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GEORGIA

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Georgians ready for war - literally

Wednesday 13th August 2008

Hold the line: Georgian players including Irakli Machkhaneli (2nd from R) are ready to go to war

The effects of the armed conflict between Georgian and Russia have touched the lives of many further afield, including approximately 100 Georgian rugby players in France who have said they're ready to go home and fight if need be.

Hours after a ceasefire was negotiated with the help of French president Nicolas Sarkozy, President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia declared on Wednesday that Russian tanks were still on the attack - with many rugby players in France anxiously watching their televisions, ready to head home and serve their country, in a different way to winning a Test cap.

"We've been speaking amongst ourselves. We consulted with each other and 80 per cent of us are ready to go off to battle, if in the next two or three days, the situation does not improve," Brive prop Davit Kinchagishvili told French daily La Dépêche du Midi.

"We'll all go together. We're obliged to go, it's our country. We want to defend it, it's normal."

Clermont front rower Davit Zirakashvili had already bought his ticket to return to Georgia but with the news of the peace accord, did not leave.

"It's true, we wanted to go if things got worse," confirmed his countryman Kinchagishvili.

"From here there is nothing we can do and we wanted to go home to be close to families. Two days ago, when the Russian troops were advancing towards the capital (Tbilissi), I was really scared because my whole family is there."

"I didn't sleep last night. I had my loved ones on the telephone, six or seven times a day."

Things seem to be calming down in the former Soviet Republic, allowing Georgia's top rugby players in France to get some sleep, concentrate on training sessions and turn their attention to the French championship starting in a few weeks.

"I came to training but all my thoughts were elsewhere," said Kinchagishvili.

The same can be said for Agen wing Irakli Machkhaneli.

"With things like this, I can't think (about training)," said Machkhaneli.

Thirteen of France's thirty professional clubs have Georgian players, who, for the moment, will save their combat skills for the rugby fields.