Rout tipped as Georgia take on All Blacks

LONDON — The All Blacks’ preparations for their first-ever match against Georgia have hardly been forensic. “Georgia aren’t a team who we know a lot about,” New Zealand coach Steve Hansen said. “It’s hard to get footage from afar.”

He shouldn’t worry. It’s unlikely there will be any surprises for the defending champions at the Rugby World Cup (RWC) on Friday.

Blessed with a tough set of forwards, Georgia rarely budge from 10-man rugby — despite the team’s Kiwi coach, Milton Haig, trying to adapt the philosophy since taking charge in 2011.

“We have a very forward-orientated game. There are times when they could get the ball out to the backs, but they will keep it in the forwards and score tries that way,” Haig said.

The All Blacks — and the rugby world — know that. But no matter how attritional Georgia will seek to make the game, there can surely be only one result under the closed roof at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. A big New Zealand win.

While Hansen has selected a close-to-full-strength team in search of a third win that would secure qualification from Pool C, Haig has retained just five of the first-choice team that started the 17-10 win over Tonga on the opening weekend.

Although their maiden meeting with the All Blacks will be a great occasion for the Georgians, it is clear they are looking further ahead to the game against Namibia on Oct 7, as a win then is likely to seal third place in the group and a spot in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Said Haig: “Namibia’s very important for us to achieve our goal of qualifying automatically for 2019. So it’s a necessary evil that our focus is obviously on the Namibian game.”

So expect plenty of tries for the All Blacks, then, especially given the firepower Hansen has gone for out wide.

Julian Savea, who has 32 tries in 37 Tests, is on one wing and Waisake Naholo, the top try-scorer in Super Rugby this year, is on the other.

Naholo is back after two months out with a broken right fibula, sustained during his Test debut against Argentina on July 17.

New Zealand have made 11 changes from the team that started the 58-14 win over Namibia, picking a side closer to the one that beat Argentina 26-16 first up. Superstars Richie McCaw and Dan Carter will start. McCaw will win his 145th cap and Carter will start at flyhalf. AP

TV TIMES:

Pool C: New Zealand v Georgia (Singtel Ch115 and Starhub Ch209, Saturday morning, 2.45am)