England Vs Georgia the minute by minute

[Digby]

Minute 38

Georgia kick it out short of their own 10m line, so a decent win for England in kick tennis. Lineout ball is tapped down with one hand by Ewels and the ball hits ground near Youngs but bounces reasonably kindly and it's a fairly quick adjustment to get the ball away, that could've gone much worse.

Ball out to Farrell who passes to Slade, Slade has Lawrence outside him and JJ on the pullback. Georgia haven't taxed themselves on the push up on defence, and then haven't counted/communicated well as a unit as 2 men converge on Lawrence leaving Slade to pop the ball back to JJ who can exploit the gap that Georgia have created in their line, there are wider defenders but they're staying wide to cover Daly and May. I'd like to think one of those wide defenders could at least have blocked Daly off but there's no block, no scramble, and the 14 sweeping across is left with JJ and Daly and May outside, it's an easy draw and pass for JJ and Daly runs in one of his easier scores.


Minute 39


Faz sticks over the extras.


Minute 40

Georgia kicks off with a medium ish kick to the left, our pod just about collects it. England run a phase to improve their angle on exit, and Willis has a moment where one of the Lelos locks is trying to hold him up and making a decent stab of it Vs Willis, Ewels and Itoje, and nobody piles in from his team to help him, and maybe there was a scrum turnover to be had, but they're 26-0 down and not doing more than trying to get off for HT.

Exit kick from Youngs is too long again, the chase is okay but there's no threat being presented anyway.

Georgia make a one out pass from the base and drop the ball which England claim. Itoje acts at 9 and makes pass to Farrell who passes to Slade who passes wide to May. None of the passes are zipping the ball down the line, and May does't instantly set off at pace, and it's still nearly enough to send May clear, but he's just about scragged and hooks the ball loose infield where we just run it out to end the half

[Digby]

Minute 41

England kick off deep right and White 8 makes a decent carry up to the edge of the 22, there's another phase run to set the exit play. White 9 is frankly dummying a pick up from the base, but he does draw Itoje up offside, Itoje stops and the ref allows the box kick which goes out on the 10m line. Fair enough from Owens as he has a word with White 9 not to do that again,

England sort of win the lineout, something of a timing issue as by the time Joe is going up at the rear he figures he can only get one arm to the ball and it's knocked down without direction where Youngs scrambles across gathers and flings the ball to Slade, the best Youngs can do with that. The ball is moved out to Daly who threads a kick down the line and out in the Lelos 22

[Digby]

Minute 42

Georgia knock on the lineout throw at the front, Joe gathers and goes to ground.

Youngs to Genge at first receiver and instantly that's not a pass allowing Genge to have momentum. Genge does still have space to build some speed up but loses contact, and that slight nudge back means Lawrence isn't then in the best position to support with a bit of lame latching. As ever the inches matter. Next up the ball is out to George who tips it on to Billy, Billy does win contact but the support from George and Itoje isn't fast of accurate and the ball rather shoots out the back. Youngs gathers and shovels again, again not much more to be done, Willis with the ball now and he runs into contact and promptly coughs up a handling error, yes the ball is being ripped from him but it's another messy play from England as the open the 2ns half in untidy fashion.

The spilled ball is gathered by White 7 and he makes more than decent ground, a show and go has Daly focused on players on the outside, George running back and across is trying to drag him down, and Farrell is running back in contact with him until White 7 steps on Farrell's foot and Faz simply topples out of the tackle. That at least brings the run to an end, real leadership that, having your foot stood on to bring a runner down.

Next up White 1 runs into Willis and Stuart and any speed of play from Lelos is lost. We've gone from England scrambling in defence, Georgia taking fast ball coming forward to a 5 second breakdown in one sodding phase. Following which White 9 passes to a deep 10 in the middle of the pitch a few metres outside his 22, and with England only having Daly in the backfield he finds touch kicking out to the right halfway between England's 22 and 10m line.

