Rugby Europe Championship
Watching from the comfort of home its easy to comment and criticise if you wanted but the step up from Rugby Europe Trophy to Championship and playing an established side like Georgia away is huge. Professional Top 14 players vs a team made up as amateurs and a scattering of professionals.
It shows most within the contest of the forwards with the experience of top 14 players and not forgetting the shear size of the Georgian players.
After some mistakes due to what I think was nerves giving away 2 gifted tries to Georgia. Late in the first half Switzerland seem to start to settle, stringing some play together. Pressure built and continuous pressure from clean lineouts around the Georgian line looked to maybe pay but a lost ball resulted in another scrum, which was dominated by Georgia.
All images Credit: Rugby Europe
The first half came to a close and you realise listening on Rugby Europe they don’t know the Swiss player names too well with 40 year old ‘Cyreal’ Lin being a continued feature of their commentary. Though ‘stealing his lunch money’ has to be a notable commentary cliche from the first half when a Georgian striped a Swiss player of the ball in contact, 42 – 0 ouch.
The hard running sizeable Georgian players are the big difference here, time and again they break the line making meters after contact. Defending hard early in the second half Switzerland hold the ball up over the line to prevent another try. Some great defence by Louis and Cameron stopping the big Georgians! No doubt Richard Cotterell will have something to say about that afterwards.
With Switzerland giving it everything they have it just doesn’t seem enough to cope with the experience of Georgia who continue to dominate in the forwards even after replacing the whole front row. When Switzerland have the ball they have small chances but small mistakes are costing them field position and points.
When you can bring a player off the bench who plays for Bordeaux in the top 14 you know you have strength in depth. Final score Georgia 110 Switzerland 0.
The question really is will Georgia push into the 6 nations and who would they replace, Italy or Wales?
However something that could work is the format of the Rugby Europe Championship making the 6 nations into 8 in 2 leagues. Each team still gets 5 games so the competition takes the same time and you have a Champion who could still do the Gand Slam, food for thought?