Rugby World Cup 2019: powerful Georgia slay giant-killers Uruguay
- Georgia’s win moves them onto five points and gives them a shot at progressing.
A dominant forward display laid the foundation for an impressive victory by Georgia, who will now target an upset against Australia on October 11 as their path to a shock quarter-final place from pool D.
Uruguay had rocked the tournament with its first shock result, beating highly talented Fiji by 30-27 in a pulsating match in Kamaishi on Wednesday.
Georgia coach Milton Haig had targeted Sunday’s clash as a “must-win” game and made 12 changes from the side that lost 43-14 to Wales.
And it was his side – ranked six places above Uruguay – that started the brighter, a sustained spell of forward dominance at the scrum leaving space out wide for winger Alexander Todua to score in the left corner.
Both sides struggled to impose themselves early in energy-sapping humidity in Kumagaya, which saw the first water breaks at this year’s Rugby World Cup.