By David Williams
Merab Sharikadze will renew his rivalry with Scarlets cente Johnny Williams at Parc Y Scarlets in the second round of the EPCR Challenge Cup on Friday night in a game against Black Lion that is a potential banana skin for Dwayne Peel’s home side.
The Scarlets were highly competitive, yet ultimately well beaten, in their opening game in Pool 3, going down 36-14 in Castres.
In their first game in the tournament, Black Lion pushed Gloucester all the way before picking up a losing bonus-points in a 15-10 defeat in Tbilisi.
The 104-times capped Sharikadze lined-up against Williams for the first time when the Scarlets midiield powerhouse won his second Wales cap against Georgia in the Autumn Nations Cup during COVID in 2020. Wales triumphed 18-0 on that occasion, but Sharikadze was back for more in the autum of 2022.
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That was when he led the Georgians to a stunning 13-12 win over Wales at Principality Stadium. It was a seismic result in world rugby and added to the win Georgia had secured over Italy earlier in the year.
The man who hammered the final nail in the coffin of Wayne Pivac’s Welsh side on that occasion was outside half Luka Matkava, who will line-up inside Sharikadze for Black Lion at Parc Y Scarlets. Another Georgian hero from that famous day, lock Nodar Cheishvili, will also be back on Welsh soil this week.
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The Black Lion side is packed with senior Georgain internationals and both the skipper and Matkava played against Wales at the recent World Cup. Williams didn’t play in the game and admitted he was frustrated not to get more game time in France.
“I’m grateful to be able to look back with massive pride and honour at playing for Wales at the World Cup, although I probably didn’t play as much as I would have liked,” said Williams.
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“Everyone was fighting for positions and the 23 were going well, so it is what it is. But I want to be part of the Wales team, I want to pick up some more caps and to continue playing at the top level.
“Doing well in Europe, and picking up more results in the URC, is the biggest focus now. If I play well, then hopefully on the back of that I can be involved in the Six Nations.”
The game against Black Lion will be another stepping stone for Williams and many others in the home line-up to push their credentials ahead of the 2024 Guinness Six Nations, which kicks-off in Cardiff on 2 February, with Wales hosting Scotland.
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