Georgia v Portugal predictions and Rugby World Cup tips: try machine Akaki Tabutsadze set to shine for Lelos

Where to watch Georgia v Portugal

ITV1, 1pm Saturday

Best bet

Akaki Tabutsadze to score two or more tries
1pt 15-4 bet365

Georgia v Portugal predictions

These tier-two nations have the luxury of knowing each other pretty well having established themselves as the best of the rest in the northern hemisphere.

Georgia are the pre-eminent side having won the Rugby Europe Championship six times in a row, culminating in their 38-11 victory over Portugal in the 2023 final.

Os Lobos registered three bonus-point wins out of three in the pool stage of that tournament before beating Spain 27-10 in the semi-finals, but found Georgia just too strong in the decider, especially up front, and they are 15-point underdogs for Saturday's rematch.

Both teams have played just one match at the tournament and may well see this as their defining contest, whatever hopes Georgia may harbour of overcoming Wales or Fiji.

Although this year's Rugby Europe final was a convincing win for Georgia, the teams drew 25-25 in 2022 when the tournament was last played solely as a round-robin competition, while Georgia won by 13 and 15 points in the previous two years.

Portugal showed in their defeat to Wales that they are ready to take chances and play some running rugby so this could prove to be an open contest, which would suit Georgia winger Akaki Tabutsadze, who has scored 26 tries in as many Tests for his country.

He scored in the Rugby Europe Championship final against Portugal while in the pool stage of that tournament he scored two tries against Spain and a hat-trick against Germany.

He is odds-on to add to his tally on Saturday but the 15-4 that he scores two or more looks generous for a man who is the focal point for his team's attack.

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