New dawn for Georgian rugby

During the communist regime, rugby in Georgia was considered a sport of the bourgeois and so was banned. Resourcefully, Georgian rugby enthusiasts reverted to a game they called "lelo", which in fact was more or less rugby under a different name.

Thus, following the advent of independence in 1991 and when the Georgian rugby union officially joined the world order in the form of the International Board and FIRA in 1995, the roots of the game were already in place. Hence, despite severe economic disadvantages, the game has progressed relatively well.

Advancement to this stage of the labyrinthine World Cup qualifying campaign came by way of victories over Croatia (29-15), Denmark (198), a creditable defeat to Italy by 3114 after limiting them to a 12-6 lead until early in the second-half and then finally, the big one, a grim but determined 12-6 win over Russia in front of 30,000 fans in Tbilisi last May.

Seemingly not even beating the All Blacks would rank with putting one over the Russians, which they also did three years beforehand.

The spin-off, according to their president Bidzina Gueguidze, has been to elevate rugby from being about the 20th to 25th sport in Georgia only three years ago, to second, only behind soccer.

Heaven knows what appearing in a World Cup final might do were they to beat the Romanians. "There is no chance for Georgia to qualify for a World Cup or European Cup or Olympics in any other team sport, only in individual sports. Rugby has a good future potentially."

The game's biggest stumbling block, says Gueguidze, is simply the lack of facilities. "We have no rugby stadiums. All our fields are for soccer and it is our main problem. There are also a lot of difficulties in all of Georgia, not only rugby. Our country is trying to build independence but we were pushed by Russia in sport and economically. Because of fuel problems, and hot water problems, and economic problems, we have trained and played matches outside of Georgia. But three years ago we built a new structure for rugby in Georgia."

To play Ireland is "a terrific privilege", and while they have clearly targeted the Romanian game as their mini-World Cup final, they hope that "the score will be reasonable" at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.

"To make progress in life, you must try and do things that you dream of," explained their French coach Claude Saurel, formerly a back-row player and coach with Beziers.

Working off a pool of about 1,200 players (eight of their 12 clubs are in a first division), they expect that the current number of 14 players based in France will, and has, to rise.

Primarily because their players apparently don't have the reputation of some of their Romanian counterparts, Georgia have a full-strength side to pick from although whether for reasons of strategy or whatever else, have kept one notable weapon in reserve, their Toulouse-based lock Guia Ruskin. According to the Georgian Rugby Union website, "when he plays, we are like wolves. Without him we are like lambs."

As befits the game's defiant history in Georgia, their shirt crest bears the legend "lelos" and when a Georgian player scores a try it has a romanticism which even the French would envy. It is known as "making a lelo".

Georgia (v Ireland): V Abachidze; G Bugianachvili, E Dzagnidze, V Katsadze, A Kavtarachvili; B Tefnadze, C Djanlidze; I Tchikava, L Javelidze, G Chvelidze, I Zedgenidze, V Nadiradze, A Kobaxidze, K Kobakhidze, G Labadze.

Shannon, seeking their fifth AIL title in succession, have been installed as 2 to 1 favourites prior to the December 6th kick-off by Paddy Power bookmakers. The full odds are: 2 to 1 Shannon, 4 to 1 Garryowen, Lansdowne, 11 to 2 Terenure, 7 to 1 Young Munster, 8 to 1 Ballymena, 12 to 1 Clontarf, St Mary's, 16 to 1 Cork Con, 33 to 1 Buccaneers, 50 to 1 Blackrock, Galwegians.