Scotland qualify for the quarter-finals
They will play the winner of Australia v Wales. That was a pulsating match – in terms of quality the second half didn’t quite live up to the first as Samoa lost their discipline badly. It would be easy to feel sorry for the islanders, getting so close, but they shot themselves in the foot conceding, I think, 13 penalties in the second half alone and ending up very lucky that none of their players saw yellow. Then again Ryan Wilson should have been red carded in the first for Scotland.
Scotland showed something not associated with them that much lately, namely resilience. Samoa, with their thrilling back play, threatened to blow them away at the start but some great work in the tight by the Grays and Hardie in particular kept them in it. Special credit has to go, though, to Laidlaw, who was superb with the boot and in the way he marshalled his pack all match.
That’s all from me for now. Why not join Barry Glendenning for Wales v Australia right here? I’ll be back for, sigh, England v Uruguay later tonight.
Thanks for reading and for all your tweets and emails. Sorry I couldn’t use them all. Bye!
Updated
Full-time: Samoa 33-36 Scotland
Scotland just need to look after the ball now. They go through the phases, keeping their discipline and then, as the clock goes red, Laidlaw kicks it into touch!
79 min How are your nerves, Scotland fans? Fotuali’i is off, Afemai on as Russell kicks long to Tuilagi, the big back row charging out of the 22. Samoa go through the hands, but they pop it back inside to Levave, who is taken by surprise and knocks on!
Try! (Matu'u 78 + Fa'apale con) Samoa 33-36 Scotland
Oh my. They go quickly again, Scotland can’t drift across in time and the replacement hooker goes over to the right!
Updated
77 min Tuilagi drives towards the line from the base of the scrum and Samoa are a metre out. They get a penalty as Swinson goes in off his feet. Fotuali’i takes it quickly and moves it inside. Another penalty.
76 min Samoa get it straight back from the restart though. Is there a twist in the match yet? Perenise twists and turns into the 22, then it goes left to Fa’apale, but Lamont gets back and covers the grubber through. He’s taken it over his own line though and it’ll be a five metre scrum to Samoa. Horne on, Scott off.
Try! (Laidlaw 74 + con) Samoa 26-36 Scotland
That could be it! Samoa’s defensive scrum puts in a mighty shift, but Scotland’s is powerful enough to make it buckle. Laidlaw gets front foot ball, goes round the corner and dives over! He adds a simple conversion and surely now Scotland are going through.
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74 min Matu’u comes on at hooker and you would think Samoa need his experience here. The atmosphere at St. James’ Park sounds quite something – imagine if Scotland were behind.
Back we go for the penalty. Scotland take the scrum, right under the posts.
73 min Nel takes it up to within two metres with the 10th phase. It’s recycled once more... twice more and then Nel dives low under the posts, only for Fotuali’i to get his leg wedged under the ball! Outstanding tackle that.
72 min Back to that bottom-right corner we go, as Ken Pisi comes on for Autagavaia and Fa’apale for Tusi Pisi. Scotland win the lineout and work it inside. From under the posts it goes right and Russell must put Bennett in, but his pass goes behind his centre! Scotland retain it and come again.
71 min Now Scotland get the driving maul from the lineout as Lamont comes on for the hobbling Hogg. Yet another penalty for offside and, ludicrously, Jaco Peyper gives the Samoans a warning. That’s 11 in the second half alone!
70 min Chipped ahead and a late tackle means another penalty to Scotland, this time just inside their half. Russell finds touch just inside the 22 on the left. This is being played at an absurd pace and I’m struggling to keep up.
69 min Now they go left and Russell looks to kick through, but it’s blocked and Samoa get the ball, swinging it left to Autagavaia. The wing kicks ahead and regathers, very nearly eluding Hogg in doing so. The full-back makes just about enough of a nuisance of himself that his defence can get back and win the turnover.
68 min Gray takes it at the back and it goes left, where Russell pops it nicely inside for Maitland to sear through and up to the 22.
