New Zealand vs. Georgia: Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for Rugby World Cup Game
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen isn't taking the threat of Georgia lightly after naming a very experienced XV for their Pool C collision on Friday.
Captain Richie McCaw is among those making his return to the All Blacks' starting lineup after coming on as a substitute against Namibia, while Georgia coach Milton Haig has made widespread changes to his team.
Georgia were embarrassed 54-9 at the hands of Argentina last Friday, and Haig told Sky Sports why he was looking to use a raft of fresh faces for the All Blacks fixture at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium:
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"We've made several changes to the starting line-up, purely because for the first and second game we used the same players, so these guys are fresh.
They haven't played any time, or very little time, at the World Cup and we are looking for a bit of energy against the All Blacks. We think with the depth that we've got in the squad, it's a good chance for these players.
"
Few will be expecting anything other than a routine win for the defending world champions in Wales' capital, with Georgia facing mountainous odds if they're to clinch a first win against the globe's top-ranked team.
Read on for a breakdown of Friday's schedule and live stream information to ensure you're up to date with the action, along with betting guide and a look ahead to which players you should be watching out for.
Date: Friday, October 2
Time: 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, (Saturday, Oct. 3) 5 a.m. AEST/8 a.m. NZT
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Live Stream: ITV Player (UK), Universal Sports (U.S.), Fox Sports (AUS), Sky Go (NZ), SuperSport (SA)
TV Info: ITV (UK), Fox Sports 2 (AUS), Sky Sport 1 (NZ), SuperSport 1 (SA)
Team Lineups
New Zealand: 15. Ben Smith, 14. Waisake Naholo, 13. Conrad Smith, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 11. Julian Savea, 10. Daniel Carter, 9. Aaron Smith, 8. Kieran Read, 7. Richie McCaw (C) 6. Jerome Kaino, 5. Samuel Whitelock, 4. Brodie Retallick, 3. Charlie Faumuina, 2. Dane Coles, 1. Wyatt Crockett
Georgia: 15. Beka Tsiklauri, 14. Giorgi Aptsiauri, 13. David Kacharava, 12. Tamaz Mchedlidze, 11. Alexandr Todua, 10. Lasha Malaguradze, 9. Giorgi Begadze, 8. Lasha Lomidze, 7. Mamuka Gorgodze (C), 6. Shalva Sutiashvili, 5. Giorgi Chkhaidze, 4. Levan Datunashvili, 3. Levan Chilachava, 2. Shalva Mamukashvili, 1. Karlen Asieshvili
| September 24, 2015 | Namibia 14-58 New Zealand |
| September 20, 2015 | Argentina 16-26 New Zealand |
| August 15, 2015 | New Zealand 41-13 Australia |
| August 8, 2015 | Australia 27-19 New Zealand |
| July 25, 2015 | South Africa 20-27 New Zealand |
| September 25, 2015 | Argentina 54-9 Georgia |
| September 19, 2015 | Georgia 17-10 Tonga |
| September 5, 2015 | Georgia 10-13 Japan |
| September 2, 2015 | Canada 16-15 Georgia |
| March 21, 2015 | Romania 6-15 Georgia |
Players to Watch
Waisake Naholo
It's only been 10 weeks since Waisake Naholo suffered a hairline fracture in his fibula on his international debut against Argentina, but the 24-year-old has battled against the odds to somehow make it back for the World Cup.
The winger proved during this year's Super Rugby triumph with the Highlanders exactly how dangerous he is with space in front, and Rugby World's Paul Williams is expecting a fast start on his behalf:
It's something of a miracle that Naholo has made it back from his injury in time to make his World Cup debut in 2015, taking on a Georgia team that have so far been shown up in the back line.
Hansen was eager to dispute the magnitude of the injury Naholo had suffered, but nonetheless insisted his speedster is raring to go ahead of the Cardiff clash:
The likes of Julian Savea, Nehe Milner-Skudder and Ben Smith have already enjoyed some stellar scoring form at the World Cup, but this is very much still a competitive period among the players to tie down their places.
Naholo is at a disadvantage in that regard, having spent less time playing at the Rugby Championship and more time recovering from a pretty serious injury, but now comes his time to shine.
| New Zealand Win | 1-1,000 |
| Draw | 100-1 |
| Georgia Win | 66-1 |
| Waisake Naholo to Score a Hat-Trick | 6-4 |
Mamuka Gorgodze
Mamuka Gorgodze was always going to be considered a key component for Georgia if they were to have any hope of World Cup success, and his displays so far have only typified that notion.
This was made clear in the recent defeat to the Pumas, where the Telegraph's Brendan Gallagher was quick to note Georgia had conceded three tries while their captain was in the sin bin:
Up until that point, the European side had looked likely to at least challenge Argentina at Kingsholm, but Gorgodze's temporary absence proved to be the nail in their coffin.
The Toulon back-rower is a known asset to the All Blacks, too, as flanker Liam Messam has proclaimed his team are ready for the man dubbed "Gorgodzilla," per Joseph Pearson of Stuff.co.nz:
"I've seen some clips of him and he's done some amazing things. I know the boys will be up for it. It's another step for where we want to get to and it will be a good week of preparation."
Messam also noted Gorgodze's "massive" and "brutal" features, but it's nevertheless shaping up to be another David vs. Goliath battle, even if this particular underdog is a terrifying talent of his own.
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