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Brian O'Driscoll has identified the semi-pro Georgia player he wants to see much more of
By Josh Raisey
Brian O’Driscoll has called on European clubs to go after Georgia centre Giorgi Kveseladze following his standout performance against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday. The 23-year-old produced a stunning solo try in the first half of the Autumn Nations Cup match in Dublin and was effective across the 80 minutes in stultifying the Irish backline from gathering any fluidity or momentum.
After a performance like that, there was no one better to receive a seal of approval from than the ex-Leinster, Ireland and British and Irish Lions great.
Indeed, Kveseladze's try was redolent of O’Driscoll’s legendary score for the Lions in 2001, as both players left a string of defenders in their wake.
The Irishman shared this message on Twitter: “If I was a European club looking for a centre next year (contract dependent) I’d be having a serious look at Giorgi Kveseladze (13) for Georgia on Saturday. Besides the excellent try, he really gets the defensive part of his game too. Abrasive and hard working. Could have been MOTM.”
The Georgian midfielder's excellent work didn't go unnoticed elsewhere as he was voted Autumn Nations Cup player of the round, securing 88.8 per cent of votes in an online poll following a match where Ireland's winning margin was limited to 13 points, 23-10.
His popularity is an endorsement of the Autumn Nations Cup's aim to not only allow the likes of Georgia and Fiji to prove what they are capable of against top opposition but for their individual players to showcase their talent. Although they succumbed to their third loss of the tournament, there were undoubted signs of improvement from Georgia as it was by no means a routine victory for Ireland.
After drawing attention to himself in Dublin, the midfielder from the semi-professional RC Armazi Marneuli club in Georgia now has a chance against Fiji this Saturday at Murrayfield to impress again, as do his teammates.
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Latest Comments
So if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
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