Late drama in Toulouse as Georgia score a 78^th minute equalising try, miss a conversion, and Portugal miss a last-minute penalty to win the game, as this match between Georgia and Portugal ends 18-18.

Georgia were hot out of the blocks, and got off to a brilliant start with a score from Akaki Tabutsadze inside 70 seconds. Following a huge carry from prop Beka Gigashvili in which he powered through the Portuguese defence, the ball was spun wide to full-back Davit Niniashvili who used his speed and dancing feet to avoid contact. Niniashvili then produced a wonderful offload to his winger Tabutsadze who ran in for the early score. Portugal were caught napping, Georgia seizing the moment to start this game with a bang.

A penalty from Tedo Abzhandadze in the 16^th minute extended Georgia’s lead to ten points, as they neutralized any threat from Portugal that they showed last week against Wales. Georgia enjoyed 69% possession and 70% territory in the first quarter of this game, and Portugal were left hanging on. To their credit, Portugal defended well whilst on the ropes and neutralized the Georgian maul inside their own ‘22’ multiple times.

Their scramble defence inside their own 22’ was impressive, as they held Georgia to 10 points, despite the later entering the Portuguese 22’ 7 times in the opening half hour. Mistakes in the Portuguese set piece, however, meant they could not clear the danger and they found themselves under constant pressure.

After failing to break the Portuguese defence, Georgia opted for a kick at the posts after winning a penalty. Abzhandandze’s kick perfectly split the posts and Georgia extended their lead to 13.

Portugal responded immediately with their first real opportunity with ball-in-hand and looked to use their dancing feet to march up the pitch. Portugal ran the ball from inside their own 22’ using the speed and flare of Rodrigo Marta, Nuno Sousa Guedes and Raffaele Storti to cause Georgia a host of problems. Storti picked up the ball just inside the Georgian half and produced a hot step to fool three defenders.

Suddenly, the winger found himself in acres of space, having broken the defence, putting on the afterburners. Storti outpaced a recovering Davit Niniashvili to cross the whitewash and give Portugal their first try of this game. Samuel Marques’ conversion attempt rattled the crossbar and Georgia’s lead was kept at 8. The attacking flair on display was brilliant, and Portugal deserved their moment for their ferocious defence for much of the first half.

Portugal’s hard work to get themselves back in this game was undone as they were reduced to 14-men following a high, no-arms tackle from Francisco Fernandes on Georgian hooker Shalva Mamukashvili. The tackle met they yellow-card threshold, and was thus referred to the off-field Bunker Review. After review, the officials decided the offence was only yellow-card worthy, and Portugal could expect to see the return of Fernandes after 10 minutes in the sin-bin.

It was a disappointing end to the half for Portugal, who had done well to limit Georgia to 13 points, considering their possessional domination. They would repel one last Georgian maul before half time, as they headed down the tunnel for Half-Time just 8 points down.

Portugal started the second half with just 14 men on the pitch, but were first to get on the scoreboard after Georgia gave away a penalty with a high tackle on Jerónimo Portela

. Samuel Marques would convert the penalty into three points and Portugal reduced the deficit to just five points.

Another penalty kick from Marques just five minutes later would reduce Georgia’s lead to just two points, with just under half an hour still to play. Georgia were lucky not to concede a try as Portugal looked dangerous, camped on the Georgian try line. With nothing happening on penalty advantage, Portugal opted for to kick for posts. Portugal were really growing back into this game, and looked very dangerous with ball-in-hand.

Portugal were a different side in this second half, as they really put Georgia to the sword with their attacking flare. In the 57^th minute, Portugal would turn their dominance into points as Raffaele Storti scored his second try of the game to become Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the Rugby World Cup. Jeronimo Portela looked to break through the gainline, and offloaded inside to Storti who ran an excellent supporting line.

Storti ran onto the ball at speed, and wrong-footed Georgian winger Aleksandre Todua on his run to the line, using his speed to distance the Georgian defence on his way to the line. A Marques conversion would give Portugal a 5-point lead with 20 minutes to play.

Georgia would leave it late to score an equalising try in the 78^th minute, substitute hooker Tengiz Zamtaradze at the base of the Georgian driving maul as it crossed the try line to level the scoring at 18 points apiece. Luka Matkava missed the following conversion wide, and the score remained level with just thirty seconds of the game left.

From the kick off, Portugal won a penalty on the right touchline, setting up a game-deciding penalty kick. With goal-kicker Samuel Marques now off the pitch, kicking duties fell to Nuno Sousa Guedes. The full-back struck the ball with perfect power, but the ball drifted left of the posts and beyond the dead-ball line, calling time on this game.

It finishes 18-18 between Georgia and Portugal in Toulouse, and what a game it was!