Australia outlast Georgia to stumble into the knockout stages

Australia's were unconvincing in their win over Georgia in their final pool game. Photo: Christophe Ena/AP Photo

Australia's were unconvincing in their win over Georgia in their final pool game. Photo: Christophe Ena/AP Photo

Published Oct 11, 2019

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FUKUROI CITY – Australia made heavy

work of it in difficult conditions but outlasted a tough Georgia

team to round out their Rugby World Cup Pool D campaign with an

unconvincing 27-8 victory on Friday. 

The wind and persistent rain presaging Saturday's arrival of

Typhoon Hagibis made for an untidy contest at Shizuoka Stadium

but the Wallabies did just enough to ensure they will top the

pool if Wales slip up against Uruguay on Sunday. 

That is highly unlikely but with England therefore looming

as Australia's quarter-final opposition, a run-out against a big

physical tier-two team was as good a preparation as coach

Michael Cheika could have wanted. 

 England will have little to fear from the Wallabies on this

evidence, however, as the twice World Cup winners stumbled

rather than cantered into the knockout stages.  

Their hopes of a first fast start of the tournament were

quickly quashed by a steely Georgia defence which had already

made 100 tackles before scrumhalf Nic White nipped over the line

to open the scoring in the 23rd minute. 

No more tries were to follow before the break but

Australia's problems with the high tackle did return in the 35th

minute when number eight Isi Naisarani was sent to the sin bin

for an arm into the face of Georgian lock Giorgi Nemsadze. 

Soso Matiashvili and Matt To'omua exchanged penalties to

give Australia a 10-3 halftime lead but their frequent handling

errors hampered their efforts to break clear at the start of the

second half.

In the end, it took a dazzling individual effort from Marika

Koroibete to make the second-half breakthrough with the big

winger weaving his way past four defenders to touch down on the

hour mark. 

Georgia were not done yet, though, and winger Alexander

Todua got the biggest cheer of the night from the rain-drenched

crowd when he tore down the left wing to score 10 minutes from

time. 

Loose forward Jack Dempsey and scrumhalf Will Genia crossed

for tries in the last five minutes to earn Australia a bonus

point they did not need and add a bit of respectability to the

scoreline.

Australia's win means Georgia's totemic flanker Mamuka

"Gorgodzilla" Gorgodze heads into retirement without the win

over a tier one team he so desired. 

Reuters

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