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Rugby World Cup | Group Stage
Sep 25, 2015 at 4.45pm UK
 
Argentina
54-9
Georgia
Lavanini (10'), Cubelli (47'), Imhoff (49', 76'), Cordero (53', 72'), Landajo (70')
FT

Live Commentary: Argentina 54-9 Georgia - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live Rugby World Cup coverage as Argentina get their first win of the tournament with a 54-9 victory over Georgia in Pool C.
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Argentina and Georgia met in a physical match in their Rugby World Cup Pool C encounter at Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester.

Georgia were aiming to keep up their momentum after shocking Tonga in their opener, while Argentina were looking for their first win of the tournament after falling to New Zealand's sword last week.

After a tough first half, it was Argentina who showed the gulf in class when they scored three tries in six minutes after the break, with Santiago Cordero and Juan Imhoff both grabbing a brace.

Catch up with all the action below.


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Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of this undoubtedly physical encounter between Argentina and Georgia at Kingsholm Stadium.

Kingsholm looks glorious at the moment and this will probably suit the Argentinians more than the Georgians. Expect Georgia to try and arm wrestle their opponents - something Argentina normally prefers, but maybe not today.

Let's have a look at the teams shall we...

Argentina: Tuculet, Cordero, Bosch, Hernandez, Imhoff, Sanchez, Cubelli; Ayerza, Creevy, Chaparro, Alemanno, Lavanini, Leguizamon, Lobbe, Isa

Replacements: Montoya, Noguera, Herrera, Ortega Desio, Matera, Landajo, De La Fuente, Amorosino


Georgia: Kvirikashvili, Mchedlidze, Kacharava, Sharikadze, Aptsiauri, Malaguradze, Lobzhanidze; Nariashvili, Bregvadze, Zirakashvili, Nemsadze, Mikautadze, Tkhilaishvili, Kolelishvili, Gorgodze

Replacements: Mamukashvili, Asieshvili, Chilachava, Datunashvili, Sutiashvili, Begadze, Pruidze, Giorgadze


Wow, typing out those Georgian names was hard.

Find out what our Sports Mole reporter at Kingsholm, Dan Lewis, thinks of tonight's action:

"The Kingsholm Stadium may be tiny in comparison to the majority of other ground in this year's Rugby World Cup, but it more than makes up for it with its compact stands which will provide a superb atmosphere this evening.

"Argentina have packed out large parts of this Gloucester-based venue, filling the surrounding areas with a sea of blue throughout the day. The onus is very much on them following their opening-game defeat to New Zealand last time out, while Georgia can move to within touching distance of the knockout stages with a win of their own."


A reminder that Argentina are without lock Mariano Galarazo who has been banned for nine weeks after being found guilty of eye gouging Brodie Retallick in that loss to New Zealand. Argentina will appeal the ban, which does seem harsh when you look at the footage.

More from Sports Mole reporter Dan Lewis:

"Argentina have a good record against Georgia, winning each of the last three meetings - including at the last two World Cups. Los Pumas have progressed out of the pool stage in three of their last four appearances at this showpiece event, which you would fancy them to do once more if the points are picked up this evening.

"Georgia have already played here, though - and won! They saw off Tonga in their opening fixture to get their campaign off to a strong start.

"This will be a far tougher test this evening, however, against a side ranked inside the world's top eight."


This is the view from Kingsholm as the teams come out for the anthems.



Georgia have improved their result against Argentina each time they have played, losing by 30 points at RWC 2007, 18 at RWC 2011 and 11 in their 2013 test encounter. Can they improve once more?

Meanwhile, as Georgia belt out they sombre anthem, their starting XV have a total of 632 caps, their most experienced in a RWC match and only five caps short of their test record of 637, set earlier this year against Romania.

KICKOFF! Juan Martin Hernandez get's us underway in this Pool C match. JP Doyle is our referee this evening.

An Argentine infringement at the scrum has given us our first penalty of the match, which Merab Kvirikashvili kicks for touch 30 metres from the try line.

Argentina clear their lines though after Georgia spill the lineout and they end up winning a penalty on the halfway line. Hernandez kicks that beautifully to five metres out.

DROP GOAL! Argentina 3-0 Georgia (Sanchez)

Probably the worst drop goal you'll ever see but Nicolas Sanchez won't care. Argentina recycle the ball from the rolling maul and Sanchez slots over when he notices that his side have advantage.

That's our first drop goal of the 2015 tournament, in the 13th game.

Argentina take advantage from a poor Georgia kickoff and immediately break downfield, winning a lineout 20 metres out in the process.

