Heavyweight memories for clash of lightweights

By CHRIS BARCLAY in Sydney

Their rugby history is renowned not for glorious deeds on the field but a plane crash where survivors had to eat the remains of their clubmates until rescuers plucked them off the Andes 72 days later.

So Uruguayans may have arrived at Aussie Stadium expecting a sympathetic hearing on the strength of the Old Christians club's tragic flight - but the Australian sports follower's memory does not necessarily span back to 1972.

The reception laid on for the Socceroos in Montevideo in the run-up to last year's soccer World Cup was fresher for the neutrals and they adopted Georgia accordingly.

In November last year Harry Kewell & co found "hola" translated to a barrage of abuse, saliva, plus rotting fruit and vegetables. They also lost 3-0 to kiss a trip to Japan and South Korea adios.

The beautiful game may be a minority sport at elite level here but the Australians weren't about to let bygones be bygones.

"Georgia, Georgia" rang out from the seventh minute as the lesser lights of pool C strove to break their tournament ducks.

"I remember how the bastards treated us - so I'm going for the Georgians even if I don't know where it is," said Sydneysider Sarah O'Grady, one of 28,576 attracted to this clash of the lightweights.

However, all the barracking from their new fan base still could not get the plucky east Europeans over the line.

Uruguay scored the only three tries of an error-prone contest to deservedly win the equivalent of their World Cup final 24-12.

The South Americans led 10-3 with the breeze behind them and then closed the game out through tries to barrel-shaped hooker Diego Lamelas and replacement flanker Nicholas Brignoni - two minutes from time to cruelly deny the Georgians a bonus point.

"I'm very disappointed about the result," said captain and No 8 Ilia Zedginidze. "We wanted to win the game but I think after the game against South Africa we didn't recuperate enough."

Overall he described their first World Cup campaign as an "excellent experience".

"The Georgian team really grew up - match after match we did better. Next time [France 2007] we will be better," Zedginidze vowed.

Uruguay's victory, their second in two World Cups, was especially poignant for assistant coach Marcelo Nicola, whose parents were killed instantly when the plane ploughed into the snow-capped peaks on its way to Chile.

"It is very special for me. When I coach, it is like I am close with my father," said Nicola, who was five when the crash occurred.

Nicola eventually captained and coached Old Christians while current lock Juan Miguel Alvarez also has a connection with the miraculous tale of survival immortalised by the movie Alive!

His uncle Gustavo Zerbino, then a first-year medical student, was among the 16 survivors.

Alvarez was among players mobbed by dancing, drum beating ex-pats as they emerged from the stadium. One even had a stint with the drumsticks.

The noisy throng, who held their own during the game, practically drowned out the Georgian press conference in an adjacent building.

"It's incredible," grinned Bernardo Mendaro, a 20-year Sydney resident. "It is only one win but it is like we are the champions."

Meanwhile, the result will not be as well received at Clancy's Fish Bar in Subiaco, the Georgians unofficial West Australian clubhouse.

Patrons and staff at the pub didn't hear the news until yesterday afternoon when a special screening coincided with an auction to raise money for a children's hospital in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

"We're going to pretend it's live and not check the internet," said staffer Alison Robinson.

The Georgians made a great impression on the Subiaco locals - it was no teetotal trip for the dancing, tobacco fiends with claret on their jerseys.

"Playing up seemed to help because they certainly played a bit better the other night [against South Africa],"Robinson. "They even scored tries [one] - I didn't know they could do it."

Alas David Dadunashvili's five-pointer against the Boks was a one-off and Robinson no doubt felt a twinge of sadness at the result.

"I was swept up by them like everyone else. They were very proud and they showed us a CD-rom of their country. It was fascinating - here's this country you didn't even know about. I thought it was in America."

- NZPA

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