Around this time of year people often forget there are more than six rugby-playing countries in Europe. It must annoy the hell out of the neighbours. As recently as November Georgia hosted a Samoa squad containing such familiar Premiership names as Kahn Fotuali'i, Anthony Perenise, James Johnston and Ken Pisi. The game in the Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi was watched by a crowd of 18,000 and Samoa lost it 16-15.
At the weekend Georgia and Romania, coached by the former Welsh coach Lyn Howells, both put 34 points apiece on their respective opponents Portugal and Russia. The two sides will meet on 15 March, once again in Tbilisi, with the winner set to play in New Zealand's pool at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The losers will be in with France, Ireland and Italy. Those who reckon plenty of oval-ball potential still exists in Eastern Europe will be watching those results closely.
For while Romania may not have as formidable a team as they did in the communist era, the game still arouses huge passion on either side of the Black Sea. Back in 2002 the fixture between Georgia and Romania in Tbilisi attracted a crowd of 45,000. A record attendance of 95,000 once filled Dinamo Stadium to watch the Romanians play France on 19 May 1957. At the last World Cup in New Zealand, the Mighty Oaks gave Scotland an even mightier scare before losing 24-34. Georgia, famously, took Ireland to the brink in Bordeaux in 2007 before losing 14-10. Last time around the Lelos went down 15-6 to Scotland and also gave a good account of themselves against England.
So what would happen if, say, Scotland were heading to Georgia next week? Given the Georgians' scrummaging prowess and the weekend's events at Murrayfield, the most worried man in Europe would be the Scottish forwards coach, Jonathan Humphreys. Rugby union is the national sport of Georgia, with all the funding advantages that brings. With the help of the International Rugby Board artificial pitches have been installed at the state-of-the-art academy. One of the most respected players in the Top 14, the world's wealthiest league, is the inspirational Georgian forward Mamuka Gorgodze. Any self-respecting side has at least one Georgian prop on their roster.
It is not the IRB's place to demand that the Six Nations reflects all this by injecting some fresh blood, as it did for Italy in 2000. Everyone recognises the existing tournament is the beating financial heart of the entire European game. France were Six Nations wooden-spoonists last season – had relegation been in place and the fixture list suddenly required them to play Belgium and Spain in the Nations Cup they would have struggled to fill a modest club ground, never mind the Stade de France.
But, equally, the tectonic plates of world rugby politics are shifting more than some appreciate. An international calendar working group has been established to see what can be done to ensure that, from 2016, the current Tier Two nations get more regular chances to measure themselves against their supposed peers. The existing calendar is apparently set in stone until 2019 but the IRB is reviewing that 10-year agreement in pursuit of a global international season which would involve amending the existing November and June windows. "We'd love to see Georgia play more regularly against Tier One nations," said an IRB source. Already an annual event called the Tbilisi Cup has been established; last year both Emerging Ireland and a South Africa President's XV were involved.
Talk, however, to Nigel Melville, the Englishman in charge of United States rugby, and he will tell you a second division Six Nations containing the United States and Canada, as well as Georgia, Romania and Russia is the perfect way forward. The Eagles could technically get their players released under IRB regulation No9 but currently have no matches in that window, despite being a union based in the northern hemisphere. Melville also suggests getting yourself along to Houston, Texas on 7 June for the visit of Scotland when, by all accounts, the pitch and weather conditions should be slightly better than they were in Edinburgh.
Either way that particular fixture suddenly has an extra tang to it. The magnificent Samu Manoa, if he plays, would definitely give the Scots a hurry-up. And with the fate of the Heineken Cup and the Pro12 next season also up in the air, who can say with absolute confidence what the global rugby landscape will look like in a decade's time? It is another reason why countries like Scotland were already feeling the draught even before the national team's depressing efforts against Ireland and England.
One dedicated coaching development officer in Scotland confided over the weekend that he thought radical changes were required. Among other things he would prefer to see a winter break in December and January, arguing that teaching a frozen-fingered six-year-old to catch or pass a rugby ball in rain, sleet and permafrost helps no one. Skills and participation numbers would be more likely to improve if such sessions took place in summer and Scottish rugby, ultimately, would be the stronger for it.
It is unlikely to happen, of course, but we are reaching a point where rugby's guardians have little choice but to keep an open mind about almost everything. Any sport which clings exclusively to tradition and resists change on principle is simply storing up future problems for itself.
One in the eye
Wales and their captain, Sam Warburton, have had better weekends, summed up when Ireland's Cian Healy swung up his left hand to bind on to Adam Jones at a 55th minute scrum and caught the Welsh skipper in the face.
It had to be accidental, surely? If not, it added a whole new meaning to the term 'smash and grab' …
Prediction of the week
After repeated recent failures the Guardian's hutch-based pundit has been given the week off to recuperate. Depending on specialist veterinary advice, he may or may not be back. In his absence our featured game is Sale v Saracens this Friday. Sale are sixth with Saracens now second after losing to London Irish last week. Could they lose two in a row? It may well be close but, by a narrow margin, I predict not.
