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Rugby World Cup | Group Stage
Sep 19, 2015 at 12pm UK
 
Tonga
10-17
Georgia
Vainikolo (72')
FT
Gorgodze (28'), Tkhilaishvili (57')

Half-Time Report: Captain Mamuka Gorgodze puts Georgia in front against Tonga

Georgia take a 10-3 lead into the halfway stage of their Rugby World Cup opener against Tonga courtesy of a try from captain Mamuka Gorgodze.

Georgia captain Mamuka Gorgodze scored the only try of the first half to give his side a 10-3 lead over Tonga in their Rugby World Cup opener at Kingsholm this afternoon.

Tonga's Viliami Helu is tackled during the Rugby World Cup match with Georgia on September 19, 2015© Getty Images

The two nations had combined for just eight World Cup victories between them going into this match, but with the might of New Zealand and the ever-dangerous Argentina also in Pool C, their opening contest carried the air of a must-win game.

A stop-start opening 15 minutes saw both sides punished by referee Nigel Owens on a number of occasions, but a Kurt Morath penalty provided the only impact on the scoreboard.

Kurt Morath kicks the ball during the Rugby World Cup game between Tonga and Georgia in Gloucester on September 19, 2015© AFP

Georgia were failing to make the most of Tonga's indiscipline, with Merab Kvirikashvili missing a very kickable penalty before Tamaz Mchedlidze was unable to collect a crossfield kick with the tryline gaping.

However, Milton Haig's side did finally register on the scoreboard when Kvirikashvili levelled things up after Tonga had been penalised for pulling down a Georgian maul.

The Europeans continued to impose themselves on their opponents, with Gorgodze leading the charge for his side, and it was the skipper who registered the first try of the game when he burrowed over from close range.

Georgia captain Mamuka Gorgodze scores his team's first try against Tonga in the Rugby World Cup on September 19, 2015© Getty Images

It was the number eight's 24th international try, and Kvirikashvili added the extras to hand his side a seven-point lead after half an hour.

The Tongans improved towards the latter stages of the half and they thought they had got themselves back into it when Vili Ma'afu burst over from a lineout move, but the referee pulled things back for a forward pass in the build-up.

The resulting scrum saw Georgia win another penalty as their stern defence held firm once again, allowing them to go into the break with the one-score lead.

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Georgia captain Mamuka Gorgodze scores his team's first try against Tonga in the Rugby World Cup on September 19, 2015
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