Georgia celebrated their first World Cup win on Wednesday with a 30-0 Pool D victory over Namibia at a soggy Stade Felix Bollaert.
The Europeans, who face France in their last group game in Marseille on Sunday, scored three tries against an African side who were left searching for their first win after a desperately poor tournament.
Georgia flanker Rati Urushadze said the victory was a momentous day for his team and his compatriots.
”This day is the best day yet for Georgian rugby, and all of Georgia,” he said.
”We don’t even know what to expect of our celebrations. It’s our first victory — we’re amateurs at winning!”
Namibia coach Hakkies Husselman admitted that his team have plenty of work to do if they are to qualify for the 2011 tournament.
”From the start we just couldn’t run the game we wanted,” he said.
”We have to go back to the drawing board, but today we were beaten by the better team.”
Georgia, who gave Ireland a major fright before they slipped to a 14-10 defeat, dominated the opening period with their grizzled forwards settling into a rhythm in the testing, wet conditions.
The reliable boot of flyhalf Merab Kvirikashvili put Georgia ahead in the seventh minute and he added to the total in the 25th minute when he landed a tricky 30m penalty.
Namibia had the chance to post their first points after a rare venture inside Georgia’s 22 but flyhalf Morne Schreuder pushed his penalty attempt wide.
Georgia’s dominant forward play was finally rewarded with a try in the 37th minute when hooker Akvsenti Giorgadze barged his way over to give his side a 13-0 lead at the break.
In a scrappy second half, Kvirikashvili missed two more penalties before he was successful with another attempt in the 68th minute to make the score 16-0 as the Africans tired.
Namibia soon paid for their lethargy when Georgia scored their second try in the 70th minute.
Fullback Heini Bock lost the ball after a crunching tackle from Irakli Machkhaneli who picked up the gift and sprinted almost half the length of the field to make the score 21-0.
Kvirikashvili added the extras for 23-0 before centre Davit Kacharava scored a third try in the last minute after a clever interception.
Kvirikashvili’s assured boot made the final score 30-0. – Sapa-AFP