Not a bad kick, but they have nothing to offer ball in hand.

[Digby]

Minute 43


Joe wins the lineout, Youngs kicks into Lelos half, some pressure on the catch but White 14 claims the ball and is tackled down around halfway. Georgia pass one out and then tip the ball on, and Genge loses contact going far too high. I thought on the weekend Genge went high with Ewels going low, but actually Ewels is the second man into the tackle and Genge just gets done. White 9 picks up at the base and shows to pass left/open...


Minute 44


... but then White 9 runs in a circle heads right/short and nearly gets the ball caught by Itoje but manages to pass out to White 3. The prop somehow manages to win contact with Captain England, and Georgia recycle albeit in doing so they've got 4 players off their feet and a 9 passing the ball for the cost of Itoje being off his feet. Unless someone does something daft in defence it's tough to play 10 Vs 14. The ball is worked short again to White 6 who goes into contact with George and May is there to help rip the ball away, Farrell bats it back in the air and Ewels gathers the loose ball before going to ground. Willis makes a bit of a mess trying to stop White 15 counter rucking, but Joe is there to add heft and calm the situation. Farrell flips the ball up to Youngs who box kicks ahead, how Farrell isn't off his feet and out of the game I don't know, and he's 6m from the touch judge with nothing blocking the view so it'd seem an easy call.

White 14 runs back to gather but isn't in position to kick and elects instead to gas May running the ball out of the 22. Unsurprisingly May makes the tackle and Lawrence is well placed to put pressure on at the breakdown. But fair play to White 14 when even in those conditions gets out of jail with a one handed offload out the back of the hand whilst being tackled down, desperate stuff perhaps but it worked. A couple more offloads and some carries and Lelos have gone 10m outside their 22 keeping the ball alive. Instanly Georgia revert to a one out carry and struggle into contact. Next up White 10 (I think) tries to break on the outside of Willis but that's reasonably contained, and then it's back left where White 15 at 1st receiver out that's a 50/50 as to whether the recipient will get smashed man and ball

[Puja]

Not a bad kick, but they have nothing to offer ball in hand.

Mind, it's a bit of a nightmare first game for them. Up against one of the toughest press up and pressure defences in the world - it's no wonder that they're hesitant and inaccurate given very few of their backs will have played at the top level.

I can't help but wonder if they might spring a surprise on Wales. That big pack (with some frankly huge subs that came on!) up against what the Welsh have fit and available, plus a more forgiving defence for their backline to face.

Puja

[Digby]

Minute 45

The recipient tries to bat the ball on but it goes forward, then there's a scramble on the floor and a Georgian player on the floor picks up the ball again, maybe we did something wrong too not to get a pen for that, but we do get the scrum.

With only 50 seconds left in the minute having anything else happen was a fool's errand.


Minute 46

Eddie uses the force to move a cameraman out of the way, needs to work on his technique mind as it should just be using the mind and not making hand gestures.

England win the scrum and Youngs throws a miss one to Slade. Slade has Daly and Lawrence. running up flat alongside him and looks to grubber right down the middle splitting the 2 sweepers giving depth coverage. The kick is perhaps a tad too far or hard but the defender coming across can only knock on trying to pick up, May bats the ball back to Marchant, and maybe there's space on the outside but the defence is already sweeping across and Marchant is coming off a standing start to steps off his right and takes contact. England recycle and pass the ball out but then we knock it on. Kindly Owens gives us the scrum for the first handling error from Georgia, that was a long advantage for a knock on.

[Digby]

Not a bad kick, but they have nothing to offer ball in hand.

Mind, it's a bit of a nightmare first game for them. Up against one of the toughest press up and pressure defences in the world - it's no wonder that they're hesitant and inaccurate given very few of their backs will have played at the top level.

I can't help but wonder if they might spring a surprise on Wales. That big pack (with some frankly huge subs that came on!) up against what the Welsh have fit and available, plus a more forgiving defence for their backline to face.

