The English rolled over Georgia 84-6 in the first round on their way to the title in Australia, but Georgia came close to beating Ireland at the last tournament and only lost its opener here 15-6 to Scotland despite being well below its best.
Coaching, infrastructure and facilities still lags that enjoyed by England, but Georgia is no longer the pushover it once was and the players are desperate to make amends for their below-par forward performance against the Scots.
"They're very physical, they play off scraps a lot of the time and they make things work for them," England flanker Tom Wood said. "We're going to have to be very alert." Georgia coach Richie Dixon is so sure his team has more to offer than it showed against his native Scotland that, despite England having had four days longer to rest, he made just two changes to the side that lost on Wednesday.
"We were all disappointed with our display in the match against Scotland," Dixon said. "On reflection, I think we were affected by what you might call first-match syndrome.
"The guys were all disappointed they did not control themselves or play as well as they would have wished." With Mamuka Gorgodze, who starts at openside in Dunedin on Sunday, picked by French media as the best overseas player in France's topflight competition and tighthead prop David Kubriashvili keeping Carl Hayman out of the Toulon team, Georgia has plenty of muscle and control with which to confront England.
"I've seen the No. 8 picking up down the blind side a lot and making an awful lot of yards, so I'm going to have a busy day, as could the rest of the back row," Wood said.
That back row includes captain Lewis Moody at openside for the first time since Aug. 6 following his recovery from a knee injury. Nick Easter keeps his place at No. 8, with Tom Palmer and Simon Shaw coming into the second row, hooker Dylan Hartley replacing Steve Thompson and Matt Stevens filling in at loosehead for the departed Andrew Sheridan.
Those six changes to the forward are among a total nine to a team that met a similar challenge from Argentina in its opening match. England trailed 9-3 with an error-strewn performance until replacement scrumhalf Ben Youngs scored a decisive try against the tiring Pumas.
Youngs starts on Sunday, reprising his Six Nations-winning halfback pairing with Toby Flood, while Shontayne Hape comes in at inside center for Mike Tindall. Tindall, the subject of much tabloid coverage following a night out in Queenstown this week, is rested and does not even figure in the reserves.
"These things can bring teams together," Dixon said. "We expect England to be as strong as they always are." Thompson, who played Georgia in 2003, has come met several of the Georgia team in French rugby. On the bench Sunday, Thompson already knows about the physicality of his opponents. If they can display their burgeoning control and technique, the Pool B match could be another of the tournament's surprisingly close encounters.
"One of their second rows — I can't remember his name and don't want to — hit me so hard with a tackle it produced a back spasm that meant I couldn't breathe properly and had to go off," Thompson said. "I've seen at first hand what they are capable of doing. I didn't actually see that tackle coming because, after getting the ball in midfield, he came from my blind side.
"That was me finished and it was the hardest hit I've taken. And that game was the most physical at the 2003 tournament."
: Otago Stadium, Dunedin
30,000
Sunday, Sept. 18 (kickoff 0600)
Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
England-Georgia
15-Ben Foden 15-Revaz Gigauri
14-Chris Ashton 14-Irakli Machkhaneli
13-Manu Tuilagi 13-David Kacharava
12-Shontayne Hape 12-Tedo Zibzibadze
11-Delon Armitage 11-Alexander Todua
10-Toby Flood 10-Merab Kvirikashvili
9-Ben Youngs 9-Irakli Abuseridze (captain)
8-Nick Easter 8-Dimitri Basilaia
7-Lewis Moody (captain) 7-Mamuka Gorgodze
6-Tom Wood 6-Shalva Sutiashvili
5-Tom Palmer 5-Vakhtang Maisuradze
4-Simon Shaw 4-Ilia Zedginidze
3-Dan Cole 3-David Kubriashvili
2-Dylan Hartley 2-Jaba Bregvadze
1-Matt Stevens 1-David Khinchagishvili
Replacements:
16-Steve Thompson 16-Akvsenti Giorgadze
17-Alex Corbisiero 17-David Zirakashvili
18-Tom Croft 18-Levan Datunashvili
19-James Haskell 19-Giorgi Chkhaidze
20-Joe Simpson 20-Bidzina Samkharadze
21-Jonny Wilkinson 21-Givi Berishvili
22-Matt Banahan 22-Lasha Khmaladze
Coaches: Martin Johnson Richie Dixon
:
England 4
Georgia 16
: 1
Wins: England - 1; Georgia - 0
England 84-6 in 2003*
Year Venue Result
2003* Perth England won 84-6