TRY!  TRY! Argentina 8-0 Georgia (Lavanini)

The ball goes side to side from the resulting lineout and with another advantage, Sanchez sees an overlap, floats a pass over and Tomas Lavanini flops over the line. Sanchez shanks the conversion wide.

Georgia win another penalty at the scrum and Kvirikashvili kicks for the corner, but again they drop the ball at the lineout, and it is Argentina's turn to win a penalty and clear their lines again.

Once again they fail at the lineout though, and it is Argentina's turn to win a penalty and clear their lines again.

JP Doyle goes to the TMO after Kvirikashvili falls to the floor following an up-and-under...and he's right to do so. Matias Alemanno steps into the fullback and now there's a chance for Georgia to get on the board.

PENALTY! Argentina 8-3 Georgia (Kvirikashvili)

Kvirikashvili steps up and slots the kick through the middle of the posts from 40 metres out.

And the Georgians win another kick-able penalty. Mamuka Gorgodze smashes a blue and white shirt out the way, it takes four to bring him down and Argentina give another penalty away at the ruck.

PENALTY! Argentina 8-6 Georgia (Kvirikashvili)

From closer to the halfway line and from a slight angle Kvirikashvili brings the scores within two.

PENALTY! Argentina 11-6 Georgia (Sanchez)

But not for long as Georgia are penalised for a high tackle straight away and Sanchez steps up to add the three points.

Let's see what Dan says after the first quarter of this match:

"Argentina have just dropped their levels slightly following what was an impressive start at the Kingsholm. Georgia have been gifted a route back into this contest via those two penalties, but if the South American side can feed off this superb following then they should successfully get themselves over the line."


A horrible, bouncing kick through from Sanchez is snaffled out of Georgian hands by Marcelo Bosch but the Eastern European defence is fierce and knock on in the tackle, given Argentina the scrum.

And again Argentina are penalised at the scrum. This time Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro is pulled up for a short bind.

Argentina have a promising attack down the right but Santiago Cordero can't read Joaquin Tuculet's offload and it bobbles into touch. Georgia then earn a penalty from the lineout which they kick to touch.

The Argentine defence is strong, pushing the Georgians back but some nice offloading gets them within five, before Argentina are penalised again at the ruck.

PENALTY! Argentina 11-9 Georgia (Kvirikashvili)

It's an easy kick but my, Kvirikashvili is good at what he does. He dissects the posts from close to the left yet again.

A lovely break from Sanchez gets Argentina within the 22, and nice hands and offloading get them even closer to the tryline before the ball is knocked on. There's a penalty for Argentina though after Sanchez was tackled without the ball...

PENALTY! Argentina 14-9 Georgia (Sanchez)

This time it is Sanchez who dissects the posts from almost in front.

Hernandez receives the ball from the restart but his enormous legs kick the ball dead and Georgia get the penalty close to the opposition 22.

SUBSTITUTION! Well this is weird. As soon as Hernandez has kicked that he is taken off, and he seems to be walking alright. Jeronimo De La Fuente replaces him.

Great name.


Georgia try a drop goal from the resulting scrum, which misses, before Sanchez slices his dropout and Georgia retain the ball five metres from the line. There's still no way through though and Kvirikashvili passes forward as the whistle blows for the break.

HALF-TIME! Argentina 11-9 Georgia

Not the greatest of halves by any means. Argentina have rarely had the ball in the Georgian half, while the Lelos only look like scoring after earning penalties from scrum time. Argentina are defending well but there's no creativity in that Georgian attack.

Let us see what Dan Lewis makes of it:

It has been a strange first half in many ways, and one which Argentina have done well to constantly keep themselves on top of. I was hoping for a few tries at the Kingsholm this evening, but we are likely to have to wait until the second half for a second of the contest.


Tomas Lavanini's try is the difference between the two here. Argentina will be kicking themselves that they have not yet pulled away, while Georgia will want to get their hands on the ball more.

RESTART! We're back underway.

Gorgodze has just unceremoniously mauled Facundo Isa to the ground. It was high though and Argentina get a penalty.

They go wide from the lineout but the backs' attack is far too lateral and Cordero is easily bundled into touch by two black and red shirts.

YELLOW CARD! How have Argentina not scored here? Sanchez once again sees a gap, breaks and passes inside to Bosch. The centre has plenty of options but for some reason steps inside and is scragged down. Gorgodze receives a yellow after he didn't roll away and Argentina kick to touch.

We're going to the TMO here for a possible Argentina try.

