COMMENT to Round 4 Schedule

The schedule fas been finalized on FRI, 9 August
by an IRB's officer in charge of RWCQ planning

Before the compromise has been reached to suit
both the Georgian and Russian Unions,

Georgia had the decisive game set for SAT, 7 Sept
(FIRA AER decision dated June 2002
 >> Competition >> Seniors >> RWC 2003 Pools)

whilst Russia stuck with SAT, 5 Oct
(IRB Newsletter DECEMBER 2001, p.14)

The reasons behind the date change could be
understood from Georgia RU's letter to Irish RU
dated back to April 2002

(( QUOTE

As you already might be aware of, our National team, the
LELOS of Georgia finished second in the aggregate table
of European Nations Cup (ENC) for seasons 2001 & 2002,
and placed in the same pool for Round 4 (aka D) of RWC
2003 Qualifiers as Ireland and 'Round 3 winner with
the best record'

As the provisional schedule has it,

    'R3W-best' hosts Ireland on 21 Sept,
    Ireland hosts Georgia on 28 Sept, and
    Georgia hosts 'R3W-best' on 5 Oct

with top two going directly to RWC Finals whilst the
bottom-placed team enters the Repechage

Speaking from the outset, that does NOT suit us. Notably,
our LELOS should first battle your SHAMROCKS at Lansdowne
Road, then travel back to Georgia and take on 'R3W-best'
who will have two-week rest before squaring up with us in
the clincher

That's why we are approaching your Union, as it seems to
us, in good stead. We see, your provinces are to be
engaged in the Celtic League and European comps, there is
All-Ireland League as well, you have already pencilled
November 'home internationals' and a warm-up vs Italy on
7 Sept, but still hope for your goodwill and
understanding of our predicament

Notably, we suggest to hold Ireland v Georgia game a
fortnight (two weeks) earlier than scheduled, on 14 Sept.
That will allow us sufficient time for recuperation
whilst you will play the other team away from home in one
week as the provisional schedule goes

Of course, we see that if our suggestion was accepted
then may be you would have to shift the Italian friendly
a little bit or cancel it altogether, but nobody will
deny that RWC game should take precedence over any
warm-up etc

It's great honour and opportunity for us to face Ireland
at this stage of our development as a viable rugby
Nation. In the best tradition of test rugby we are keen
to field our best XV in front of appreciative Dublin
crowd and have a good crack at you in contrast to 0-70
drubbing of 1998 when, due to similar time-constraints,
we were forced to field virtually a second-string side
versus your first-choice team

In case both our Unions encounter opposition from RWC
planning officers, we'll have enough points to argue for.
During Round 3 (aka C) there is two-week interval (5 May,
19 May, 2 June) between the matches. Till this year,
there was the similar rest period between successive
rounds in both Six Nations and ENC (aka 6N'B')

So, there is no reason for shortening the spell when RWC
direct qualification is at stake. Furthermore, Georgia
earned the HOME clincher by battling out through 10
matches held during two successive campaigns and can NOT
afford to relinquish it due to an inadequate scheduling
of the whole process

Despite the above reasoning, there always remains a
possibility of our plea to be turned down. In this case
we would have no other choice but to save our first XV
for the clincher and send to Dublin 'dirt trackers' as
you call them. This will result in another lopsided score
and undermine even further the whole concept of the World Cup

We hope you fully understand and appreciate the reasons
for approaching you at this early stage. The LELOS making
RWC Finals surely will catapult rugby as number one sport
in the region dominated so far by soccer

PS Of course, we could have asked to postpone 5 Oct
match till 12 Oct, but unfortunately, it is not possible
because we've already booked the 70-thousand National
Ground for 5 Oct whilst Football Association has done the
same for 12 Oct as Georgia are to meet Russia in
Euro'2004 qualifier then and there

UNQUOTE ))