IAN KEATLEY HELD his nerve to spare Irish blushes as the Tbilisi Cup got underway in Georgia this afternoon.
In a windy Avchala Stadium, Keatley kicked two late penalties to guide Allen Clarke’s Emerging Ireland side to a nervy 20-15 win against the tournament hosts.
The Munster out-half slotted two penalties to give Ireland an early lead but it was Georgia who scored the game’s opening try and went into the break 10-6 up. With pressure on the Irish pack, back-row Giorgi Chkhaidze peeled off the back of a scrum to barrel over shortly before half-time.
Ireland hit back early in the second half when David Kearney forced his way through some loose Georgian tackles to touch down in the corner and give Ireland a slender 11-10 advantage.
Keatley then added his third penalty before some lackadaisical Irish defence allowed winger Tamaz Mchedlidze in to score.
Georgia held on to their 15-14 lead as the clock ticked into the red but, against a chorus of boos from the home support, Keatley kept calm to kick two pressure penalties and get Ireland off to a winning start.
In the day’s first game, the South African President’s XV beat Uruguay 37-9. Emerging Ireland play South Africa next on Tuesday, 11 June, at 2pm Irish time.
Emerging Ireland (v Georgia): David Kearney (Leinster); Niall Morris (Leicester), Eoin Griffin Connacht), Michael Allen (Ulster), Tiernan O’Halloran (Connacht); Ian Keatley (Munster), Michael Heaney (Ulster): Jack McGrath (Leinster), Robert Herring (Ulster), Michael Bent (Leinster); Lewis Stevenson (Ulster), David Foley (Munster); Rhys Ruddock (capt, Leinster), Dominic Ryan (Leinster), Robbie Diack (Ulster).Replacements: Niall Annett (Ulster), Ricky Lutton (Ulster), Ian Nagle (Munster), Jordi Murphy, John Cooney, Noel Reid, Brendan Macken (all Leinster).