticed as he was voted Autumn Nations Cup player of the round, securing 88.8 per cent of votes in an online poll following a match where Ireland’s winning margin was limited to 13 points, 23-10. He was also given the try of the round accolade for a score that was subsequently voted try of the tournament.
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The midfielder, who won his 29th Test cap in the following weekend’s playoff defeat to Fiji at Murrayfield, had been playing his club rugby as a semi-professional in Georgia with RC Armazi Marneuli.
However, he has now linked up with Gloucester with immediate effect, helping the Premiership club move the narrative on in a week where the end-of-season signing of Adam Hastings and the immediate exit of Danny Cipriani dominated headlines.
If I was a European club looking for a centre next year (contract dependent) I’d be having a serious look at Giorgi Kveseladze (13) for Georgia on Saturday. Besides the excellent try he really gets the defensive part of his game too. Abrasive & hard working. Could have been MOTM
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) November 30, 2020
A Gloucester club statement read: “Gloucester are delighted to announce the arrival of Georgian international Giorgi Kveseladze. Kveseladze will link up with the Cherry and Whites with immediate effect following the conclusion of the Autumn Nations Cup with Georgia.
“The abrasive centre put in a number of impressive performances across the international campaign, including a remarkable solo try in Ireland. Giorgi burst onto the scene with the Georgian national side, showing his ability to compete at the highest level and, at just 23, the powerhouse still carries a significant amount of potential to expand his game.”
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Alex Brown, the Gloucester chief operating officer, added: “We have been tracking Giorgi’s progress closely and we were increasingly impressed by his performances, most notably in the autumn international series.
“We are eager to see him test himself and develop in the Premiership and he will add further strength in depth to our midfield. Giorgi will join up with the squad straight away, so we are looking forward to integrating him into the group as soon as we can.”
Kveseladze said: “I’m very proud to sign for such a traditional club. I know the club very well and I’m really happy to have this opportunity to join Gloucester.”
https://twitter.com/autumnnations/status/1333517347160809473?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
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