67 min Laidlaw sends up a high box kick, which Perez takes and gives left to Nanai-Williams. He steps and goes, but is well scragged on halfway by Denton. They keep possession and get it out left to Autagavaia, who is dragged into touch well before he can make too much ground.
66 min Another change for Scotland as Ross Ford hobbles off and is replaced by Fraser Brown. Left it comes off the scrum from Samoa, with Nanai-Williams jinking his way up to halfway, before Pisi’s poor kick through is blocked off.
66 min Knocked on by Hogg in midfield though under an excellent tackle from George Pisi.
64 min That’s not a great effort from Laidlaw, hooking to the left from 15 metres infield on the left. Seymour takes the drop-out and runs it up to the 10 metre line, before Gray then Scott crash it over the gain-line.
62 min It’s stolen by Paulo, but another penalty, this time for a tackle in the air. Sire;y there has to be a yellow card soon? Swinson replaces Jonny Gray.
61 min Yet another penalty against Samoa for a round-the-neck clearout. That’s the 15th they’ve conceded, I think and the ninth since half-time. Russell finds touch midway inside their half with a good penalty.
60 min Triple change for Samoa as both props are replaced and Vavae Tuilagi comes on for Faosiliva at No8. The lineout is taken at the front by Samoa, but Denton gets himself in there and rips the ball back into Scottish possession.
59 min A good kick from Pisi finds touch on the right, a few metres inside the 22.
58 min Bennett takes it into contact on the Samoa 10 metre line and Scotland pick and go through the phases. Now they look to put width on it, but Samoa’s defence is up quick. Finally the islanders win a penalty of their own as Denton holds on in the tackle.
57 min It’s a tough kick and I wonder why Hogg didn’t take that one. It drifts just wide and we’ll restart with a 22 drop-out.
56 min There are some boos as a replay shows George Pisi going in for a big tackle that caught Hardie high, but the flanker did duck into that at the last second. Laidlaw is going to kick at goal from halfway.
55 min Samoa are now behind for the first time in the match and have been on the back foot all half, so it’ll be interesting to see how they respond. From the restart they run, with Nanai-Williams delaying his pass and George Pisi stepping up over halfway to make some ground. You feel the more phases they go through, the more likely they are to concede a penalty. In fact they’ve lost it as Richie Gray wins turnover ball on the floor. Oh and then the penalty comes for not rolling away.
Penalty (Laidlaw 54) Samoa 26-29 Scotland
Laidlaw becomes RWC2015’s leading points scorer. He’s in one of those moods.
53 min Lee-Lo looks for space, is tackled and holds on. Penalty Scotland just outside the Samoa 22 as Strauss comes on for Wilson.
52 min Seymour takes the restart well above his head and Scotland set it, moving the ball inside. Russell’s clearance is half charged down, but bounces nicely and sits up for Bennett in midfield. Scotland look to ship it right, but the ball goes loose and back into Samoan hands.
Penalty (Laidlaw 51) Samoa 26-26 Scotland
Good kick from the Gloucester man, slotting it over from wide on the right.
Updated
50 min Good scrum from Scotland again and they get another penalty. Surely they have to go for goal sooner or late? Aye, they do now.
Updated
49 min Scotland get the shove on at the scrum, but Fotuali’i pops it out to Autagavaia, who speeds off down the blindside. Hardie gets across and makes a good thumping tackle though and the former Northampton wing knocks on.
48 min Again it’s won in the middle by Jonny Gray, but they can’t get the maul working. Leiataua gets himself wedged in there and wins Samoa the put in to the scrum.
47 min It’s cleared by Samoa back up to near halfway, where Scotland get a penalty for pulling down the maul. Russell goes for touch again, 10 metres inside the Samoan 22.
46 min The lineout isn’t clean, but Paulo taps it down to Fotuali’i. They go right through the hands and Faasavalu puts Lee-Lo into space with a brilliant offload out the back of the hand. The centre goes through and up over halfway, but then his pass out for Perez goes into the hands of Seymour. Samoa go off their feet and concede a penalty, but Russell misses touch.
