SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 SPORTS

Gorgodze drives Georgia to upset win over Tonga

GLOUCESTER: Inspired by captain Mamuka Gorgodze, Georgia withstood a desperate second- half surge by Tonga to secure a surprise 17-10 win over the Pacific Islanders in their Rugby World Cup Pool C opener yesterday. Gorgodze, the number eight nicknamed Gorgodzilla for his bulk, was named man of the match after leading by example in a tense and bone-crunching encounter. “This was the best victory in our history,” he told reporters after Georgia’s delighted players had sealed only their third ever World Cup win and wrapped themselves in the red and white national flag. Gorgodze had set the foundations by driving through a melee of defenders to touch down right under the posts for the first try which, after a tense wait for confirmation by the television match offi- cial, took Georgia into a 10-3 lead at the interval. “That’s my style, I’ve scored a lot of tries like that in my career, I saw the chance and I took it,” he told Reuters. In the second half, a long, swerving run by veteran fullback Merab Kvirikashvili, playing in his fourth World Cup, set up the move that allowed flanker Giorgi Tkhilaishvili to score in the corner. With Kvirikashvili slotting the difficult conver- sion, redeeming himself after two missed penal- ties, Georgia appeared to have taken an unassail- able lead at 17-3, and enjoyed by far the noisiest support from the crowd of 14,200. But Tonga dominated the final quarter and were : The opening ceremony ahead of the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between and Fiji at . — AP unlucky not to score when centre Siale Piutau, run- ning on to a clever grubber kick from flyhalf Kurt Morath, just failed to control the ball and touch England win over Fiji in World Cup opener down. After running into wall upon wall of Georgian tackles, the Pacific Islanders got their LONDON: scored two tries as England claimed champions’ 22 metre line. missed by Volovola especially as a Ford penalty soon made reward when they managed to get the ball out a nervy 35-11 win over Fiji in the World Cup opening match They won the ball and from a rolling maul, South it 18-5 to England. wide for winger Fetu’u Vainikolo to score in the at Twickenham on Friday. African referee Jaco Peyper awarded a penalty try and also But Nadolo showed Volovola how it should be down by corner and Morath to convert. But they could not scored a last gasp try that gave the victo- sin-binned Fiji scrum-half Nikola Matawalu. stroking over a 40 metre penalty to cut England’s lead to break through for the second try that might have ry respectability and maximum bonus points in Pool A. Ford converted, with Fiji a man down in the 14th 18-8 under the Twickenham floodlights. levelled the scores. In a stop-start game, it was England captain blamed the “emotion” of minute. If there was no scorer for England’s first try, there However, a ruck infringement gave Ford a penalty Tonga who strung together many of the most the World Cup for the jittery start, but insisted Fiji deserved was no doubt about the identity of the man who grabbed chance but his 52m effort just fell short and England led by attractive passing sequences, but their efforts to “credit”. “They are an extremely talented side and they put their second when Brown capped a well-worked move sev- 10 points at the break. move the ball out wide were thwarted by inaccu- us under a lot of pressure. We played into their hands at en minutes later. Nadolo missed two second-half penalties but England, rate passing and handling errors. Morath opened times.” England wing said “we could have won a Blindside flanker stole a Fiji line-out near the far less physically imposing Fiji, simply couldn’t get their the scoring for Tonga with a penalty and Georgia’s bit better, but it is a potential banana skin out of the way” islanders’ line and England, making light of tricky condi- game going. After 51 minutes, England freshened their Kvirikashvili pulled his side level before converting ahead of games against Australia and Wales in the Pool of tions for handling rugby, worked the ball across field from pack and also brought on Richard Wigglesworth for scrum- Gorgodze’s try to put Georgia seven points clear at Death. right to left. , centres and half in a bid to test Fiji’s fitness. the break. The tournament hosts would surely have wanted to Jonathan Joesph shifted the ball quickly to create space for Volavola made no mistake from 30 metres out in front In a group likely to be dominated by New launch their World Cup campaign in style. But for much of Brown, who stepped