In a captivating match that took place yesterday, Georgia emerged as the victor once again by defeating Portugal 36-10 in the Rugby Europe Championship finals. This impressive win marks Georgia’s 13th title out of the last 14 competitions, with their sole defeat occurring in 2017 against Romania.
An intense showdown was anticipated as both Georgia and Portugal secured the top spots in their respective pools, leading to a highly awaited rematch of the two teams’ Rugby World Cup pool match. Earlier this year, the teams clashed at the tournament in France, resulting in an 18-18 draw.
Georgia reasserted its dominance to claim the Rugby Europe Championship title, exhibiting their prowess with strategic tries scored by Akaki Tabutsadze, who found the net twice, and Vano Karkadze, who scored off the back of a maul. Luka Matkava’s impressive performance also contributed to Georgia’s commanding lead on the scoreboard.
Following the exhilarating victory, Georgia’s new head coach, Richard Cockerill, shared his insights, expressing, “Tonight there was a real edge because Portugal are a team who are definitely good enough to beat us. They probably should have beaten us in the World Cup. With respect to all the other teams, we’re probably too good for this tournament. At the moment, maybe we are not quite good enough to be dining at the same table as the Super Rugby teams or the Championship or the Six Nations. The politicians above me will decide where is best for us to play moving forward at some point. The thing we have to do is keep improving.”
While there has been speculation among fans about the possibility of the Six Nations introducing relegation for the bottom team to allow teams like Georgia to compete in the tournament, no official decision has been made by the governing bodies.
In other matches of the tournament, Spain secured a thrilling victory against Romania with a score of 40-33, the Netherlands dominated Germany with a remarkable 45-0 win, and Belgium emerged victorious over Poland with a score of 34-8.
The Rugby Europe Championship finals were a testament to the extraordinary talent and sportsmanship showcased by the participating teams. The passion and dedication displayed on the field have undoubtedly elevated the spirit of the sport to new heights.
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