Richard Dixon lists Georgia final 30-man squad for 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign – Rugby News
The Georgia Rugby Union has announced the national Rugby Union team’s final 30-man squad for their 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign. The Lelos head coach, Richard Dixon, unveiled his final 30-man squad for their 2011 RWC campaign, on Tuesday, August 13.
Georgian national team, commonly known as the Lelos, is placed in Pool B alongside England, Argentina, Romania and Scotland. The main highlight of the squad is the fact that most of the players named in the squad represent different French professional Rugby Union clubs in the French Top 14 competition.
The squad includes players who play for different Top 14 sides such as Toulon, Clermont Auvergne, Montpellier, Brive and Castres.
The duo of Giorgi Begadze and Zviad Maisuradze failed to earn a spot in Dixon’s final roster.
Providing the details, Dixon confirmed that the duo of Begadze and Maisuradze failed to recover from their respective injuries and have been left out of the Lelos 2011 RWC campaign. Giorgi Begadze failed to recover from his hand injury, while Zviad Maisuradze is still on course to recover from a knee injury which he sustained earlier this year.
The 2011 RWC appearance will be Georgia’s third consecutive RWC appearance. They have so far won one RWC encounter and played some close games against England and Ireland during their 2003 and 2007 campaign’s respectively.
At the end of their close Pool game against Georgia, then Irish captain Brian O'Driscoll was quoted as saying, “They really came out and obviously put a huge amount of pressure on us, particularly up front. And once they were within a sniff, they grew in confidence.”
Georgia has a relatively better build up for their 2011 RWC campaign. They finished second in the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) 2011 Nations Cup tournament.
Additionally, Lelos finished on top of the 2011 European Nations Cup tournament. Georgia defeated Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, Romania and Russia during the tournament.
Georgia will kick start their 2011 RWC campaign against Scotland on September 14 at Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill. They will take on the 2011 RWC favourites England on September 18 at Forsyth Bar Stadium, Dunedin.
Georgia will take on their European rivals Romania at Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North on September 28. The team will play their last pool match of the tournament at the same venue on October 2 against the Argentina.
Georgia’s final 30-man squad for their 2011 RWC campaign consists of,
Forwards: Dimitri Basilaia, Givi Berishvili, Jaba Bregvadze, George Chkhaidze, Levan Datunashvili, Akvsenti Giorgadze, Mamuka Gorgodze, Vasil Kakovin, Davit Khinchagishvili, Viktor Kolelishvili, Davit Kubriashvili, Vakhtang Maisuradze, Giorgi Nemsadze, Goderdzi Shvelidze, Shalva Sutiashvili, Ilia Zedginidze, Davit Zirakashvili.
Backs: Irakli Abuseridze (captain), Irakli Chkhikvadze, Revaz Gigauri, Lekso Gugava, Davit Kacharava, Lasha Khmaladze, Merab Kvirikashvili, Irakli Machkhaneli, Lasha Malaguradze, Bidzina Samkharadze, Alexander Todua, Malkhaz Urjukashvili, Tedore Zibzibadze.
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