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Black Lion romped to a big win over Los Dogos on Saturday Played at the Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo, Uruguay the Georgian team were dominant throughout the opening half but the teams each scored 19 points after the interval. The Georgians won the contest 75-19.
The two-time reigning champions of the Rugby Europe Super Rugby showed their class on the field. In a sign that Georgia’s home-based players are of a higher level that in previous Rugby World Cup years, Black Lion outperformed what was a rotated Dogos side.
Black Lion commanded the set-piece and the collisions. The 56-0 half-time lead demonstrated precisely how good the Georgians were in the first half. They took just 45 seconds to score the opening try. Fly half Luka Matkava combined with flanker Mikheil Gachechiladze who scored.
Two more came in the opening ten minutes. The Georgian blitz saw backs and forwards into the try zone. Gachechiladze made it a double with the second Black Lion try while hooker Tengiz Zamtaradze powered over following a lineout.
Everything was going well for Black Lion, including goal-kicking. banged over all three conversions with the third having been from a challenging wide angle. Left winger Otar Lashkhi and scrum-half Tengis Peranidze also scored opening quarter tries.
A frustrated Nicolás Galatro made two changes to his backs in the opening half. Felipe Mallía replaced Valentino Dicapua at fly half and Nicolás Viola came on for Juan Cruz Strada at scrum-half. Black Lion, meanwhile continued to score tries. Second-rowers Mikheil Babunaschvili and Tornike Akubardia both scored.
Galatro went to the replacements at half-time. It resulted in an improved performance. Replacement prop Octavio Barbatti scored from an attacking maul to open Los Dogos scoring in the 47th minute.
Fullback and captain Franco Giúdice landed the conversion but the joy was short lived as his opposite Lasha Khmaladze touched down for Black Lion. It was followed by another, their 10th of the afternoon. Replacement Ioseb Matiashvili added his name to the scoresheet.
In their best play of the match, Los Dogos scored next. From a scrum 40 meters out left winger Lautaro Cipriani broke and Nicolás Viola went over for the finish. Tomás Bartolini and Babunashvili traded late tries with the full-time whistle sounding with a 75-19 Black Lion victory.
SCORING
BLACK LION (75)
Try – M Gachechiladze 2 (1′); Tengiz Zamtaradze (10′); Otar Laskhi (13′); Tengis Peranidze (18′); Mikheil Babunashvili (27′); Mirian Modebadze (33′); Tornike Akubardia(37′); L Khmaladze (53′); I Matiashvili (60′); D Tapladze (78′)
Con – L Madkava 9/10 (1′, 6′, 11′, 14′, 19′, 28′, 34′, 37′, 61′); G Babunaschvili 1/1 (79′)
YC – T Akubardia (68′)
DOGOS (19)
Try – O Barbatti (47′); N Viola (61′); T Bartolini (72′)
Con – F Guidice 1/1 (48′); JB Boronio 1/2 (62′)
YC – R Valdes (39′)
TEAMS
BLACK LION
1, Dato Abdushlishvili, 2 Tengiz Zamtaradze, 3 Nika Pataraia, 4 Tornike Akubardia, 5 Mikheil Babunashvili, 6 Sandro Mamamtavrishvili, 7 Mikheil Gachechiladze, 8 Luka Ivanischvili, 9 Tengis Peranidze, 10 Luka Madkava, 11 Otar Lashkhi, 12 Lasha Lomidze, 13 Tornike Kakhoidze, 14 Mirian Modebadze, 15 Lasha Khmaladze
Replacements: 16 Shalva Mamukashivili, 17 Goga Kadaria, 18 Nikoloz Khatiashvili, 19 Grigor Kerikoshvili, 20 Giga Julukhadze, 21 Giorgi Margalitadze, 22 Demur Tapladze, 23 Giorgi Babunaschvili, 24 Ioseb Matiashvili
DOGOS
1 Mateo Nuñez, 2 Román Pretz, 3 Ramiro Valdes, 4 Federico Albrisi, 5 Gregorio Hernández, 6 Manuel Todaro, 7 Valentín Cabral, 8 Juan Bautista Mernes, 9 Juan Cruz Strada, 10 Valentino DiCapua, 11 Lautaro Ciprani, 12 Mariano García Azcárate, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Ernesto Guidice, 15 Franco Giudice (capt.)
Replacements: 16 Tomás Bartolini, 17 Francisco Palazzi, 18 Octavio Barbatti, 19 Lautaro Simes, 20 Aitor Bildisola, 21 Nicolás Viola, 22 Juan Bautista Baronio, 23 Felipe Mallía, 24 Lautaro Peralta, 25 Valentín Soler
