Wales vs Georgia Rugby World Cup clash marred by mass 30-man brawl

08 October 2023 , 08:50

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Wales vs Georgia Rugby World Cup clash marred by mass 30-man brawl

The closing stages of Wales' Rugby World Cup clash with Georgia were tainted by a mass brawl as tempers frayed in Nantes.

Warren Gatland's side went into the clash needing only a bonus point to ensure top spot in Pool C, setting up a quarter-final date with either Japan or Argentina. And after repelling a spirited second half fightback from their European rivals, they prevailed 43-19 as winger Louis Rees-Zammit crossed for a hat-trick.

George North, Tomas Francis and Liam Williams also went over, but the Welsh win came at a cost with Toby Faletau sustaining a broken arm. Outside half Gareth Anscombe also withdrew in the warm-up with injury, and the head coach would also have been fretting when his players got involved in a late melee.

Flanker Taine Basham, who was introduced as a second-half substitute, sparked the scenes when he crashed into Georgian winger Davit Niniashvili with a tackle that appeared high. Niniashvili was less than impressed, and lunged at his opponent in retaliation.

Within seconds, all 30 players had piled in amid much handbags and shirt pulling, as officials struggled to temper the unsavoury scenes. When things eventually simmered, referee Mathieu Raynal took action.

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However, the Frenchman resisted the temptation to dish out a string of yellow cards, instead focusing on the initial perpetrators. Basham and Niniashvili were sent into the sin bin, ending their afternoons given there were fewer than 10 minutes left.

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Things got out of hand as every player got involved (PA)

To the relief of Gatland and co, the closing moments passed without any further flashpoints, and his side will now head to Marseille next Saturday for their last-eight tie. And organisers will also be pleased that the tally of seven tournament red cards was not increased.

The current record is eight, set in Japan in 2019. But with still 11 matches to go in the 2023 version, it seems likely a new marker will be set by the time the final culminates on October 28.

The officiating in France has been the subject of much debate, amid the new tackle laws which have prompted frequent TMO interventions. The regulations have come amid concerns over the long-term effects of head injuries to players.

Fraser Watson