Puja

Maybe, but still if you're going to struggle then struggle, not avoid trying to do anything to begin with. Georgia essentially played with the mindset oaky we lost by 40 without scoring but it could've been worse, which is going to make John Wells happy and that's it.

[Digby]

Minute 47

At the scrum Georgia concede a pen before the ball comes in, England elect to scrum again bang in front of the posts. So something sort of happens, but again the scrum is terrible value for the game


Minute 48


The scrum goes down but we play the ball, Youngs running left. Normally the 9 would close down the 9 but here White 9 had dropped back to the shortside to shore up defence on that side leaving Youngs to break with space. Understandable with the threat of Billy breaking right.

Youngs passes to Farrell who with the defence just drifting before him simply ships the ball to Slade, which isn't great but it's better than Slade batting the ball wider again to May. May gathers on the bounce and tries to break on the outside but the defence easily drifts over and pushes him out into touch. There is the defence does so with a needles high tackle on May, but that's right in front of the touch judge and thus ignored. It's not dangerous but it is head high.

Georgia win a shortened lineout and pass to the 9 who pass infield for White 8 to carry and set a ruck, from which White 9 box kicks clear.

[Digby]

Minute 49

Ball out for an England lineout on the 10m line in Georgia's half.

George throws in, Joe wins at the front and taps down to Youngs. Ben shows to pass and the breaks up the pitch as a gap has opened in the line of forwards ahead of him and nearly gets away but is grabbed around the waist and goes down part losing his shorts in the process, but gets an offload away to Mako in the process. Mako takes contact, we recycle and Youngs passes out to Slade having pulled his shorts up. The timing is off, whether you blame Youngs, Slade or both I leave open to the reader, readers would be presumptuous and I hesitant to offer any opinion beyond shit happens. In any event reaching for the ball behind him Slade spills it in contact. Georgia try to play left looking for a miracle break or more likely a chance to kick clear and spill ball themselves to it's back for a scrum to Georgia.

[Digby]

Minute 50

A decent scrum from Georgia coming under big pressure. Georgia pass left down the line and White 13 (or possibly 12) is able to step inside the shoulder of Farrell who's part of a defensive line drifting out, and Earls makes the tackle as he's closing the gap to Faz having broken off the scrum. Georgia run a phase going back right and lose a little ground.


Minute 51

Georgia head right again and confuse the England defence via a cunning ruse, they make 3 passes, and as ever 3 shall be the number. It doesn't help England that George and Mako seemingly identify the same potential carrier, and that's more a counting issue from George than anything Mako is doing wrong. White 7 breaks into the hole where George might have been and gets tackled by someone in Blue and White 7 gets an offload away to White 15 but it's not quite as quick a transfer as would ram the advantage home. White 15 decides not to try and break on George's outside shoulder, because why would a back three player fancy beating a front three player for pace and just kicks the ball upfield where Daly fields. Kicking the ball way for no good reason works though as Daly from outside his 22 under no pressure belts the ball out on the full.

Georgia win their lineout at the front and try to set a maul and transfer the ball back, and England have conceded an advantage for closing the gap

[Digby]

Minute 52

Georgia make 2 pullback passes, often these are referred to as screen plays because runners are sent ahead of the ball to present multiple options for defenders and to muddy what's going on behind them, a very useful tool with the human eye being so bad at depth perception, on the 2nd of the Georgian pullback passes there's barely anyone ahead of the ball, it's just a pass to a really deep receiver, and it's only once the pass is made does a Georgian player engage in front of the England defence ahead of the carrier, and then Georgia run around the back of the player moving late ahead of the ball. On the one hand it's happening so far from the defence it's barely crossing, on the other it does seem to affect Slade in particular and Georgia earn a little ground. Lawrence then does a number of odd things at the ruck which have an interesting take on being behind the back foot, presenting a good image of not coming from the side, illegally playing the 9...