inside his man to place the ball. and England’s lead was reduced to 18-11, setting up a Zealand and Argentina, Georgia now look well the match they were imprecise against a powerful Fiji side. Fiji nearly hit back with a spectacular try of their own. potentially nervous final 15 minutes for the home side. placed to meet their declared objective by taking However, Brown’s running ensured England made the win- Matawalu, back on the field after 10-minutes in the sin bin, But Fijian indiscipline gave replacement fly-half Owen third place, which would qualify them automatical- ning start they wanted so desperately in front of a broke off the back of a scrum from 30 metres out and Farrell a simple penalty and England led by 21-11 to go ly for the next tournament in Japan in 2019. demanding 82,000 crowd who want a repeat of their 2003 sprinted down the right touchline. two scores in front before Brown, after good work by Georgia next face the Pumas of Argentina at World Cup triumph. After a spectacular opening ceremony It looked as if Matawalu had scored one of the great Farrell and May, made the game safe. the same venue on Friday, while Tonga play featuring Prince Harry and some rugby legends, England World Cup tries but it was cancelled when replays revealed Vunipola came on and completed a last minute try-with Namibia on Sept. 29. Asked if Georgia could dom- quickly went 15-0 ahead. that, under pressure from Brown, he had lost possession Farrell converging to make the score look more than inate the scrum against Argentina in the same England, playing in their change kit of red after Fiji won trying to ground the ball. impressive. Robshaw said the bonus could be “hugely way they subdued Tonga, Gorgodze told the toss to wear white, went ahead when fly-half George Fiji, putting pressure on England’s scrum got the try important” in deciding who wins Pool A to get an easier reporters: “I cannot say, because Argentina have Ford kicked a 40-metre penalty following a collapsed they deserved one minute later when giant wing Nemani path from the quarter finals. And England have now won one of the best scrums in the world. But maybe scrum. Nadolo leapt high over opposing England flyer Anthony their last eight games at Twickenham, their best run of we change history?”— Reuters When Fiji were penalised for lifting England wing May, Watson to grab Ben Volovola’s hanging kick. Nadolo, Fiji’s form since winning 22 in a row at home prior to the start of Ford kicked for a line-out inside the Pacific Nations Cup goal-kicker, might have wished he had taken a conversion the 2003 World Cup. — AFP Japan defeat SA to create Rugby World Cup sensation

BRIGHTON: A last-minute Karne Hesketh expecting a big win but Japan were never although Japanese captain Michael try secured a 34-32 win over two-time overawed. The Asian champions, who will Leitch received a warning for an over champions in one of the host the 2019 World Cup, had won only zealous tackle on De Villiers, but eventu- biggest shocks in Rugby World Cup histo- one previous World Cup game against ally they cracked and went ry yesterday. Zimbabwe in 1991. They have drawn two over. Japan attacked the Springboks from and lost 21. But they are determined not Lambie converted for 7-3. The South the first minute in an inspiring perform- to be the whipping boys of this tourna- Africans spurned a golden opportunity ance in the Pool D opening match in ment. for a second try a couple of minutes later Brighton. After Ayumu Goromaru scored Japan could well have scored a try in but a diving failed to 24 points including an brilliant try to the sixth minute, fullback Goromaru catch the ball and touch down-his keep Japan in the game, Hesketh finally bursting through the midfield. However, embarrassment accentuated by having pierced South Africa’s desperate defence Goromaru went on his own instead of the whole thing shown again as it was in the dying seconds to claim the famous passing to the player outside and ran into referred to the third match official. win. Japan’s players went on a lap of hon- a Springbok wall. He made up for this by Du Plessis’s glaring miss proved even our with national flag amid a roars of sup- slotting over a penalty to put the more costly as after sustained pressure by port from the 29,000 crowd. Japanese 3-0 up in the eighth minute but the Japanese scrum Leitch touched down “It’s a fantastic achievement,” said missed another attempt a few minutes provoking roars of delight from their fans coach Eddie Jones who will leave the later. and large parts of the neutrals in the team after the World Cup. “We worked The ‘Boks were rattled and captain 