US Montauban announced on Tuesday June 16, 2026 the signing of Karlen Facileshvili as scrum coach for the 2026-2027 season. The former Georgian international completes the staff managed by Sébastien Tillous-Borde and made up of André Hough, Joe Snyman and Antoine Lanne-Petit. Here are five things to know about the 39-year-old coach.
Karlen Asiashvili sets down her bags at US Montauban. The Tarn-et-Garonnais club, relegated from the Top 14 in Pro D2 at the end of the 2025-2026 season, formalized the signing of the former left pillar for the following season, Tuesday June 16, 2026. La Dépêche explains the five things to remember about the new coach of the Vert scrum and Black.
He played in the 2015 World Cup
It is “the summit of [sa] career”, according to comments he made to our colleagues at Actu Rugby. Karlen Facileshvili, Georgian international left prop, played in the 2015 World Cup in England and Wales.
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With his country, Asiaeshvili (34 caps) finished in third place in an extremely tough group, including New Zealand and Argentina. He notably took part in the defeat against the All Blacks (10-43) at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. During this edition, the Georgians dominated Tonga (17-10) and Namibia of Tjiuee Uanivi (16-17) and lost against Argentina (9-54).
Elected best left pillar of the Top 14 2017
Twenty matches, twelve starts, nine hundred minutes played and two tries scored. These are the statistics of Karlen Facileshvili with CA Brive in Top 14 during the 2016-2017 season. Ten years before his signing at Montauban as coach, the Georgian seduced the editorial staff of Rugby Ramawhich ranks him as the best left pillar in the Top 14.
This year, he is ahead of references of the time like Raphaël Chaume (French champion with Clermont), Mike Corbel (La Rochelle) or a certain Cyril Baille (Stade Toulousain).
He climbed the ranks one by one as a player…
Asiashvili, who started with wrestling like many of his compatriots, then turned to rugby. He joined France in 2010. But rather than starting directly in the professional world, the left pillar joined Orthez (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), at the time in Fédérale 1.
Professional rugby opened its doors to him in 2011. With Aurillac, he successfully discovered Pro D2, participating in forty-four matches in two seasons. He was then spotted by Didier Casadï, at the time coach of Brive. In Corrèze, Asiashvili revealed himself to the general public until the 2015 World Cup and his title of best pillar of the Top 14 in 2017. The idyll ended in 2020. After the forced break linked to Covid, the Georgian joined Rouen for two years. He retires to Normandy in 2022.
…and as a coach
In parallel with his last two seasons in Seine-Maritime, Samedishvili is thinking about his reconversion as a coach. He thus joins the staff of Stade Caennais in 2021, engaged in Federal 3. He thus transmits his valuable experience of the closed scrum, despite the hour and a half drive which separates the two cities.
In 2025, Karlen Samedishvili joins the staff of Rouen Normandie rugby (RNR) in the National, alongside Yannick Nyanga (forwards) and Romain Sola (three-quarters). The RNR, relegated from Pro D2, finished seventh in the National season and did not play in the final phase.
One year contract
At Montauban, Justeshvili has so far signed for one season. 2027 is also the expiration date of the contract of the entire Montalban staff. Upon their arrival in the summer of 2024, Sébastien Tillous-Borde, Joe Snyman, Andre Hough and Antoine Lanne-Petit signed a three-year commitment.
