Georgia and the USA played out a competitive match in Batumi on Saturday. The home team were 43-30 winners on full-time on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. The exciting contest saw Georgia leading 26-24 at half-time in a first 40 minute period featuring seven tries.
21-year-old Dom Besag continued his rapid rise with a first-half double for the USA Eagles. The other Eagles’ score went to fullback Toby Fricker.
The USA Eagles’ hot start came after Georgia had scored first from a lineout to maul try to hooker Irakli Kvatadze. Besag responded with his first try on 8 minutes which was backed-up by Fricker scoring in the try zone on 16 minutes. Besag’s second gave the North American country 21 unanswered points for a 21-7 lead after just 17 minutes.
Georgia then spring back to live, going about their work beginning in the second quarter. Giorgi Kveseladze scored on 21 minutes and another Lelos try followed seven minutes later with captain Beka Gorgadze going over. Kveseladze matched Besag with a second try before Jack Carty slotted a late penalty for a 26-24 half-time scoreline in favor of the hosts.
Carty restored the USA Eagles’ lead with a drop goal on 50 minutes. Solid play from the Eagles did not results in tries but they succeeded in halting Georgian scoring.
Indeed, the opening Georgian points of the second-half did not come until the 64th minute. Luka Japaridze scored from close range before the teams exchanges penalties. Carty’s 78th minute penalty made it a six point contest with only two minutes left to play.
Georgia finished the match on a high with an enterprising score as a masterpiece run from La Rochelle fullback Davit Niniashvili ended with Gela Aprasidze scoring. The conversion made it a thirteen point victory for the Lelos.
The USA will be happy with their opening half and even happier with their improvement from their showing against Scotland in Edinburgh. The Eagles now travel to Bucharest to face Romania while Georgia turn their attention to Canada. Both matches will take place next Saturday.
GEORGIA (43)
TRY – I Kvatadze; G Kveseladze (2); B Gorgadze; L Japaridze; G Aprasidze
CON – T Abzhandadze (5)
PEN – T Abzhandadze
USA (30)
TRY – D Besag (2), T Fricker
CON – L Carty (3)
PEN – L Carty (2)
DG – L Carty
YC – M O’Keeffe
GEORGIA
1 Dato Abdushelishvili, 2 Irakli Kvatadze, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 4 Mikheil Babunashvili, 5 Lado Chachanidze, 6 Luka Ivanishvili, 7 Beka Saghinadze, 8 Beka Gorgadze (capt.), 9 Vaso Lobzhanidze, 10 Tedo Abzhandadze, 11 Georges Shvelidze, 12 Tornike Kakhoidze, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 15 Davit Niniashvili
Replacements: 16 Vano Karkadze, 17 Giorgi Tetrashvili, 18 Luka Japaridze, 19 Demur Epremidze, 20 Ilia Spanderashvili, 21 Gela Aprasidze, 22 Luka Matkava, 23 Demur Tapladze
USA
1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2 Kaleb Geiger, 3 Pono Davis, 4 Tevita Naqali, 5 Jason Damm (capt.), 6 Marno Redelinghuys, 7 Paddy Ryan, 8 Makeen Alikhan, 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 Luke Carty, 11 Rufus McLean, 12 Tavite Lopeti, 13 Dom Besag, 14 Mark O’Keeffe, 15 Toby Fricker
Replacements: 16 Mike Sosene-Feagai, 17 Payton Telea-Ilalio, 18 Tonga Kofe, 19 Brandon Harvey, 20 Nafi Ma’afu, 21 Vili Helu, 22 Christian Poidevin, 23 Michael Baska
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistants: Adam Leal (England) & George Selwood (England)
TMO: Dan Jones (England)