Georgia play the ball one out to the right to White 6 who has White 5 I think it was latching on. Billy drives White 5 clear and Ewels gets at White 6 but in trying to rip the ball slips off it allowing another couple of metres to Georgia. Georgia make further short gains with some reasonably quick pick drives, and then another one out move, and then Joe folds over the ball at a ruck, he's the first man arriving, so the minute has been for not a lot and we're back to advantage White at the lineout.


Minute 53


Nigel describes the penalty he gave Georgia as a silly technical penalty, probably more in the sense he wants different behaviour from Sinckler than Vs the amount of stuff he's let go to ping this is just weird, but it could go either way.

Georgia win the lineout, try to maul but get shoved back, try to direct a new direction for the maul and drop the ball. Scrum Blue

[Digby]

Minute 54


There's an attempt at a scrum, Owens is shouting use it, but then concedes the scrum has gone up so orders a reset. In essence it's a scrum and nothing happens.


Minute 55


In the previous minute when nothing happened the clock was stopped as Georgia sought treatment on a few players, perhaps warranted, perhaps just building in a rest period. This minute it's more obvious nothing happens. So in the last 3 minutes there's been one restart and then the ball was dropped, and yet it's claimed the game is reaching out to a whole new TV audience, I've no idea why they're lying to themselves because who'd watch this that wasn't already a fan?

[Digby]

Minute 56


England win the scrum, Billy goes right from the base into White 10, Earl and Farrell pile over in what might be described as ruck support. Youngs kicks with no blockers in place but does it quickly enough to get away with it, both the decision and execution. White 14 knocks on the attempted catch, Itoje gathers and feeds the ball to Earl who makes some easy metres. Joe acts at 9 and makes a reasonable stab at passing back to Farrell, and okay we're not organised on attack, but we're attacking a scrambling defence, Farrell kicks the ball away, and that really is on Eddie. Eddie will merely observe White 13 going back felt he had to play the ball and was dragged into touch allowing an attacking lineout with a set play available, small comfort to those who specifically cite concerns about never playing what we see.

[Digby]

Minute 57

England win the lineout and drive, Georgia collapse the maul. Ben Youngs dinks over the line and the ball bounces into the in-goal, a different bounce would've perhaps seen May with a chance to dot down but Georgia are able to drop on the ball. A left footed dink from Youngs which was nice to see.

Minute 58

We stick the penalty into touch for a 5m attacking lineout. Maul, George scores. All good stuff.


Minute 59


Faz strikes the kick within the minute, though again to steal from the next minute the extras aren't quite added in this minute

[Digby]

Minute 60

Georgia kick off right, May gathers and sets a positive ruck with some decent footwork, Youngs box kicks sans blockers but again gets away with it, Georgia can't claim the kick, Itoje shins it on gathers and feeds George who produces a moment of great skill albeit pointless great skill. Running down the left touchline George kicks it ahead off the outside of his right boot and the ball rolls on in-goal, but seeing as it Itoje and George leading our chase Vs 2 Georgian backs there's not much competition to stop Lelos dotting down for a drop-out

Minute 61

Georgia play quickly in some fashion unseen behind the replays being shown, and produce a couple of offloads out the tackle. And carry up to their 10m line. And then pass back to a deep lying receiver for one presume a clearing kick, but it's a risible pass back bouncing short of the 10 (well 15) and he has to gather and run towards his forwards to set another unintended ruck, ball passed back to the 10 who clears down the right under some pressure. May gather pops it inside the Daly, Daly puts up a kick kick and May sets off on the chase.

May runs up and gathers the kick with empty space around him. I get in a full screaming stadium the communication might fail but what the excuse could possibly be here I don't know around forwards not running back to contest and backs not running forwards to contest, at a guess they're simply not thinking communicating, it's a side losing and they're all hoping someone else takes control.

