Rugby World Cup 2019, Pool D: Australia to lock horns with physical Georgia side in final Pool match

Australia and Georgia will face off on Friday in what will be the final Pool game for both sides in this year's World Cup. The game is set to take place at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in central Japan.

The game is expected to take place despite the threat of an approaching typhoon that has already forced the cancellation of two matches. New Zealand vs Italy and England vs France have been called off due to Typhoon Hagibis.

For all information regarding the impact of Typhoon Hagibis on Rugby World Cup 2019 matches, please head here: https://t.co/4F264X7CPx

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The Wallabies have already confirmed their place in the quarter-finals but will be looking to finish the Pool stage with a win. If they do manage to secure a victory they will leapfrog current leaders Wales into 1st place for the time being. The Welsh will play Uruguay on Sunday and are expected to regain top spot with a victory.

A 2nd-place finish for Australia would see them face Eddie Jones’ England side in the quarterfinals. However, in the unlikely event that they top the group, they will square off against an out-of-sorts France team.

Georgia, on the other hand, have already been eliminated from the tournament and are now playing for pride. They will be looking to finish their campaign on a positive note although they enter this contest as firm underdogs.

Key Talking Points: Australia

• Although Australia have secured progression, they are yet to settle on a starting lineup. They have fielded a different fly-half in each of their 3 Pool games and have constantly rotated the rest of their squad as well.
• After scoring his 1st try for the Wallabies, Jordan Petaia will retain his spot in the starting XV.
• Australia and Georgia have never locked horns in a competitive match.

Key Talking Points: Georgia

• A 3rd place finish is the best Georgia can hope for but they will need to pull off a shock win over the Wallabies to achieve this.
• Georgia’s high row has arguably been their best performing asset. The team as a whole relies on an overly physical approach and this could cause Australia some problems.