Rugby World Cup 2019: Wallabies struggle to put lowly Georgia away

Australia snuck home against a lowly Georgian outfit, leaving coach Michael Cheika with plenty to think about ahead of a tough quarter-final contest against England. MATCH REPORT INSIDE.

Australia's wing Marika Koroibete (2L) celebrates after scoring a try during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Australia and Georgia at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Shizuoka on October 11, 2019. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

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A wild typhoon is not all that will disrupt the Wallabies' plans for their destiny-or-dust showdown against England at the Rugby World Cup now Kurtley Beale has copped a rattling head knock.

A groggy Beale was helped off Shizuoka Stadium just 13 minutes into the scrappy 27-8 victory over big-hearted Georgia on Friday night.

The upside is he has an extended eight-day period to tick all the head knock protocols to still play a game-breaking role in the quarter-final booked for Oita next Saturday.

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Kurtley Beale faces a tricky wait after suffering a concussion against Georgia. Picture: GEtty

When Beale skirted wide and was tackled to the turf, Georgian centre Davit Kacharava added some extra sauce by landing heavily on Beale's head and shoulders.  

The advance rains and gusts of Typhoon Hagibis swirled through the stadium for the full 80 minutes but it is the full onslaught when the super-storm hits the Japanese coastline on Saturday which is the major concern.

The Wallabies' bullet train to return to Tokyo has been cancelled for Saturday so a Cup bus post-game was the most likely change-up.

Even with 79 per cent of the ball in the first half (10-3), the Wallabies could not cure the two things they most wanted to in the game...a slow start and avoiding high-hit dramas.

Australia turned the ball over far too often and too easily. Picture: Getty

No.8 Isi Naisarani was sinbinned late in the first half when his right arm bounced off the back of a teammate in a cleanout and accidentally caught Georgian veteran Mamuka Gorgodze on the jaw.    

More frustrating was new five-eighth Matt Toomua making a fine front-on tackle only for him to be penalised because there was some collar hugging to it.

The Wallabies may have had Georgia on their minds last night but it's now all about England, Eddie Jones and correcting the severe 0-6 ledger since the canny former Wallabies coach took over in London.

Pointers? They'll have to find a lot of precision in a week with the handling errors at 11 by the 50-minute mark albeit it was a drenching night.

Marika Koroibete, Sekope Kepu, Tolu Latu and Dane Haylett-Petty all coughed up ball and lock Izack Rodda beat his hand in frustration when Naisarani lost another early on a pick-and-drive 2m out.

Thank goodness for Koroibete. He beat four defenders in a solo 40m try-dash to settle it at the hour mark.

Marika Koroibete on his way to scoring a super solo try

Toomua played a sharp first 40 minutes with one dummy-and go opening up the Georgians, kicked a fine 42m penalty goal in three-from-five and distributed cleanly to his outside men.

He never kicked once in that period, a curiosity on a sodden night and someone whispered to him because two of his first touches in the second were smart kicks for territory.

Halfback Nic White passed cleanly from the base, scored when he darted from close range for the first time and nearly did a second time.

The Wallabies forwards have stepped up all tournament. Lock Rory Arnold was good, skipper David Pocock was excellent after grabbing an early turnover, Jack Dempsey was productive and the scrum won several big shunts where Georgia pride themselves most.

Replacement prop Taniela Tupou produced a big audition from his first gallop and then the last pass for the Will Genia try on full-time.

Australia's wing Dane Haylett-Petty joined the action after just 13 minutes. Picture: AFP

It was the first time Toomua and White had started as the halves pairing in a Test and they may yet be backed against England.

Veteran lock Rob Simmons got on in the second half to celebrate his 100th Test.

The guts of Georgia paid off when they speared through some disorganised defence out wide at the 69th minute for a fine try to winger Alexander Todua.

Coach Michael Cheika's blind insistence for his team to run out of their own quarter backfired again when hooker Tolu Latu spilt a pass and Georgia knocked over a penalty goal.

 Those hardy fans in swimsuits in the stands deserve a clap because other frustrated Aussie fans in Tokyo had given away valuable tickets because they saw no way to get home from the game on Saturday amid the transport shut-down and flood warnings.

Australia 27 (M Koroibete, N White, W Genia, J Dempsey tries; M Toomua 2 conv, pen goal) bt Georgia 8 (A Todua try; S Matiashvili pen goal)

Originally published as Rugby World Cup 2019: Wallabies struggle to put lowly Georgia away

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