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Georgia produced their most emphatic performance of the World Rugby Nations Cup so far, running in eight tries to beat Chile 91-37 at Estadio La Portada. It was a chastening night for the Pool B leaders, who scored three tries of their own but could not live with the pace and accuracy of a Georgia side that grew stronger as the game wore on.
M. Bustamante (25', 25'), S. Videla (39', 39'), M. Dittus (84', 84')
Tries
B. Tchumbadze (3'), V. Jintcharadze (11', 11', 78', 78'), L. Ivanishvili (17', 17'), B. Shvangiradze (34', 34'), T. Kakhoidze (58', 58'), I. Iashagashvili (66', 66')
M. Garafulic (39', 39')
Conversions
L. Matkava (4', 12', 12', 17', 17', 35', 35', 59', 59', 68', 68', 79', 79')
M. Garafulic (8')
Penalties
The result confirms Georgia's control at the top of Pool A. They remain unbeaten with three wins from three, and the manner of this one — a bonus-point win with points to spare — will please a side building momentum. Chile, meanwhile, stay top of Pool B despite the defeat, but were given a firm reminder of the gap that still exists against one of the stronger Tier Two nations.
Georgia barely needed time to settle. Bachuki Tchumbadze crossed inside the opening three minutes, and by the 17th minute the visitors were 35-3 up after further tries from Vakhtang Jintcharadze and Luka Ivanishvili. It did not help Chile that Santiago Videla was shown yellow on 17 minutes, and Georgia made the extra man count.
The pattern was set early. Georgia's forwards got over the gainline, their half-backs moved the ball sharply, and their handling under pressure was a level above the hosts. When the numbers show nine clean breaks to none, the story tells itself.
To their credit, Chile did not fold. Manuel Bustamante finished well on the right wing to get them on the board, and just before the break Santiago Videla touched down, with Matias Garafulic converting to leave it 49-20 at half-time. There was a brief spell either side of the interval when the hosts threatened to make a game of it.
They could not sustain it. Georgia controlled the exchanges after the restart and the scoreboard quickly ran away again. A yellow card for Tornike Kakhoidze on 31 minutes had briefly given Chile a numerical edge, but the centre made amends after the break by scoring on 58 minutes as Georgia pulled clear.
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAK
DEFENDER BEATEN
TACKLE
MISSED TACKLE
TURNOVER WON
TURNOVERS CONCEDED
PENALTY CONCEDED
YELLOW CARD
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
The set-piece told much of the story. Georgia's lineout was flawless, winning all 17 of their throws, while Chile managed 12 from 17. Chile's scrum also creaked, operating at 80 per cent against a Georgia pack that finished with a perfect six from six. Without that stability, the hosts struggled to build the pressure needed to trouble a well-drilled defence.
The other issue was discipline. Chile conceded 16 penalties to Georgia's 11 and missed 20 tackles, which only fed Georgia's momentum. The visitors also made far better use of their chances, turning nine clean breaks into a relentless stream of points.
There was effort here, even if the scoreline was brutal. Chile made 126 tackles, more than Georgia, which underlined how much defending they were forced to do. Nicolas Saab was their most dangerous runner, making 62 metres from seven carries and beating four defenders on the left. Bustamante also caused problems, with 44 metres and a try.
Off the bench, Matias Dittus scored late to give the home crowd something in the closing stages, and Alfonso Escobar was Chile's leading metre-maker among the forwards with 24. But the honest reading is that Chile were second best in most of the areas that mattered, and the yellow cards made an already difficult task harder.
Georgia sit top of Pool A with a maximum record, and this display suggests they are hitting form at the right time. Chile stay top of Pool B on competition points, but will know this was a step up they could not match on the day. There is plenty for their coaches to work on, particularly at the set-piece and in reducing the penalty count.
| # | Team | PL | W | L | D | PD | BP | PTS | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Georgia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 09 | W W |
| 2 |  Romania | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -16 | 3 | 09 | W D L |
| 3 |  Portugal | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 3 | 07 | W L |
| 4 |  Spain | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 07 | W D |
| 5 |  Hong Kong | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -69 | 2 | 02 | L L L |
| 6 |  Zimbabwe | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -26 | 1 | 01 | L L |
A long evening for the hosts, then, and a reminder of the levels required at this end of the international game.
