Georgia Head Coach: 'Tonga underestimated Georgia' Featured
Tonga's Steve Mafi, left, in action with Georgia's Mamuka Gorgodze (Photo: Al)
Nuku'alofa, 22 September 2015. Georgia Head Coach Milton Haig has revealed that a Tongan player admitted to underestimating Georgia during Saturday afternoon's 19 September Rugby World Cup clash at Kingsholm Stadium.
The Europeans opened their campaign with a surprise 17-10 victory in Gloucester to emerge as favourites for third spot behind New Zealand and Argentina in Pool C.
Haig acknowledged that his side were something of an unknown quantity in the tournament, but he does not believe that teams will overlook his outfit anymore.
"I spoke to one of the Tongan players I coached in New Zealand and he said to me that maybe they underestimated us a little. That they were focusing on other games instead of us, and that's an interesting comment to hear," he told reporters.
"All of our focus was on this game, as it should be. In terms of people underestimating us, I'm not sure. Maybe. We're not one of those top-tier nations, so a lot of people don't know too much about us.
"So maybe they do underestimate us, but with our victory today and that going globally I'm sure that some people will be reconsidering that now."
While Georgia are not expected to seriously challenge for a place in the knockout rounds, finishing in the top three of their group would guarantee automatic qualification to the next World Cup for the first time in the nation's history.
Source: SportsMole
