Seven Nations? Richard Cockerill and Georgia desperate to join elite after winning seventh-straight Rugby Europe title
In recent years, Richard Cockerill has been used to being at the heart of Six Nations ‘Super Saturday’, but 24 hours after the 2024 Championship concluded, he lifted his first silverware as Georgia head coach after had tasted success on Rugby Europe’s ‘Super Saturday’. Sunday’.
In his debut season as head coach of Lelos, former England assistant Cockerill saw his team beat 2023 World Cup darlings Portugal 36-10 in Paris.
This was their seventh Rugby Europe title in a row. Georgia has become accustomed to dominating the sub-Six Nations level.
“We’re probably a bit too good for this competition and not quite ready to go through to the next competition, whatever that may be,” Cockerill told Mail Sport.
‘We’re kind of in the middle. We have enormous potential. We can be so much better. I’m very optimistic for the future.’
Georgia won the Rugby Europe title for the seventh time in a row in Paris on Sunday evening
The Lelos defeated Portugal 36-10 in the final of the European second-tier rugby competition
Cockerill took charge of Georgia after they disappointed at last year’s World Cup and became available after leaving French side Montpellier. His task is complex.
Georgia is in something of a rugby halfway house. In an ideal world they would love to get into the Six Nations, but for now that seems unlikely.
They need tougher challenges than in Rugby Europe and need more matches against the game’s elite to continue their progress. Will they get it?
The introduction of the new Nations Championship competition from 2026 suggests not, even though Georgia does have a big summer ahead of it.
They will face Japan in a match that will pit Cockerill against his former England boss Eddie Jones. Georgia will also meet Fiji and Joe Schmidt’s Australia in the coming months.
These are brilliant matches that give them the opportunity to ruffle the feathers of some of the game’s elite. Japan is rebuilding under Jones and Fiji does not yet have a coach.
Georgia brought the Pacific Islanders very close at the World Cup. Schmidt is now in charge of an Australian rugby system that is experiencing serious difficulties.
“We need the opportunities that Italy have had over the last 20 years – whether at United Rugby Championship level or Test level – to be able to improve,” Cockerill said.
Cockerill took charge of Georgia after their disappointing Rugby World Cup match
The former England international was Steve Borthwick’s assistant until last year
The Lelos were eliminated in the group stage and finished bottom of Group C without a win
‘We have no intention of replacing anyone (in the Six Nations). We want to add something to it. The difficulty is that our fixtures are so spread out. The jump is very big. We need regular competition.
‘Italy took a big step forward in this year’s Six Nations. The Six Nations is a very tough tournament, much tougher than this (Rugby Europe), and it’s going to be even tougher.
‘If we are not careful, that gap will widen. The quality (in Rugby Europe) is not the same. It’s not like you’re playing against big teams. We are not going to do anything differently.
‘We are very good at this level and we like to think we can compete with teams like Japan, Fiji and Italy, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have to keep winning.’
Expanding the Six Nations to seven teams is a difficult task due to the busy rugby calendar and concerns about player welfare. The Championship’s six rival unions are also terrified of a promotion-relegation play-off match between the two tiers.
That’s because it would really jeopardize their future financially. But doing just that would certainly increase rugby’s appeal. Wales finished bottom of this year’s Six Nations without a win.
Italy made huge progress in this year’s Six Nations, finishing with two wins
Wales received the wooden spoon after finishing bottom of the table without a win
A two-legged play-off match between them and Georgia would be a great opportunity.
As former Wales captain Sam Warburton rightly pointed out, no Six Nations union should have an undisputed right to a championship berth and the lucrative funds that come with it. As it stands, Georgia would have every chance against Wales.
They beat them in Cardiff in 2022. Georgia certainly has good players.
Vasil Lobzhanidze, Luka Matkava and Davit Niniashvili are fine talents in the back division and Georgia’s scrum has swept away Portugal. They have the power up front.
Rugby Europe’s final day in Paris was attended by 8,200 people and showed there is more to Test rugby competition in the Northern Hemisphere than just the Six Nations.
As a former hooker and no-nonsense coach, Cockerill seems like a good fit for Georgia.
“We have Fiji, Japan and Australia this summer and they will be great tests for us. We need to play against level one teams to see exactly where we stand,” he added.
Georgia’s Under-18s will compete alongside the likes of England and Wales in an age-level rugby festival this summer, which is a welcome development.
Georgia recorded a historic victory against Wales in Cardiff two years ago
Luka Matkava is one of Georgia’s good backs that Cotterrill can call on
Vasil Lobzhanidze (center), captain of Georgia, is one of the loyal players of the Lelos
Black Lion, the country’s senior club, took part in the European Rugby Challenge Cup for the first time this season. Cockerill would like to see Black Lion get a chance in the URC – the competition currently made up of club teams from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy.
Certainly more needs to be done to help an ambitious rugby nation.
“Black Lion has acquitted itself very well in Europe this year, so we would like to investigate any possible attempts to gain access to the URC,” Cockerill said.
‘The expectation is that we win because we are a powerful rugby country. We can play better than against a good team from Portugal. We have to keep improving.’