Guru Saurel calls on two snubbed players
Wed, 3 April, 2002
ENC'2001 Champions, LELOS of Georgia host STEJARI
(OAKS) Romania at the 65-thousand National Ground
in Tbilissi on Sat, 6th April, in the final round
of this year's ENC, doubling as RWC'2003 Classifying
tournament. The kick-off is set for 3pm Geo Summer Time
= 10:00 GMT
RWC Classifier win = 1 pt ENC'2002
GEO 8,5 ROM 4
ROM 8 GEO 3,5
RUS 5,5 RUS 2,5
The winner of the match takes ALL THREE prizes at
stake on the day:
Lelos got together on Tuesday morning, at Khedi HQs
and had a warm-up run at the other end of 1.6-million
city, in Varketili farmyards. The Union tried their
best to secure National Ground for team preparations
but due to club soccer match scheduled there, the
national rugby team of which the whole nation is too
proud, will now be allowed on the holy turf only by
Thursday
Come the match day the Lelos will be without two of
their leading players:
Grenoble fly-half and kicker Pavle Jimsheladze, 27
years old, 30 caps, 6T - 38C - 17P (to be spelled
Gims,eladze in ROMAMIAN),
and Toulon eightman Ilia Zedguinidze, 25, 15 caps -
6T (Zedghinidze in ROM). Both were injured during last
week's action.
On top of this, Bezier's front rower Goderdzi
Shvelidze, 24, 16 caps - 3T still is serving
suspension, whilst back-rowers David Bolghashvili, 23,
14 caps - 2T and Zurab Mtchedlishvili, 31, 24 caps -
2T, are nursing injuries
In a surprise move, with the match-fit squad coming
thinner, Lelos' French guru, M.Sourel called on two
decent, if not to say outstanding, players whom he
unexplicably used to spurn so far:
-
former U-19 captain Boba Kvinikhidze (at fly-half) and
-
Rati Urushadze, currently a strongman with Russian
Cup holders Enisei STM, but formerly of Qochebi
(Rams) of Tbilissi
It's crystal clear that Urushadze will be handed No8
jersey. As for replacement for Jimsheladze who has
been occupying the pivotal spot for 17 successive
tests, there are several possibilities:
either Kvinikhidze ('kh' = 'h' in ROM) would start in
his first test, or utility Iovadze assume the duty, or
even Modebadze would be switched to the position, he
has been playing from U-13s onwards with Iovadze
serving as scrumhalf to him
Urjukashvili (Urgiukas,vili in ROM) will kick at goal.
In this department, Modebadze and new-cap Kvinikhidze
will be placed on standby
Romania arrive on Thursday, 4 April at about 13:30
GeoST on a chartered plane. They will stay at Sympathy
hotel and depart at 22 hrs after the match
* LELOS of Georgia for Romania
(tabulated under Club Division AGE; CAPS - SCORING
French divisional hierarchy: T16 > D2 > F1 > F2 )
15 Bessik KHAMASHURIDZE Toulon D2 25 22 - 6T
14 Makho URJUKASHVILI Mazamet F1 22 20 - 5T,12c,16p
11 Badri KHEKHELASHVILI Angouleme F1 24 17 - 5T
Irakli MACHKHANELI Chateuroux F2 21 1 - 1T
13 Tedo ZIBZIBADZE Mazamet F1 22 15 - 4T
12 Kakha ALANIA Locomotivi GEO 29 19
Irakli GUIORGADZE Toulon D2 20 2
10 Guja IOVADZE Agde F2 28 12 - 3T
Boba KVINIKHIDZE Lavaur F2 24 NC
9 Shota MODEBADZE Nimes F1 28 22 - 3T, 4c,13p
Irakli ABUSSERIDZE Locomotivi GEO 25 14 - 3T
1 Mevlud MTIULISHVILI Agen T16 32 22
2 Akvsenti GUIORGADZE Toulon D2 26 23 - 7T
3 *Levan TSABADZE Castres T16 29 30 - 9T
Levan JAVELIDZE Nantes F2 25 7 - 1T
Tato RATIANIDZE Beziers T16 22 9
4 Vano NADIRADZE Bourg@Bresse F1 30 25 - 3T
5 Victor DIDEBULIDZE Figeac F2 32 19 - 4T
Mamuka MAGRAKVELIDZE Auch D2 25 5
6 Vassil KATSADZE Grenoble D2 26 21 - 4T
7 Guia LABADZE Toulon D2 29 27 - 6T
8 Rati URUSHADZE Enisei STM RUS 27 1
George CHKHAIDZE StNazaire F2 21 1
Bessik UDESSIANI Le Creusot F1 23 3
Management (all of FRANCE; age indicated):
Claude SAUREL coach 54
Thierry ROUDIL fitness 51
Jean-Louis SALOMON doc 45
END )))