England recycle and Youngs puts a box kick down the left touchline which bounces up nicely for White 14, but he can still only put a kick into touch just outside the 22

[Digby]

Minute 62

Joe wins the lineout but there's something of a mess in transfer which Mako clears up and drives to set up a decent recycle. It's hardly a wondrous pass out from the base by Robson, Faz merely moves it one further out for Billy to take it into contact, which Billy does well but with White 7 hanging onto his leg he can't drive for any distance, nice to see him drag the Georgian open side across the pitch mind. Sinckler tries to keep the pace up by flicking the ball up to Robson, but that doesn't allow Robson to get his hands onto the ball as needed and the next pass is rotating around but it's slow enough Farrell easily takes and moves it to Slade. Slade has a slight gap ahead of him and Malins marked by two players outside and no real shot at the wide pass to Marchant, so sensibly tries to drive into the gap but is handled well by the defence. We get a slower ruck than we might as there's no release from the tackler, Owens tells White to get away but they've done their job and we get a 4 second play the ball.

[Digby]

Minute 63

Robson passes from the base to Ewels and the pass is a touch slow which perhaps speaks to why Ewels slightly overruns the pass, he should probably still take it but loses it forward in contact. Scrum White


Minute 64

Georgia spread it right and May puts in a high tackle before be probably play the ball off feet at a ruck. Whistle goes for the high tackle against May, and there was simply no need to have been high.

Minute 65

Georgia kick to touch and throw in to the rear taking on Itoje. Itoje puts good pressure on the ball and gets a hand to it before White 6 gets a hand to it and nudges it forward. Itoje might have nudged it forward too, but the ball is over the back of the lineout and gathered by White 19. May comes up to make a tackle and having just seconds ago given away a daft penalty for a high tackle makes contact right at the top of the carrier's shoulder, had the carrier in any way ducked there... well, problems.

Georgia make another carry and Earl and Joe give up a little ground, only a little but you'd want them doing better in contact than this.

Georgia go one out again, Billy rushes up quickly, so quickly he only really falls off the back of the carrier, overall it's been a solid showing from Billy despite some weird commentary but this isn't a good moment unless all he was supposed to be doing was stopping any pass/offload. Itoje makes a high tackle to get the carrier down, in the tackle Itoje rips the ball out but forwards and it's a scrum to White, it should be a penalty but Owens.

Kyle Sinckler takes the rest of the minute to pose in legitimate fashion as a marquee player.

[Digby]

Minute 66

England win a pen at the scrum before the ball comes in. Anther scrum failure. England kick to touch between the 22 and 10m line in Georgia's half, a very positive outcome from what should have been a pen to Georgia. Itoje wins the lineout at the rear.


Minute 67

England run a decent move from the lineout but the timings don't quite work. Ball's out to Slade who drops it off to Farrell looping around behind and Farrell tries to pass it inside to Malins. It would put Malins into a hole but it's tricky pass to make and it isn't, ball goes loose and Georgia drop on it.

Georgia run a couple of phases and Farrell makes a high tackle on White 19. I get some of the subs for Georgia are stretching their jerseys, but we will need to look at the number of high tackles, even where as with this one the carrier is ducking. No pen mind.

Georgia box kick clear down the right, May takes it and England set off moving the ball right to Marchant in midfield...


Minute 68

Marchant passes to Slade on the right wing. Slade grubbers ahead into Georgia's 22, where Georgia can only take the ball across their own line to concede a scrum

[Digby]

Minute 69

England win the scrum and the ball is out the back for Robson to play away, I assume Billy allowed the ball to roll back on purpose.

England head left and Slade makes a good carry on a hard line before being tackled just short of the line. Georgia over compete for the ball and concede an advantage, Robson has the ball at the base and as he goes to play the guard vacates his role, perhaps because Farrell has come back to the short side but whatever it's a loss of concentration and failure to do his job by the guard and Robson edges through for a too easy score.

