Georgia v Portugal (Sat/Sun)

[Lizard]

Unfairly, the Pool C cripple-fight to decide 4th/5th, unless Fiji somehow tank it. Georgia are generally the better side but there's not a lot in it - they drew 25 all last year.

[Puja]

Georgia dominating so far. Portugal barely getting any possession and are frankly lucky to only be 10-0 down.

Puja

[Puja]

Portuguese scramble and last ditch defence is doing a good job so far. Nearly half of the match has been played in Portugal's 22, 70% Georgia possession and still somehow keeping them out.

Portuguese lineout is a mess and their kicking game is just feeding Niniashvili who is terrifying their defence. No clue how it's only 10-0.

ETA - that's the first clean Portugal lineout take from about 5 attempts.

Puja

[Puja]

Portugal get a penalty, kick to touch, then call it to the back and promptly throw a not straight. This is ridiculously impressive how well they're recovering from being utterly inept. They haven't had possession in the Georgia half for nearly 20 minutes.

Puja

[Puja]

Georgia give up after another prolonged attack and taken the 3 points. They take the ball and attack again, going into the 22 yet again, but this time they turn it over and Portugal go 80m across a multi-phase attack to score a brilliant try in the corner. 13-5.

Puja

[Puja]

Oof. Portugal loosehead's just about to be red carded. Portugal make another scything attack from their own 22, Georgia turn them over just before their own 22 and counter-attack, and the Portuguese 1 is left on the wing against the Georgian hooker and just makes a tired, no arms tackle that results in a head-on-head contact. That's going to be the game over, such a shame.

Puja

[Puja]

Portugal somehow survive two 5m lineouts after that penalty, then survive a wonderful Georgian attack off the drop-out, and somehow get to half-time only 13-5 down. The decision on their prop is still in the bunker, but I don't think we'll be seeing him again. If he'd used arms, he could claim a drop in height, but it was never legal (through tiredness rather than malice, but still), so he'll be gone for sure, barring another bit of bunker madness.

Puja

[Puja]

Stays yellow. Ridiculous. Somewhere Tom Curry is sitting in a darkened room, crying.

Portugal win the sin-bin period 3-0. Maybe I called the game's demise a touch early.

Puja

[Puja]

Portugal are revitalised by the change in momentum. The try against the run of play, then the successful navigation of the sin-bin - they look like a different team and the crowd are well behind them. Should probably have scored a minute ago, but come back for the penalty and knocked over to bring them to 13-11.

Puja

[Puja]

Portugal get a lucky bounce of the ball, then screw up their attacking lineup leaving the 10 on his own. He then makes a silk purse out of a sow's ear by making a half-break and offloading to the lightning right wing who scored the first who then has loads of space to round the cover defence and go under the posts. Ridiculous scenes in the crowd.

The kicker then makes a ropey connection, but still gets the conversion. Everything running for Portugal today.

No-one else watching this? Great RWC game and building the next generation of Portugal fans and players.

Oh and now Georgia tap and run a kickable penalty, break through to go over the line, only for a pair of last ditch tacklers to hold him up. Amazing.

Puja

[Puja]

Portugal penalty from driving back Georgia at the scrum! That was worth a Ben Earl celebration.

Puja

[16th man]

Portugal penalty from driving back Georgia at the scrum! That was worth a Ben Earl celebration.

Puja

Missed the first half but you'd be hard pressed from the 2nd to point out the team people have been lobbying for to join the 6 nations.

[Mr Mwenda]

Stays yellow. Ridiculous. Somewhere Tom Curry is sitting in a darkened room, crying.

Portugal win the sin-bin period 3-0. Maybe I called the game's demise a touch early.

Puja

Utterly bizarre, is the fact that the Portuguese player came off worse a factor? Did the Georgian have a his?

[Mr Mwenda]

Storti is having a cracking game. Almost a hattrick!

[Mr Mwenda]

Portugal penalty from driving back Georgia at the scrum! That was worth a Ben Earl celebration.

Puja

Missed the first half but you'd be hard pressed from the 2nd to point out the team people have been lobbying for to join the 6 nations.

Time for an 8 nations rackon.

[Puja]

Portugal penalty from driving back Georgia at the scrum! That was worth a Ben Earl celebration.

Puja

Missed the first half but you'd be hard pressed from the 2nd to point out the team people have been lobbying for to join the 6 nations.

It is an entirely different half - Georgia were dominant first half. Portugal look utterly changed - they grabbed the momentum and just haven't let it go.

Puja

[Puja]

Stays yellow. Ridiculous. Somewhere Tom Curry is sitting in a darkened room, crying.

Portugal win the sin-bin period 3-0. Maybe I called the game's demise a touch early.

Puja

Utterly bizarre, is the fact that the Portuguese player came off worse a factor? Did the Georgian have a his?

No explanation, as it happened over half-time.

Puja

[Puja]

Dumbest penalty of the day from a Portuguese player. Ball not out, ref shouts "NO" at him and he still goes for it.

Now a 13-man Georgian drive from the 5m lineout. It's over, but no clue on grounding. Over to TMO.

Puja

[Puja]

That's a try. The Portuguese 22 who gave away that penalty needs shooting. It's in the corner though, so conversion is going to be hard. 18-18 at present...

Puja

[Puja]

WIDE!

Puja

[Puja]

PORTUGAL PENALTY!

It's wide out though. Do they go for goal?

Puja

[switchskier]

That was a great game. No analysis to offer, I just really enjoyed it.

[Puja]

Just wide. Portugal robbed to a certain extent and a crying shame that they couldn't clinch their first ever RWC win, but at least they didn't lose. What a great RWC game!

That game's an argument against an expansion to 24 - wouldn't've happened with 6 pools of 4. Emphasises the importance of a plate competition.

Puja

[Mr Mwenda]

Feel for Portugal but probably fair considering how dominant Georgia was in the first half. Should have been red for the prop too.

[UKHamlet]

Georgia did what they had to do. Disappointing for Portugal but they'll come back stronger. I don't buy the "deserved better" narrative; you deserve what's on the scoreboard.