Georgia shut out Canada in Calgary

In what can only be described as a calamitous affair Georgia defeated Canada by 13-0 at Calgary Rugby Park on Saturday. Dreadful weather resulted in the inevitable, an equally dire manifestation that could be called rugby in name only. Heavy winds and driving rain did not allow for an expansive game and both sides looked happiest at the final whistle.

Not much of anything happened in the first half. Merab Kvirikashvili landed a penalty goal in the 3rd minute in what was an ominous start, but the shellacking never came to pass as the Canadian forwards refused to capitulate to a heavyweight Georgian pack. Shane O’Leary missed his first chance at international points and the brave fans were left with a 3-0 score at half time.

If words were said to either side at the intermission the result was the same. Such was the paucity of action that Georgian midfielder Davit Kacharava celebrated his 100th test cap by sprinting up and down the midfield during stoppages to keep warm. Even the forwards, compelled by the set piece to do battle, looked disinterested at best.

The game’s only try fittingly came from a bobbled ball deep in Canadian territory that Kvirikashvili managed to touch down just before full-time. Added to his second penalty goal early in the half and his conversion, the final score was Merab Kvirikashvili 13, everyone else 0.

All concerned are looking forward to next week.

 

SCORING

CANADA 0
Pens – S. O’Leary 0/1
Yellow cards – B. Beukeboom (73’)

GEORGIA 13
Tries – M. Kvirikashvili (77’)
Cons – M. Kvirikashvili 1/1 (78’)
Pens – M. Kvirikashvili 2/4 (3’, 46’)

 

TEAMS

CANADA
1 Djustice Sears-Duru (17 Anthony Luca 61’), 2 Benoît Pifféro (16 Eric Howard 72’), 3 Jake Ilnicki (18 Matt Tierney 61’), 4 Brett Beukeboom (capt.), 5 Conor Keys (20 Aaron Carpenter HT), 6 Kyle Baillie (19 Liam Chisholm 60’ {5 Conor Keys 78’}), 7 Matt Heaton, 8 Admir Cejvanovic, 9 Phil Mack, 10 Shane O’Leary, 11 Sean Duke, 12 Guiseppe du Toit, 13 Conor Trainor, 14 Dan Moor, 15 Andrew Coe (23 Ciaran Hearn 65’)

Not used: 21 Andrew Ferguson, 22 Gradyn Bowd

GEORGIA
1 Mikheil Nariashvili (17 Karlen Asieshvili 67’), 2 Jaba Bregvadze (16 Badri Alkhazashvili 70′), 3 Anton Peikrishvili (18 Soso Bekoshvili 27’), 4 Giorgi Nemsadze (23 Giorgi Chkhaidze 60’), 5 Kote Mikautadze (19 Nodar Cheishvili 78′), 6 Lasha Lomidze, 7 Giga Tkhilaishvili (20 Otar Giorgadze HT), 8 Beka Bitsadze, 9 Vaso Lobzhanidze (21 Giorgi Begadze 70’), 10 Lasha Khmaladze (22 Lasha Malaguradze 78′), 11 Sandro Todua, 12 Merab Sharikadze (capt.), 13 Davit Kacharava, 14 Soso Matiashvili, 15 Merab Kvirikashvili

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistants: Shuhei Kubo (JRFU) & Ben Whitehouse (WRU)