Wales vs Georgia

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In the four games played between the two teams prior to Saturday's showdown in Nantes, Wales has won three of them. However, the two games before November's significant outcome were tight. Wales triumphed 13-6 in 2017 and 18-0 in November 2020, the latter of which saw a certain Louis Rees-Zammit make his international debut with a try.

The most recent occurred in Cardiff in November. Jac Morgan scored twice in the opening 23 minutes but was denied late in the game from completing a hat-trick that would have won the game. However, Georgia fought back from that early onslaught to trim the deficit to one point before Matkava gave them the lead with two minutes remaining in the game.

Wales has already secured their spot in the quarter-finals. However, a single point in their upcoming match against Georgia will guarantee them first place in Pool C. This will set them up for a quarter-final clash against the second-placed team from Pool D in Marseille next Saturday, irrespective of the outcome of the other pool match this weekend between Fiji and Portugal.

Nevertheless, Wales is aiming for a victory in this match, primarily to erase the memory of their first-ever test loss to Georgia just 11 months ago. In that previous encounter, they surrendered a 12-3 halftime lead, eventually losing 13-12 due to a late penalty from Luka Matkava.

Head coach Warren Gatland revealed his 23-player lineup on Monday, featuring six changes to the starting XV compared to their dominant win over Australia. Gareth Anscombe takes the starting spot at fly-half in place of the injured Dan Biggar, and co-captain Dewi Lake returns as the middle row of the front row.

On the other side, Georgia's head coach Levan Maisashvili has made five personnel changes to his starting XV following their 17-12 defeat against Fiji. Three of these changes are in the forward pack, and two are in the backline. Guram Gogichashvili and Shalva Mamukashvili are back in the front row alongside Beka Gigashvili. Additionally, captain and center Merab Sharikadze returns to the starting lineup, marking his 99th test cap, and full-back Lasha Khmaladze makes his first appearance in the Rugby World Cup 2023, having previously played in three matches in the 2011 tournament and four in 2019.

In the four games played between the two teams prior to Saturday's showdown in Nantes, Wales has won three of them. However, the two games before November's significant outcome were tight. Wales triumphed 13-6 in 2017 and 18-0 in November 2020, the latter of which saw a certain Louis Rees-Zammit make his international debut with a try.

The most recent occurred in Cardiff in November. Jac Morgan scored twice in the opening 23 minutes but was denied late in the game from completing a hat-trick that would have won the game. However, Georgia fought back from that early onslaught to trim the deficit to one point before Matkava gave them the lead with two minutes remaining in the game.

However, most would agree that they have mainly failed in the competition and will be making their last rounds at the end of this game. Georgia was predicted to be the probable dark horse in this Pool.

The Wallabies opened the campaign with a convincing victory against the Lelos, but their biggest letdown came the following week when they drew 18-18 with Portugal in a game they were much favored to win.

In their match against Fiji, the Georgians made a good start and held a 9-0 halftime lead before fading late in the contest and giving their opponents the opportunity to rally, which they promptly did with two converted tries and a penalty.

In the early kickoff of the final Saturday during the group stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Wales is set to face Georgia at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.

With 14 points from their first three matches in the competition, Wales currently leads in Pool C and has already secured a spot in the knockout stage. On the other hand, Georgia is in fourth place and will exit the World Cup after this match.

Despite not being considered strong contenders for winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup before the tournament, Wales has exceeded expectations, progressively improving with each successive game.

In their opening match, despite facing significant pressure, Wales managed to secure a hard-fought 32-26 victory, displaying remarkable resilience against a late surge by the Flying Fijians.

Their next win against Portugal was not flawless, but their most impressive performance to date came in their last match when they convincingly defeated The Wallabies with a score of 40-6, earning a spot in the quarter-finals.

Gareth Anscombe played a crucial role in their last victory, contributing 23 points against Australia. The Dragons have now won their first three matches with an average margin of 20 points.

Warren Gatland can take pride in what his team has achieved so far, but he recognizes that the job is only halfway done. He aims to maintain their momentum as they prepare to face either Argentina or Japan in the next round.