Georgia
Canada
D. Papunashvili (2'), A. Tabutsadze (19', 70'), D. Niniashvili (29'), L. Tabatadze (39'), Penalty Try (43'), B. Gigashvili (54'), T. Kakhoidze (66'), V. Karkadze (77')
Tries
B. Lesage (9'), I. Kelly (25')
V. Lobzhanidze (30'), L. Matkava (40', 55', 67', 71', 78')
Conversions
S. Jones (10', 26')
This was about control first and cruelty later. Georgia kept Canada penned in their own half for long stretches, wore down the legs and the mind, then ripped through the final quarter when the visitors’ defensive shape frayed. The scoreboard ballooned because the pattern never changed: the Lelos owned field position, and when the game loosened, their finishers and maul did the rest.
The numbers back up what the eyes saw. Georgia made 21 entries to the Canadian 22 and cashed out efficiently, while Canada managed only four visits all night. Georgia led for 66 minutes, controlled the last 10 with 79% possession and, crucially, recycled quicker: 104 rucks won at 1.26 seconds on average versus Canada’s 74 at 1.44. That tempo meant repeated front-foot ball and a steady creep upfield that eventually turned into floodwater.
Match Stats
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAKS
TACKLE
TACKLES MISSED
TURNOVERS WON
PENALTIES CONCEDED
YELLOW CARDS
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
The contest effectively flipped just past the hour. Canada were clinging to the game, but the dam broke across five minutes of relentless Georgian possession. Tornike Kakhoidze straightened the line for the first of four rapid strikes, Luka Matkava picked off a fatigued inside shoulder moments later, and by the time Aka Tabutsadze was released in space for his second try, the Canadian edge was cooked. Another Matkava score and the lights were out. That run didn’t come from nowhere; it was the payable interest on an evening of exits under pressure and defending repeat sets.
If you’re looking for why the margin stretched, start on the edges. Canada missed 50 tackles, and when their line speed sagged, Georgia’s width showed. Tabutsadze’s brace was a fair reflection of how ruthlessly the Lelos punished any disconnect in the 13–15 channel. Inside them, Matkava managed the rate of play smartly and kicked his goals late. Earlier, Davit Niniashvili had already hurt Canada’s backfield with long returns and an incisive finish, and he kept the visitors guessing on kick receipts all night.
Georgia’s bench turned dominance into damage. Beka Gigashvili arrived with a try and heavy carries to keep the gain line moving; Vano Karkadze finished off a late surge that said plenty about maul and close-range authority once the visitors’ pack had emptied the tank. The scrum metrics told a similar story: Georgia were the more secure platform, Canada’s feed was a stress point at 75% retention, and the pressure around the set piece fed the red-zone count. The penalty try straight after half-time and Lucas Rumball’s yellow that followed were symptoms of a side defending too much, too close to their own line.
Canada did have a pulse with ball in hand. Their 3.5 points per 22 entry speaks to decent shape when they finally reached the red zone — the finishes from Ben Lesage and Izzak Kelly were tidy — and Daragh Doyle offered the most thrust in broken field. Work rate wasn’t Canada’s problem either. Tyler Ardron churned through tackles, as did Rumball before the bin. But the basic territorial game wasn’t there. Exits lacked length and hang, the chase was inconsistent, and too many possessions began inside their own 40 with Georgia already set. Add slower recycle at the breakdown, and you get an attack that rarely saw front-foot ball.
Georgia were not flawless. Two Canadian tries from a meagre four entries is the defensive blemish on a dominant night; better finishers will squeeze more than 14 points from those rare visits. Their lineout was scratchy at times as well, which stalled a couple of promising platforms and kept the margin from ballooning even earlier. But the way they closed — six scoring actions from 66 to 78 minutes — points to conditioning, depth and clarity under fatigue. When the bench arrived, the tempo didn’t dip; it sharpened.
Does the score flatter them? Not really. When one team owns territory to this extent, a heavy margin is the natural outcome. Canada’s efficiency in the red zone kept the thing competitive through the middle hour, but the gulf in 22 entries and ruck speed meant they were always swimming against it. Georgia earned the blowout by refusing cheap exits, stacking phases, and finishing clinically when the resistance waned.
The takeaways are clear. For Georgia, this is a repeatable template: kick to pin, squeeze the breakdown for speed, and let the outside backs and maul finish late. Matkava’s composure, Tabutsadze’s edge finishing and the front-row punch off the bench are weapons that travel. The work-on is tightening the defence when opponents do break out, and smoothing the lineout. For Canada, the message is harsher but simple: fix the territorial game and exits or the rest doesn’t matter. The attack showed it can convert once in the 22; the job now is getting there more than four times in 80.