Matkava the hero as Black Lion edge Vannes

MATCH REPORT: Black Lion captain and flyhalf Luka Matkava scored 15 of his team’s points as the Georgian outfit recorded a 22-19 win over French club RC Vannes in their Challenge Cup opener on Saturday.

The Georgian side started on the front foot with a Matkava penalty but Vannes got straight back into the game thanks to a Stephen Varney try.

It was towards the end of the first half that the Black Lion got their noses in front thanks to an Akaki Tabutsadze try.

At half-time, it was 13-7.

Following penalties for both sides in the second period, it was a tight affair with the hosts just taking it by three points at the end.

The result means that Black Lion, Gloucester and Aviron Bayonnais are all level with four points in Pool Three.

The scorers:

For Black Lion:
Try: Tabutsadze
Con: Matkava
Pens: Matkava 5

For RC Vannes:
Try: Varney
Con: Debaes
Pens: Debaes 3, Cotarmanac’h

Teams:

Black Lion: 15 Luka Tsirekidze, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Tornike Kakhoidze, 12 Ioane Metreveli, 11 Sandro Todua, 10 Luka Matkava (captain), 9 Tengiz Peranidze, 8 Luka Ivanishvili (captain), 7 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 6 Sandro Mamamtavrishvili, 5 Lado Chachanidze, 4 Mikheil Babunashvili, 3 Giorgi Chkhartishvili, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Vasil Kakovin.
Replacements: 16 Irakli Kvatadze, 17 Dato Abdushelishvili, 18 Bachuki Tchumbadze, 19 Demuri Epremidze, 20 Giorgi Sinauridze, 21 Davit Khuroshvili, 22 Demi Tapladze, 23 Amiran Shvangiradze.

RC Vannes: 15 Massimo Ortolan, 14 Théo Bastardie, 13 Robin Taccola, 12 Alex Arrate (captain), 11 Enzo Benmegal, 10 Thibault Debaes, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Kitione Kamikamica, 7 Simon Augry, 6 Jean-Maurice Decubber, 5 Timothe Mezou, 4 Christie van der Merwe, 3 Simon Bourgeois, 2 Pat Leafa, 1 Hugo Djehi.
Replacements: 16 Louis-Marie Suta, 17 Thomas Moukoro, 18 Paga Tafili, 19 Matthieu Uhila, 20 Matteo Desjeux, 21 Leon Boulier, 22 Jean Cotarmanac’h, 23 Tani Vili.

Referee: Eoghan Cross
Assistant referees: Andrew Cole, Andrew Fogarty
TMO: Leo Colgan