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Georgia looking to upset Wales as they push for Six Nations inclusion

Milton Haig wants Georgia to keep knocking on Six Nations door - Action Images via Reuters
Milton Haig wants Georgia to keep knocking on Six Nations door - Action Images via Reuters

Georgia say are hoping to “make a statement” to World Rugby and to the Six Nations on Saturday when they face Wales at the Principality Stadium, with captain Merab Sharikadze adamant they can cause a huge upset.

The Lelos have won six of the past seven Rugby Europe Championships; are bankrolled by billionaire former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili; made history at the World Cup in 2015 when they won two games to finish third in their group and ensure automatic qualification for Japan 2019.

But despite a groundswell of public support for their inclusion into the Six Nations – or at least the chance to compete through some sort of promotion and relegation playoff – they have found the doors of entry to what is effectively an exclusive members’ club firmly barred. Six Nations chief executive John Feehan said this year there was no likelihood of promotion-relegation happening in the “short to medium term”.

Feehan has yet even to accept an invitation to visit the country and experience Georgian rugby first hand. But Milton Haig, Georgia’s Kiwi head coach for the past six years, is ever optimistic.

“Yeah, we think it is, absolutely,” Haig replied on Friday when asked by Telegraph Sport whether he felt a visit from Feehan and the Six Nations hierarchy was long overdue. “We would like to invite him out there – I already have but have not had a reply yet. Hopefully, one day [after they visit] they will get on the plane two days later with very happy faces, that’s for sure.”

One other thing that is for sure: Wales will underestimate the Georgians at their peril. Eyebrows were raised when Warren Gatland made 14 changes to the team who lost narrowly against Australia last weekend; full-back Liam Williams is the only survivor as Gatland tries to save his stars for the All Blacks and South Africa in the next fortnight. Gatland will hand Ospreys flanker Sam Cross – an Olympic ­silver medallist in rugby sevens – his first international start, along with prop Leon Brown, second row Adam Beard and centre Owen W­atkin.

Autumn Internationals 2017 | Fixtures, dates and kick-off times
Autumn Internationals 2017 | Fixtures, dates and kick-off times

Wales are heavy favourites but Georgia are in good nick, having pummelled Canada 54-22 in Tblisi last weekend. Strong up front as ever – most of their forwards play at a high level in France – they are starting to throw it around a bit in the backs, too. Haig has named an unchanged team and you can sense they smell blood.

“We are in really good form,” said Sharikadze. “We will show that ­tomorrow. Nowadays, we don’t get too many opportunities to play against tier one nations, so the game is really, really important for us.”

Haig said he was particularly anxious not to waste this opportunity after being thrashed 43-16 by Scotland last autumn. “We felt we didn’t do ourselves justice last year so we don’t want to make that mistake again,” he said. “We’re a different team, and the boys come here with a bit of confidence.”

In a nice subplot, Wales and Georgia have been drawn in the same pool at the World Cup. Haig, though, said the most important thing was the here and now; to try to make a statement so that their lobbying of World Rugby and Six Nations had some credibility. “The message to World Rugby is that we deserve to have more of these [games against tier one nations],” he said. “We only get that credibility if we perform well.”