30,000 crowd. really hard for this-but look for me per- was angry when fullback Goromaru converted to give the sonally its right up there with my best kicked the ball out on the Japanese a deserved 10-7 lead. It wasn’t days in the sport,” said the coach who full from outside his 22 handing the to last long as more powerful pack play guided Australia to the 2003 final and Japanese great field position. ended with Bismarck du Plessis scoring was member of the Springboks coaching The South Africans managed to regain the ‘Boks second try-Lambie failing to team for their 2007 World Cup triumph. the ball and pressed back. Some terrific convert gave the two-time world champi- South Africa went into the game defence kept them out for a while, ons a two point edge at half-time of 12- 10. Goromaru briefly restored Japan’s lead with an early penalty in the second- half. However, their opponents hit back with a third try soon afterwards, lock CARDIFF: Canada’s captain Jamie Cudmore jumps for the ball during their Rugby World Cup Pool D Loudewyjk de Jager breaking a tackle on match against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium. — AP the 22 and proving an unstoppable force to cross the line-Lambie converted for 19- Ireland dismantle Canada 13. The impressive Goromaru added two CARDIFF: Flyhalf Jonny Sexton gave a master- move five minutes before halftime. Canada had more penalties to level the match with class in game management as Ireland asserted chances to secure a consolation try at the end of under half an hour remaining and at that their Rugby World Cup title credentials with a the first half only for livewire winger DTH Van point with a tacit admission the scrum thumping 50-7 bonus point victory over Canada Der Merwe to be denied by the TMO for a for- was taking a pounding in their Pool D opener yesterday. ward pass and again soon after the break when took off his whole front row. The Six Nations champions dominated the Irish skipper Paul O’Connell was sin-binned. Lambie slotted over a penalty to make set piece, looked slick and creative in the back- That Ireland’s defence, which had conceded it 22-19 but back came the incorrigible line and ran in seven tries under the closed roof nine tries in their four warm-up matches, held Japanese to level again through the at the Millennium Stadium. firm under huge try-line pressure from the metronomic Goromaru. Sexton contributed nine points from the kick- Canadians augured well for tougher battles The match once gain swung back to ing tee in his 55 minutes on the pitch and scored ahead. the Springboks, however, when replace- the pick of Ireland’s tries, racing 40 metres to Van Der Merwe did finally get the try ment hooker broke touch down in the 28th minute after being set Canada’s efforts deserved on the breakaway in through the soft Japanese centre and free by a neat inside pass from Sean O’Brien. the 68th minute after snaffling up Irish centre shrugged off with disdain Kotaro Both captains spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin ’s chip kick. Matsushima’s tackle to score their bonus in a match that was otherwise played in a good By that stage, though, replacement hooker point fourth try. Handre Pollard-who had spirit but it was the yellow card shown to Sean Cronin had scored Ireland’s fifth try and replaced Lambie-converted for 29-22. If Canada’s Jamie Cudmore that proved the more there was still time for fullback to the Springboks thought that was the final costly. The Irish scored their first three tries match his brother’s tally after a length-of-the say they were soon to be disabused of the through flanker O’Brien, second row Iain field sprint from winger . Payne scored notion as a scintillating back move saw Henderson and Sexton in the abrasive lock’s the seventh try five minutes from time after a Goromaru go in and then convert to bring absence to lead 22-0 after less than half an hour. break from Sexton’s replacement Ian Madigan. the scores level once again at 29-29. The Canucks played with plenty of passion Canada next face Italy in Leeds, while Ireland Pollard gave the ‘Boks a three point but were never going to recover from such a take on Romania and the Italians before return- lead-the decision to go for goal being large early deficit and winger ing to Cardiff on Oct. 11 for what is expected to BRIGHTON: South Africa’s Pat Lambie is tackled by Japan’s captain Michael Leitch (right) roundly booed by the crowd-with seven secured the bonus point after a sweeping Irish be the pool decider against France. — Reuters during the Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Japan. — AP minutes remaining. — AFP