Summer Tour Test Match: Georgia v Ireland

History will be made tonight as the Ireland Men’s team play on Georgian soil for the first time, with Paul O’Connell in interim charge for the summer tour, and fellow Limerick man Craig Casey stepping up as captain.

2025 SUMMER TOUR TEST MATCH:

Saturday, July 5 –

GEORGIA v IRELAND, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, kick-off 9pm local time/6pm Irish time (live Virgin Media One/Virgin Media Play/RugbyPass TV (outside of ROI)/IRFU Live Blog)

Team News: Taking the baton from Simon Easterby who led Ireland during this year’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations, interim head coach O’Connell has included two new caps in the team to play Georgia, and a further four uncapped players on the replacements bench.

Craig Casey will lead his country for the first time, becoming the 112th Ireland Test captain since 1875. He is the third scrum-half to captain Ireland in the professional era after Niall Hogan (three times) and Eoin Reddan (once).

Casey forms a half-back partnership with Sam Prendergast, with Stuart McCloskey and Jamie Osborne set to link up in midfield. it will be Osborne’s sixth international start, and his first in the number 13 jersey.

Fresh from Leinster’s BKT United Rugby Championship success, winger Tommy O’Brien will make his debut in a back-three which includes his provincial colleague, Jimmy O’Brien, and Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale who is set to earn his 39th international cap.

Stockdale needs one more try to become the 21st Irish player to score 100 points for Ireland, and be the first to do it since Jack Crowley.

It would also see him become Ireland’s outright sixth leading try scorer of all-time. The 29-year-old currently shares that position with Girvan Dempsey and Geordan Murphy.

The second starting debutant, Connacht’s Darragh Murray forms a second row partnership with Cormac Izuchukwu, who makes his second Test start, and first at lock after his debut in the back row against Fiji last November.

Jack Boyle, hooker Gus McCarthy, and Thomas Clarkson combine in the front row, with loosehead Boyle making his first start at this level, and his Leinster colleagues, McCarthy and Clarkson, set for their second starts for Ireland.

Nick Timoney and Gavin Coombes, whose most recent Test appearances were in 2022 and 2021 respectively, join in-form blindside flanker Ryan Baird in an exciting back row trio.

There are four more potential debutants on Ireland’s bench, namely Munster forwards Michael Milne and Tom Ahern, and Connacht’s Jack Aungier and Ben Murphy. The quartet are joined by Tom Stewart, Max Deegan, and Calvin Nash.

Leinster back rower Deegan is a late inclusion in Ireland’s matchday 23, coming onto the bench for Connacht captain Cian Prendergast who was withdrawn due to a gastro bug.

Looking forward to the summer tour opener in Tbilisi, which is Ireland’s 764th Test match of all-time, O’Connell said: “I have been impressed by the application of the squad ahead of this two-Test tour, and Saturday’s game presents an exciting opportunity for this group of players.

“To Craig (Casey), I would like to congratulate him on his first game as captain. He has taken to captaincy impressively. He’s going to relish leading his country, and I know how keen he is to make his mark alongside the rest of the players.

“This weekend is also an extra special one for six players who are set to make their international debuts.

“To Tommy and Darragh, who get the chance to start, as well as the four others who will be ready to make their mark from the bench, I wish them well. The squad are determined to make it a memorable occasion for them and their families.

“Although light in terms of international caps in some areas, there’s also a nice blend of experience in the squad.”

GEORGIA: Davit Niniashvili (Lyon); Aka Tabutsadze (Black Lion), Demur Tapladze (Black Lion), Giorgi Kveseladze (Grenoble), Sandro Todua (Black Lion); Luka Matkava (Castres Olympique), Vasil Lobzhanidze (Oyonnax); Giorgi Akhaladze (Clermont Auvergne), Vano Karkadze (Montpellier), Irakli Aptsiauri (Lyon), Mikheil Babunashvili (Black Lion), Lado Chachanidze (Black Lion), Luka Ivanishvili (Black Lion), Beka Saghinadze (Lyon) (capt), Tornike Jalagonia (Provence).

Replacements: Irakli Kvatadze (Black Lion), Giorgi Tetrashvili (Perpignan), Beka Gigashvili (Toulon), Giorgi Javakhia (Grenoble), Ilia Spanderashvili (Valence Romans), Mikheil Alania (Aurillac), Tedo Abzhandadze (Aurillac), Tornike Kakhoidze (Black Lion).

IRELAND: Jimmy O’Brien (Naas RFC/Leinster); Tommy O’Brien (UCD RFC/Leinster), Jamie Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor RFC/Ulster), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan RFC/Ulster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Craig Casey (Shannon RFC/Munster) (capt); Jack Boyle (UCD RFC/Leinster), Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht), Ryan Baird (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Nick Timoney (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster RFC/Munster).

Replacements: Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Michael Milne (UCD RFC/Munster), Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht), Tom Ahern (Shannon RFC/Munster), Max Deegan (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Ben Murphy (Clontarf FC/Connacht), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution FC/Munster), Calvin Nash (Young Munster RFC/Munster).

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Adam Leal (RFU), Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Pre-Match Quotes: Craig Casey (Ireland) –

We are expecting Georgia to be probably up the walls with physicality. They have got some really big threats. Their number 15 (Davit) Niniashvili is a high-class player. He has shown it in the Top 14 and he has shown it in Europe.

“They have got a back row that are going to contest probably every breakdown. If we are on our breakdown, we will have a good day, but we will have to do a lot of work there.

“Georgia will bring their game and I imagine their fans are going to make it a special occasion for them, so they will be delighted to have Ireland over and try to knock us off.

“It is a special week for them (the debutants) and their families and it is unbelievable for them to get their first caps. It is a huge opportunity for all of us – it’s a massive privilege for us to put on the Irish jersey at any stage.

“It is huge week for them, and it is up to the rest of us to lay down a marker and make it a special one for them.”

Richard Cockerill (Georgia) –

It’s great to get one of the biggest rugby countries in the world to come here. They’re the third best team in the world, they have been number 1 for a long time, just to show what a great place this is and how we’re not going away.

“To host Ireland is great for us as a nation to say, ‘Look, we’re actually credible here’. Hopefully we will put in a decent performance. We want to walk away feeling good about how we played and the Irish boys going, ‘Jeez, these Georgia boys are tough to beat’.

“We’re 18 months into this project, we have a way how we want to play. Players are getting more familiar with that. We’ve got a pretty cohesive squad. We want to win, that goes without saying, but what we need is a performance that develops this team.”

Pre-Match Links –

Casey: This Is A Special Game For Both Teams

In Pics: Ireland Men’s Captain’s Run In Tbilisi

‘This Tour Feels Different, But We Still Have Our Standards’ – Osborne

‘This Is A Great Opportunity For Our Young Team’ – O’Connell

McCloskey Primed For More In Green

Previous Meetings –

1998: Rugby World Cup Qualifier: Ireland 70 Georgia 0, Lansdowne Road

2002: Rugby World Cup Qualifier: Ireland 63 Georgia 14, Lansdowne Road

2007: Rugby World Cup Pool D: Ireland 14 Georgia 10, Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux

2014: Guinness Series: Ireland 49 Georgia 7, Aviva Stadium

2020: Guinness Series/Autumn Nations Cup: Ireland 23 Georgia 10, Aviva Stadium

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