Georgia rue 'amateur night'
Fullback Felix Jones scored two of Ireland's six tries as the Six Nations champions got over a poor first-half to coast to a 49-7 victory over Georgia at Lansdowne Road on Sunday – for their sixth successive win.
Flyhalf Ian Madigan contributed 19 points for an Ireland side – which had 13 changes to the starting line-up from the one that beat the South Africans last weekend – against a resilient Georgian side that was let down by ill discipline and saw two players sin-binned.
The Georgians too had to play the last 20 minutes with 14 men as they had used up all their replacements and had to remove flyhalf Lasha Khmaladze from the pitch when they sent him on for his injured replacement.
"That was amateur night," admitted Georgia's New Zealand coach Milton Haig.
"Sadly those are the rules and we had used up all our replacements and they wouldn't let us send Lasha back on.
"I was reasonably happy at half-time," said Haig, whose side faces the ominous task of playing world champions New Zealand in their World Cup pool.
"However, obviously playing most of the second-half with 14 men you just can't do that against these types of sides. We got taught a couple of lessons."
Jones was delighted with his scores.
"Always good to score it boosts you after the injuries I had down the years. But I was well set up by the others," he said.
"At half-time Joe Schmidt said we had to up the tempo because they were at our heels.
"Fair dues to them they really got at us.
"However, this win still gives us some momentum ahead of Australia."
The Irish – who face Australia in their final November test next Saturday – will move above England in the world rankings.
AFP
