Cardiff Blues flanker James Botham is one of the Welsh call-ups
- Venue: Parc-y-Scarlets, Llanelli
- Date: Saturday 21 November
- Kick-off: 5.15pm GMT
- Coverage: S4C and Amazon Prime Video
Tbilisi – Georgia’s capital – translates as “warm location”, but an empty Parc-y-Scarlets may feel anything but that for the visiting Georgians who face a highly criticised Welsh side, smarting from six consecutive losses and desperate to deliver a win for under-siege coach Wayne Pivac.
Uncapped flanker James Botham and Scarlets wing Johnny McNicholl have joined Wales’ Autumn Nations squad this week, while Georgia see experienced lock Kote Mikautadze return from injury. The additions will bolster both sides ahead of their meeting on Saturday.
Wales ‘need to deliver’
McNicholl arrives in the squad following a Man of the Match performance against Connacht on Saturday, setting up three tries for the Scarlets. McNicholl was not expected to be fit for the Autumn Nations Cup after suffering an ankle injury in September but has played in Scarlet’s last three matches.
Grandson of famed cricketer Lord Ian Botham, James Botham’s call-up comes amidst injuries to back-rowers Ross Moriarty and Josh Navidi. Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys said: “Athletically he (Botham) has the ability to compete in test rugby. With the injuries we have, we thought we’d bring him in.”
Injury concerns also surround centre Jonathan Davies, who hurt his knee in Wales 32-9 defeat against Ireland last Friday.
In the front row, consecutive penalties at the scrum saw loosehead prop Rhys Carré replaced by Wyn Jones before half-time against Ireland. As the more experienced scrummager, Pivac will be considering whether to start Wyn Jones against the formidable Georgian pack.
Wales’ set piece struggled against Ireland, winning only one of their five scrums and losing four of their own lineouts. Wales finished the game having had only 39% possession and 34% territory.
“Against Ireland, it (the set-piece) stopped us getting field possession and momentum. It’s about consistency – especially with the lineout. When we get into positions when we can attack, we need to deliver,” Humphreys said.
Georgia must ‘learn to grab the moment’
Mikautadze returns to the Georgian squad after eight-months out with a heel injury. The lock starred for Georgia in the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups.
“This tournament is crucial for the development of Georgian rugby. Practically, this is the second Rugby World Cup we are playing in two years,” he said.
Like Wales, Georgia are yet to score a try in the Autumn Nations and struggled to make an impact against a solid England team who beat them 40-0. Georgia failed to kick to touch from penalties three times in the match and twice from their own 22.
Head coach Levan Maisashvili said: “Unfortunately, we are still weak in the set-piece and static phases. We have to learn to use those chances to score, as we won’t have many against strong oppositions.”
Wales have beaten Georgia in all their last meetings, most recently 43-14 in the 2019 World Cup. However, Wales enter Saturday’s game on the back of their longest losing streak in eight years.
Maisahvili said: “I expect Wales to be more diverse in their attacks than they usually are. Although the Welsh team is practically the same as at the last Rugby World Cup, and though they don’t look as good as they used to, we should not let ourselves be misguided by their latest results”.
- Wales v Georgia kicks off at 5.15pm GMT on Saturday 21 November. You can be watch the game on S4C or streamed it on Amazon Prime Video.
