Team for Georgia

[Graigwen]

WALES TEAM TO FACE GEORGIA, MONDAY SEPTEMBER 23 KO 19.15 (11.15am UK)

1. Wyn Jones (Scarlets) (13 Caps)
2. Ken Owens (Scarlets) (67 Caps)
3. Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) (43 Caps)
4. Jake Ball (Scarlets) (36 Caps)
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys) (128 Caps) (CAPT)
6. Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) (12 Caps)
7. Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) (66 Caps)
8. Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues) (19 Caps)
9. Gareth Davies (Scarlets) (44 Caps)
10. Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints) (73 Caps)
11. Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues) (14 Caps)
12. Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets) (18 Caps)
13. Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) (76 Caps)
14. George North (Ospreys) (86 Caps)
15. Liam Williams (Saracens) (58 Caps)

Replacements:

16. Elliot Dee (Dragons) (22 Caps)
17. Nicky Smith (Ospreys) (31 Caps)
18. Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) (15 Caps)
19. Aaron Shingler (Scarlets) (20 Caps)
20. Ross Moriarty (Dragons) (34 Caps)
21. Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) (9 Caps)
22. Rhys Patchell (Scarlets) (13 Caps)
23. Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets) (82 Caps)​

I am surprised not to see Carre in this.

[Sourdust]

No alarms and no surprises.

Would love to see that lot cut loose but it ain't gonna happen. Either we'll huff and puff to a late BP, or get one early and declare.

Wales 32-11 Georgia

[Graigwen]

No alarms and no surprises.

Would love to see that lot cut loose but it ain't gonna happen. Either we'll huff and puff to a late BP, or get one early and declare.

Wales 32-11 Georgia

You are probably right.

[Sourdust]

You are probably right.

I've got that on a T-shirt.

[normanski]

The Scots put Georgia away twice in the warmups by good margins. Watching Scotland totally wiped out in the forwards against Ireland today, you have wonder just how much a threat the Georgians will be.

We’re putting out a strong starting lineup so my guess the full 23 will be called up early to protect key players for the six day turnaround for Australia.

It would be good if we can rack up a big score with a BP to get our campaign underway in style.

[Sandydragon]

If there is an opportunity for a BP then we need to take it. Ideally we can qualify without worrying about BPs, but it’s nice to have them in the bag where possible. Georgia aren’t a bad team but we should be too strong provided we turn up to play.

[Sourdust]

If there is an opportunity for a BP then we need to take it. Ideally we can qualify without worrying about BPs, but it’s nice to have them in the bag where possible. Georgia aren’t a bad team but we should be too strong provided we turn up to play.

BPs aren't likely to matter really, especially after the Aus v Fiji result. The only way I can see BPs coming into play is if Wales beat Aus but then lose to Fiji; not impossible I suppose, but hardly likely.

That said, there's also intangibles like momentum and confidence to consider. Personally I think it's daft that England are getting stick for beating Tonga 35-3, especially as the BP may be more important in that group. But they are, and it suggests that a similar wave of doubt and recrimination awaits Wales if they fail to put a cricket score on Georgia which - let's be frank - they're are quite likely to fail to do, if indeed they're even minded to try.

I'd rather stick to the wisdom that you can't win the cup this week. Get through this game, hopefully with a well-earned BP, and no injuries, and we should be happy.

[Graigwen]

Less than two hours before our first World Cup game and we are too relaxed to have a discussion about it!

[Son of Mathonwy]

I'm going to thoroughly jinx it by saying how glad I am that we're having a nice, gentle warm up game with little Georgia.

Let's get the BP and no injuries please. And if Patchell can get a solid stint at the end, that would be nice too.

[Graigwen]

I'm going to thoroughly jinx it by saying how glad I am that we're having a nice, gentle warm up game with little Georgia.

Let's get the BP and no injuries please. And if Patchell can get a solid stint at the end, that would be nice too.

Agreed, we need to make an effort to get the BP, something we don't always achieve even against opposition we should outclass. I don't buy the "BPs are not important in this group" argument. Its a World Cup, unexpected things happen. ....and we need the practice at scoring tries.

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[Lizard]

Doesn’t look like that line-up is there to fuck spiders, right?

[Graigwen]

Doesn’t look like that line-up is there to fuck spiders, right?

I think I get the drift of your quaint antipodean phrasing.

Georgia have got a good, strong, scrum. We have got mobility. So the obvious plan is to move the Georgians around until they get tired. I think that will happen in any case towards the end of the match, but will we have the good sense to move them round deliberately in the first half? We have the ability to do that, but I suspect we will not put it into effect.

It might be a good day for our wingers though.


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[Graigwen]

It wil be good to see Gorgodze playing again.


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[normanski]

Doesn’t look like that line-up is there to fuck spiders, right?

This will be a tight game for the first forty to fifty minutes but then fitness will play a part and we should come home comfortably with a couple of late tries.

Must say your boys looked ominous on Saturday and that bodes well to get you through to the final. Who you’ll meet goodness only knows but hopefully it’s Wales!!!

[Graigwen]

Doesn’t look like that line-up is there to fuck spiders, right?

This will be a tight game for the first forty to fifty minutes but then fitness will play a part and we should come home comfortably with a couple of late tries.

Must say your boys looked ominous on Saturday and that bodes well to get you through to the final. Who you’ll meet goodness only knows but hopefully it’s Wales!!!

1) I have a lot of respect for Georgia, but to be honest we will be failing if it is still tight after 50 minutes. I think it is inevitable fitness will play a large role in the last quarter simply because the Georgians have not had the chance to prepare as well as Wales have. I do always enjoy watching Georgia (as I am an old prop!).


2) I also thought the All Blacks looked ominous. They looked like a side still improving.

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[Graigwen]

We should not have a Welsh ref though!

[Sandydragon]

Tidy start!!!

[Sandydragon]

Doesn’t look like that line-up is there to fuck spiders, right?

This will be a tight game for the first forty to fifty minutes but then fitness will play a part and we should come home comfortably with a couple of late tries.

Must say your boys looked ominous on Saturday and that bodes well to get you through to the final. Who you’ll meet goodness only knows but hopefully it’s Wales!!!

1) I have a lot of respect for Georgia, but to be honest we will be failing if it is still tight after 50 minutes. I think it is inevitable fitness will play a large role in the last quarter simply because the Georgians have not had the chance to prepare as well as Wales have. I do always enjoy watching Georgia (as I am an old prop!).


2) I also thought the All Blacks looked ominous. They looked like a side still improving.

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I spent a few hours at Tbilisi airport worth ehGeorgian national team back in 2009. Not often I feel small but a friendlier bunch of lads you couldn’t hope to meet.

[Sandydragon]

And we’ve just won a scrum penalty!

[Sandydragon]

Any Tipuric scores a converted try!!

[Sandydragon]

20 minutes gone and it’s 22 nil following a try by Adams.

[Numbers]

This is looking like it's going to be a cricket score.

[Numbers]

Those screaming women aren't at all annoying...

[Sandydragon]

So after 10 minutes of Georgian pressure, we score our BP try through Liam Williams.

Whisper it quietly, we are showing evidence of some back moves!

[Sandydragon]

Those screaming women aren't at all annoying...

Yup.