Georgia

Georgia, having been there 3 times recently is a place close to my heart. An intelligent passionate people with a troubled history. But last night they got closer to my heart still. They played Ireland in the rugby world cup and Ireland are one of the better sides in world rugby. It was a fantastic match and reminded me why rugby is so superior to football in terms of character and morality (and I must add, enjoyment too). No preening, falling over, being overpaid or verbal abuse of referees and opposition. It wasn't a question of whether Georgia could have won. They should have won and had they done so it would have been the most significant result ever in world rugby.

At the beginning of the year I was in Tbilisi and spent some time with one of the coaches close to the Georgian team. He told me how the game got started there (in the 1960's) by a french worker who started a team in his spare time. The Georgians took so quickly to it and it is fast becoming a national sport. Two years ago Georgia played Russia and 60,000 went to watch it. Most of the best Georgian players play in France which probably explains the great support they got from the crowd in Bordeaux last night.

In twenty years I think rugby will have become a global sport - there are signs that the US are starting to build a player base and the University of Berkeley have a very good team. The english, who invented the game may come to see the last ten years as the last time we had such in an exalted position in the sport. Our time may never come again. One thing is for sure. England would not have beaten Georgia last night.