Minute 70

Farrell kicks the extras

[Digby]

Minute 71

Georgia kick off left and deep to Faz and he clears to touch with a kick that goes into touch but isn't a classic. In his defence Sinckler could make less effort to get out of the way, but not much less.

Georgia win the lineout but England get their maul down, Georgia head right and their big lumps continue to play like big lumps. In that they carry well into contact but don't work off the ball. At the first carry 2 players follow the ball in and a 3rd is their to ruck inspect, on the next carry nobody follows the ball in and Joe gets a great position over the ball and forces a pen for holding on

Minute 72

Slade kicks to touch down the right touchline almost up to the 22 in Georgia's half. England repeat the throw to the 9 in the line at the front, and Robson manages to turn and pass without the transfer to the other hand, the ball from Robson goes to Billy and he passes into midfield to Mako.

[Digby]

Apologies, these last few updates could've been done several hours ago, I allowed myself to be distracted by tennis, and more importantly tea and cake.

[Banquo]

Not a bad kick, but they have nothing to offer ball in hand.

Mind, it's a bit of a nightmare first game for them. Up against one of the toughest press up and pressure defences in the world - it's no wonder that they're hesitant and inaccurate given very few of their backs will have played at the top level.

I can't help but wonder if they might spring a surprise on Wales. That big pack (with some frankly huge subs that came on!) up against what the Welsh have fit and available, plus a more forgiving defence for their backline to face.

Puja

Didn’t they play scotland ?

[Danno]

Apologies, these last few updates could've been done several hours ago, I allowed myself to be distracted by tennis, and more importantly tea and cake.

Mate if anyone begrudges you some comfort cake, while putting yourself through this, they might not have a soul.

[Digby]

Minute 73

England play 4 phases going left and we're winning contact, but it's not being done quickly. And then one play back to the right and the ball is through Joe's hands for a knock on and scrum White. It's not great conditions, and Joe has been one of the better players on the day, but that's a bad error.


Minute 74

Georgia win ball at the scrum and the big number 8, White 19, breaks right and wins contact easily against Curry breaking from the blindside of the scrum. Georgia run another phase but Joe goes low assisted by Dunn to make sure England win a contact, and from the base Georgia look to kick clear

Minute 75

Georgia kick out to around the 10m line in their half, Joe back on his feet attempt to charge down the kick

England win lineout ball with Joe, and Joe taps down nicely for Robson. But we're doing that weird thing of tapping down at the front to pass wide from the lineout, and it's not the fastest pass from Robson. Slade has Earl outside offering a bit of an obvious hands up I'm available showing, no Oscars for that showing from Earl, the ball is pulled back to Farrell but the transfer isn't accurate whether Farrell's line or Slade's pass and it really only leaves Faz the one out ball to Billy, it's a really short ball in to Billy as well so my guess is the move was supposed to be the pullback to Daly. Billy manages to hang onto the ball but does end up hoping back in contact. Billy offloads slowly out the tackle back to Farrell who moves it one out to May, the defence has drifted in that last and our depth in attack has gone. May does well to gain some inches in contact, and then whilst I don't know it's exactly classical clearout work from Earl he does remove a contest for the ball. Robson passes left to Mako who takes the ball to the line and he looks for an offload, not something we've looked much for unless stuck on the spot, but there's no one to offload to even if he could get the ball away, support is only there to clearout. It's not fast ball as White 23 comes around the side to interfere with Robson, Owens would probably let it go but next up Robson puts a ball out in front of Farrell and confused by a ball he should be moving forwards onto Farrell stands still and then goes off feet to gather throwing a low pass at Sincks which is dropped, once that happens Owens gives a pen for White 23 being daft

[Digby]

Apologies, these last few updates could've been done several hours ago, I allowed myself to be distracted by tennis, and more importantly tea and cake.

Mate if anyone begrudges you some comfort cake, while putting yourself through this, they might not have a soul.

I don't even really like cake tbh, or chocolate. Certainly if you told me I'd never have either again I wouldn't care much.