The June tournament the IRB Tbilisi Cup is used as an experimental one for all involved in it. Should Georgia really be awarding all their games in it full cap status?
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| Georgian talisman Gorgodze has been playing elsewhere in the world this June |
Georgia have a habit of awarding full caps for virtually every match they play, regardless of who the opposition is. Sides such as Scotland A, Emerging Ireland, South Africa President's XV have been deemed worthy of full cap status. But this is a poor idea for various reasons.
The Tbilisi Cup tournament is not regarded as a serious tournament that anyone cares about, and if we’re being honest it's just a tournament the IRB has given Georgia (along with Romania's version) so that they Russia and couple others are not left twiddling their thumbs during the June international window. All of the participants (which this year includes Emerging Italy, Argentina Jaguars and Spain along with Georgia), are in it with the motivation more towards trialling and testing than to winning and the teams fielded reflect that.
Going into the final game last year with a chance of winning the tournament against SA President's XV, there was a bulk of players who had flown out to Argentina (some of which didn't play in any games of the tournament) which illustrates how important winning it was.
About 3 players who might actually be considered first choice played that particular game, and the players playing elite rugby in the Top 14 and generally the more important players do not feature much in the squad. In this year's, there's no Gorgodze, Datunashvili, Zirakashvili, Nariashvili, Bregvadze or Kolelishvili, and that's most of the current first choice pack named right there.
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| Are a side such as "Emerging Italy" really worthy of full cap status? |
In place of them, we'll see a mixture of young players and rookies like teenagers Giorgadze and Jinchvelashvili from the U20's, bench players and reserves from the squad like Tsiklauri and Nemsadze, and Georgian based players like Mamukashvili or players who didn’t get a lot of game time at their clubs like Basilaia or Zhvania who could do with a few more games.
So it really isn't a genuine first choice team, nor will the opponents be. Spain won't be at full strength just like Uruguay weren't last year who will have similar intentions, and the mere name "Emerging Italy" tells all you need to know about the Italian teams' motivations.
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| The IRB Tbilisi Cup games will be nothing like the atmosphere of a game at a sold out 55,000 stadium like the Russia match in February |
Unsurprisingly given the nature of the games, the tournament tends to garner very little interest. Georgia may be the best supported Tier 2 nations numbers wise and has produced some superb passionate atmospheres during the games against Russia and Romania this year and the win against Samoa last year, but the tournament is shunted out to a little 2,000 facility. Also while all of Georgia's proper internationals are shown on the main national broadcaster 1TV, last year it was just live streamed on YouTube.
As for interest in it outside Georgia, the official "Emerging Ireland" vs "SA President's XV" highlights video on YouTube has just 223 views. So really, it is a tournament that carries little interest to other than a very few hardcore fans wanting to check up on some young players.
Given those factors with weakened sides and low interest, the tournament really doesn't have the feel of a proper internationals. Nor is it the norm in the sport to award caps for games against the "Emerging Italy" types of opposition.
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| Most nations don’t award caps for games against representative teams such as Tonga didn't against the French Barbarians for example |
No serious rugby nation does that, you don't see anyone suggesting Wales capping their game against Eastern Province Kings or England capping their game "CONSUR XV", but Georgia caps games against "SA President's XV" and "Argentina Jaguars". Other Tier 2 nations such as Canada, USA, Japan, Samoa or Tonga also don't cap those type of non international games, despite facing stronger more prestigious opposition like the Maori All Blacks and French Barbarians.
So why exactly do Georgia keep deciding to award caps for these games? It's a good question, as there is seemingly no benefit to it. All it does is devalue the achievement of getting capped, whilst also sullying the reputation as a side to foreign observers (of which there are admittedly few) who see a poor side and a small crowd for what is full national team game.
At a loss as to why the GRU would decide to cap the games, there are rumours that it is the IRB that pushes that direction so as to be able to trumpet the tournament more in their press releases.
So why exactly do Georgia keep deciding to award caps for these games? It's a good question, as there is seemingly no benefit to it. All it does is devalue the achievement of getting capped, whilst also sullying the reputation as a side to foreign observers (of which there are admittedly few) who see a poor side and a small crowd for what is full national team game.
At a loss as to why the GRU would decide to cap the games, there are rumours that it is the IRB that pushes that direction so as to be able to trumpet the tournament more in their press releases.
just to get it clear, can a national team play another team and not get capped?
ReplyDeleteas for GRU decision, from what i know the Georgian side has been trying a lot lately to participate in such tournaments with a status of "emerging Georgia" or "Georgia XV" instead of representing the national team. and i don't think they care for caps that much.
also it's safe to say that we, Georgian rugby supporters don't care too much for this tournament. we do support our team and cheer for it, but we would much rather see our team play another tier 2 nation, e.g. play in pacific nations cup. same goes for GRU. but irb doesn't grant us such privileges.