A look at the dominant gainline winning tackling of Georgia's flanker Vito Kolelishvili who had a huge impact in the World Cup win over Tonga last Saturday.
Georgia's win against Tonga was a massive team effort. Stats say they made 201 tackles over the the course of the match, to Tonga's 50. That's a remarkable effort, and rarely do sides notch up that many, and ever more rarely do winning sides do so.
Three players made north of 20 tackles, with Mamuka Gorgodze, Vito Kolelishvili and Giorgi Nemsadze. Various other players made lots of other important tackles.
But what the numbers don't tell you is the effectiveness and impact of the tackle, and there was one player in Kolelishvili who not only made 21 tackles but dominated the collision, with a number of those hits gaining metres and momentum for Georgia.
Anyone who's ever watched Kolelishvili would know he is very tough man, packed full of muscle, full of explosive power, pace, and someone who seems to really relish and enjoy smashing into collisions both in defence and with ball in hand.
To illustrate the impact of Kolelishvili's tackling, here are 10 examples of him winning the gainline over the course of the match, driving Tongans back on impact. None of them were Rugby League style hits either, but he showed a superb combination of linespeed, technique, strength and physicality and carried zero risk of being penalised for a high or no arms tackle.
2nd minute
With just one minute gone, in combination with Davit Zirakashvili, Kolelishvili blocks out a snipe from scrum half Tane Takulua forces him behind the gainline.
6th minute
The same combination, this time on hooker Elvis Taione, and drive him back and Tonga lose the gainline and go backwards.
21st minute
With Merab Sharikadze grasping one leg, Kolelishvili completes the tackle forcefully and makes sure Tonga are on the backfoot which leads to centre Siale Piutau throwing the ball on the floor.
23rd minute
Perhaps the best tackle of the match, as with great linespeed, Kolelishvili drives at the legs of lock Lua Lokotui, but adds even more impact to a conventional chop tackle by twisting round and sending him backwards. A dominant tackle that creates a turnover.
42nd minute
Off set piece ball on the halfway line Nili Latu rampages at the gainline but gets met by Kolelishvili who in combination with Giga Tkhilaishvili drive him backwards and deny front foot ball.
54th minute
Again off set piece ball, centre Sione Piukula is stopped on the gainline by Kolelishvili along with the scrum half Vasil Lobzhanidze.
63rd minute
As prop Sona Taumalolo drives hard but again Kolelishvili in combination with Gorgodze, stop him in his tracks and peg him backwards.
68th minute
Off lost set piece ball, Kolelishvili stands up to number 8 Vili Ma'afu and again drives him backwards a metre or so to make sure to reduce the forward momentum to the ruck.
69th minute
20 seconds later after driving Ma'afu back, and at this point Kolelishvili's 6th tackle within 7 minutes, but still linespeed is excellent and Taumalolo is hit behind the gainline and drives him backwards, and although he gets the offload away the follow up chop from Sharikadze is good and it's a gain in defence for Georgia.
71st minute
This is now Kolelishvili's 9th tackle within 9 minutes over this period of pressure, but still linespeed is pretty good and a phase starting on the 5 metre line ends up two metres back as he along with Levan Datunashvili tackle flanker Sione Kalamafoni behind the gainline.
Kolelishvili has been a big player for Georgia for the past 4 years (provided he stays on the field of course), although is less known to many compared to the talismanic Gorgodze. In the 2011 World Cup, where Georgia also played Argentina, Kolelishvili notably put in another very strong performance.
The Lelos will be obviously be hoping for a fair few less tackles and pressure to withstand this Friday and be put on a bit more pressure of their own, but an equally rock hard defensive performance from all their team.
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