Indiscipline continues to be an issue for Georgian rugby, and under coach Milton Haig they've been a side that's received more cards than any other often hampering them in matches. Haig has just a few months left to try and fix the issue, or risk a lapse of discipline potentially costing him his job.
After the Georgian team conceded three yellow cards in their 19-10 win over Uruguay in the Tbilisi Cup, the post-match report on worldsport.ge referenced ‘provocations’ being one of the major weapons of the Uruguayans. This game coming after an ill-tempered game between each nation’s Under 20 teams a month ago at the Junior World Trophy, which featured a big fistfight and several players missing the rest of the tournament with bans.
However whilst those alleged ‘provocations’ may possibly be correct, there’s also a large question about the possible ease at to which some members of the Georgian team may be provoked, as needless cards for foul play seem to be following them disproportionately.
Georgia have now conceded 8 yellow cards in their past 5 tests, the only match this year where they haven’t gone to 14 men being the rout of Germany.
This has been a continuous problem for Milton Haig’s team. Only once in his reign as coach has his side gone three consecutive matches without receiving a card, and that dates back over 3 years ago to the backend of the 2012 ENC.
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| Cards per team since last RWC Pts = 1 per Yellow, 3 for Red Tier 2 teams collectively receive more cards than Tier 1, Japan the exception. Georgia are up there as one of the most carded teams since the last World Cup. |
Since the last World Cup, overall Georgia have statistically one of the worst disciplinary records in international rugby, having conceded 27 yellows and 4 reds in 38 matches. That’s more cards than any other nation in that period (although Romania have conceded one more yellow, and Fiji and Tonga have worst records relative to matches played).
Using the points system the Pro12 uses for their disciplinary league (1 pt per yellow, 3 pts per red), Georgia come out the worst of any nation bar Tonga (who since the World Cup have averaged exactly 1 card per game).
In fact what the list shows, that with the exception of Japan, all the Tier 1 sides are receiving far fewer cards on average than the other teams who will be at the World Cup. With the Pacific Islanders and Eastern Europeans in particular standing out as the most regularly sin binned sides.
The side who is shown to be least carded is Ireland (who also lead the way with three of their provinces in the European table of fewest cards received last season), whilst Japan and England follow closely behind them.
Obviously tallying cards is not a precisely accurate way of measuring discipline. Some cards may not necessarily preventable, especially for team’s spending large portions of matches under severe pressure defensively, or a team who’s scrum has been singled out. Whilst some cards are given out inconsistently for some offences, and some incidents like for instance Andrew Hore’s cheap shot on Bradley Davies in 2012 go unpunished.
However still, the amount of cards Georgia have been racking in recent times will be both alarming and highly frustrating for their coaches, especially as many of them will be marked down as completely preventable, and the issue is seen across Georgian rugby this past month.
Last weekend against Uruguay, young prop Nikoloz Khatiashvili was the first sent to the sin bin after needlessly charging into a ruck (not all that dissimilar from the infamous play that sent Martin Johnson nuts as England coach back in 2009).
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| Debutant prop Khatiashvili was sent to the sin bin for this needless charge into a ruck |
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| The veteran Chkhaidze was Georgia's third yellow card after his reaction to a Uruguayan player batting his arm off him |
Meanwhile just a couple of weeks ago, Emerging Georgia lost in the last minute to a Welsh touring XV. It was a game the Georgians probably should have won, but they weren’t helped by lock Sandro Koiava getting red carded for headbutting in a maul just after half time.
Obviously the headbutting incident is rarer, but it still follows along the theme of Georgian teams failing to manage their discipline, with far too often conceding these preventable clumsy cards.
With important matches coming up for Milton Haig, it’s vital that more patience and stricter discipline is drummed into his squad and its importance emphasised. Although in the end, that’s pretty much all the can do when it comes down mostly to the player. There’s no way he can take a hard selection stance on the issue, as there is nowhere near the depth to be afford to dropping any leading players.
(Although in more positive news, Vito Kolelishvili, known for some wild indiscipline and a stack of cards, has hopefully now turned a corner having now gone 28 games since he last was shown a card).
There is perhaps a sense that possibly more could be done to improve discipline for some of the more technical offences. All teams will commit them, but the more experienced Tier 1 sides will do more cannily.
Ireland for instance, one of the least carded teams, are known for being able to push boundaries and learning what they can or can’t get away with, and often manage the different referees, with captain Paul O’Connell will be seen liaising with ref over the course of a match.
There’s always a slight disadvantage on the latter point for a nation without English first language, or a team that won’t have the nearly the amount of first-hand experience of the top level referees.
However despite that, it may help if Haig puts in a bit of extra time with his squad possibly studying their referees, make sure all his squad are fully up to date with the details of laws, and talking with them about how and when they commit defensive offences. If a player lets him down then there’s nothing he can do, but it’s an area of the game that certainly needs emphasis as yellow cards are handicapping Georgia at the minute in tight matches.
And ultimately, if another incident occurs at the World Cup where a player gets sin binned charging into a ruck crazily, or gets irritated with the opposition and hits out, then a player's indiscipline could cost Haig his job if it were to cost a match.
Obviously the headbutting incident is rarer, but it still follows along the theme of Georgian teams failing to manage their discipline, with far too often conceding these preventable clumsy cards.
With important matches coming up for Milton Haig, it’s vital that more patience and stricter discipline is drummed into his squad and its importance emphasised. Although in the end, that’s pretty much all the can do when it comes down mostly to the player. There’s no way he can take a hard selection stance on the issue, as there is nowhere near the depth to be afford to dropping any leading players.
(Although in more positive news, Vito Kolelishvili, known for some wild indiscipline and a stack of cards, has hopefully now turned a corner having now gone 28 games since he last was shown a card).
There is perhaps a sense that possibly more could be done to improve discipline for some of the more technical offences. All teams will commit them, but the more experienced Tier 1 sides will do more cannily.
Ireland for instance, one of the least carded teams, are known for being able to push boundaries and learning what they can or can’t get away with, and often manage the different referees, with captain Paul O’Connell will be seen liaising with ref over the course of a match.
There’s always a slight disadvantage on the latter point for a nation without English first language, or a team that won’t have the nearly the amount of first-hand experience of the top level referees.
However despite that, it may help if Haig puts in a bit of extra time with his squad possibly studying their referees, make sure all his squad are fully up to date with the details of laws, and talking with them about how and when they commit defensive offences. If a player lets him down then there’s nothing he can do, but it’s an area of the game that certainly needs emphasis as yellow cards are handicapping Georgia at the minute in tight matches.
And ultimately, if another incident occurs at the World Cup where a player gets sin binned charging into a ruck crazily, or gets irritated with the opposition and hits out, then a player's indiscipline could cost Haig his job if it were to cost a match.
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