NO TRY! Apparently, somehow, that was inconclusive. Tomas Cubelli takes a quick tap from yet another penalty and while he is met short, the forwards rumble on and Juan Manuel Leguizamón drives his way over. It's an Argentine scrum though.

TRY!Argentina 21-9 Georgia (Cubelli)

Too easy. Alemmano picks up from the resulting scrum, holds in the defence and sends Cubelli over on the blindside. Sanchez converts the extra two to give Argentina a nice 12 point barrier.

TRY! Argentina 28-9 Georgia (Imhoff)

Make that a 19 point barrier. Straight from the restart the forwards ship the ball through the hands and Isa breaks before feeding the ball to De La Fuente, the replacement is not greedy and he gives the ball to Imhoff who races into the corner.

TRY! Argentina 35-9 Georgia (Cordero)

What a costly yellow that has been. Argentina kick to touch after winning a penalty, and a wraparound sees Cordero appear out of nowhere to break the Georgian line and step past a flabbergasted Kvirikashvili. Sanchez adds the easy conversion and that's the bonus try point too.

This is better from Georgia. They finally have ball in hand and some direct running sees them make hard yards, before eventually running into touch.

What a break from Levan Datunashvili! Argentina pressure again but the replacement somehow ends up with the ball and drives his legs all the way to the Argentine 22 with Cubelli hanging off him. Merab Sharikadze adds a strong line to the attack but a chip through ends up rolling into touch.

Sharikadze has probably been Georgia's best player today, he hits some beautiful lines. Where does he play? Stade Aurillacois in the French second league, although he did spend time at Hartpury College.

Argentina try and break from their own line but Imhoff doesn't have the gas this time and he's bundled into touch. They are past halfway though and win a penalty after Georgia are penalised for holding on.

Here's our Dan:

"Well how about that from Argentina! A second-half blitz, which included three tries inside six minutes, has well and truly put them on their way to a first win of this World Cup.

It had been awfully cagey and tight up until that point, but now the South American supporters are bouncing all around the Kingsholm Stadium."


Not far off. Argentina have a lineout on the near side of the pitch and Sanchez tries a cheeky cross-field which just escapes Cordero out wide.

Georgia win a penalty in the middle of the park and they kick to within five metres out...

So close! Georgia break the line after setting up a rolling maul and with the tryline right in front of him, Sharikadze collects a chip kick but his attempted offload ricochets forward. They have another penalty though and the Lelos choose to go for the scrum.

They lose it though! That's what Argentina is know for! The blue and white front row does a great job of popping their opposite numbers up and Georgia give away a penalty. You can see just how much that means to the South Americans.

TRY! Argentina 42-9 Georgia (Landajo)

Again, that's too easy. From the lineout Argentina go wide and rumble forward, replacement scrum-half Martin Landajo sees half a gap and snipes over the line. Bosch takes over the kicking duties and adds the extras.

TRY! Argentina 49-9 Georgia (Cordero)

Georgia really are poor from the restart. Argentina break quickly after catching the ball and Landajo passes out wide to Cordero, who does extremely well to step out of two tackles before making his way down the touchline and going in over in the corner for his second. Bosch kicks a beautiful conversion out wide.

TRY! Argentina 54-9 Georgia (Imhoff)

This is too easy for Argentina but it really shouldn't be a try. Amorosino collects a grubber on the touchline but his foot is in touch as he kicks back inside. Imhoff is on hand to catch it and after a few phrases, Imhoff is there again to burst past a tired Georgia forward for the try. Bosch misses a relatively easy conversion.

Argentina are really going for this now. At every possible opportunity they are shipping the ball wide and finding huge gaps when they break back infield. The Georgians are absolutely knackered and Argentina know it.

Georgia have the ball now but they don't really care what they do with it, the fight has gone. They lumber into contact and Argentina rip the ball, someone's fallen over, the ball goes dead and that seems to be the final whistle. A strange last 20 seconds.

FULL-TIME! Argentina 54-9 Georgia

Argentina get their first win of the World Cup and it's a record-breaking win over Georgia at that. The two sides struggled to impose themselves in the first half but Argentina ran away in the second. Wingers Santiago Cordero and Juan Imhoff both ended up with two each. Georgia meanwhile will look to make amends when they face Namibia in quite-winnable game, but first they must face New Zealand. Gulp.

That's all from Sports Mole tonight folks, but we will be back for three World Cup matches tomorrow - Italy v Canada, South Africa v Samoa, and England v Wales. Join us then!

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