Rugby Europe Championship: Georgia defeats Germany

Georgia’s national rugby team have convincingly defeated Germany 64-8 in the German town of Heusenstamm in a Rugby Europe Championship match today.

This was the first rugby meeting between the nations since Germany was relegated to Division B in 2010. Georgia played its part in Germany’s demotion that year with a 77-3 trouncing in Tbilisi.

A similarly straightforward afternoon was expected this time around with the Germans ranked 25th in the world - ten places below Georgia. 

Looking ahead Georgia will host Portugal on February 14 before a trip to Spain on February 28.

If Georgia can exert their superiority in the two upcoming matches, as head coach Milton Haig is expecting, the side will go into their penultimate match against Russia in Tbilisi on March 14 with maximum points and bonuses.

The Georgian side, commonly known as the Lelos, will end their European Championship with a trip to Romania on March 21. In recent years this match was the decider between the two strongest teams in the competition. Georgia and Romania are currently miles ahead of the rest of the teams however Russia appears to be slowly narrowing the gap.

Meanwhile 2015 will be a historic year for the Lelos as they will compete in the Rugby World Cup for the fourth time. For the first time ever the Lelos will challenge current world champions, the all-conquering All Blacks from New Zealand in Cardiff in October.

Preparation for the World Cup has been underway for some time, starting with the autumn tests against Tonga, Ireland and Japan, furthering Georgia’s readiness for the finals in England and Wales later this year.