45 min Jonny Gray takes again and it’s popped out to Hardie, but now they’re done for crossing and Samoa can clear from the penalty. Pisi finds touch midway inside his own half on the left.
44 min It’s kickable, but Scotland opt to go for the corner instead.
43 min The crowd raises the volume as Russell finds another good touch, down the right and midway inside the 22. Jonny Gray takes and they go left into the backs, where Maitland is tackled high.
42 min Pisi finds touch down the right, dead on halfway. It’s funny how many lineouts we see dead on halfway, almost as if it’s being used as a convenient marker by touch judges. Itls taken at the back by Levave and Lam looks to go round the corner, but he’s driven back. Left it goes to Perez, off his wing, but they’re penalised for crossing.
Faasavalu took a knock there, but he’s back up on his feet.
41 min Here we go again, Russell restarting the match with a kick deep into the 22, which Faosiliva takes. Immediately it’s knocked on and Scotland sling the ball left, with Scott and Jonny Gray carrying up to the 22. Hardie concedes a penalty though for side entry to the ruck.
Further to Steve Ditchburn, it wasn’t a yellow card because it didn’t deny a try-scoring opportunity (for my money we should see fewer yellows for that and more penalty tries). It was a penalty, which, er, is effectively what was given.
Updated
This standard of defence, it’s worth noting, is wonderfully apt for St. James’ Park.
“I am sorry but your answer was rubbish - it doesn’t have to be ‘serious foul play’ for a yellow card to be given,” replies Steve Ditchburn. “Deliberate foul play can also be sanctioned. How many defenders have been binned for ‘deliberate foul play’ in front of the posts? Hundreds. So we have one rule for attackers and one rule for defenders? Your statement that ‘it was just the scrum half being held back’ is laughable - when they showed the replay he was actually pulled out of the way not ‘held back’.”
I’m sorry this entirely free service isn’t up to the standard you require. But in my defence, what you’ve said there is a load of tosh.
@DanLucas86 at a Japanese irish wedding and it is the Japanese that are glued to the #RWC2015 #WhoWouldHaveThoughtIt @JRFURugby
— The Temple Bar (@TempleBarLDN) October 10, 2015
“If Laidlaw was cleared out of the way then isn’t that a deliberate act of foul play and therefore a yellow card offence?” asks Steve Ditchburn. It certainly wasn’t serious foul play; it was more just the scrum-half being held back. Ruling out the try and going back to the first offence was the right call.
On the yellow for Wilson, Yves Tixier asks: “So no comment from the Guardian on the clear double standards in refereeing at this WC?” Well there was my comment afterwards on why it should have been red. And my comments on refereeing double standards in the build-up. But don’t bother actually reading things before commenting, right?
Half-time: Samoa 26-23 Scotland
...but it’s knocked on. That’s the end of a quite brilliant half. Welcome to the World Cup, Samoa.
Updated
40 min Another penalty to Samoa for pulling down at the lineout. They take the tap...
39 min From the restart Scotland, back to 15 men, get a lineout on the right on Samoa’s 10 metre line. Laidlaw dummies and shoots down the blindside, but he’s turned over and Samoa get the penalty for holding on. Fotuali’i takes it quickly and finds a great touch inside the 22.
Penalty (T Pisi 38) Samoa 26-23 Scotland
No bonus point, but Samoa retake the lead with a penalty from under the posts.
Yes he was. No try, but advantage to Samoa was being played for offside.
36 min Left again, with Nanai-Williams and Lam both driving for the line but stopping short. There’s an overlap left though and the prop Taualfo crashes over! We’re going to the TMO though, to check to see if Laidlaw was cleared out of the way from an offside position.
Updated
35 min It’s tapped back into the hands of the scrum-half and Samoa surge forward down the right. It comes left and Nanai-Williams steps into the 22. Right it comes, Lee-Lo making ground in the midfield...
34 min This time Pisi restarts long and Seymour hits a brilliant return down the left, into touch on the Samoa 10 metre line. The throw is taken at the front by Faosiliva, before Fotuali’i sends it up high...
Try! (Hardie 32 + Laidlaw con) Samoa 23-23 Scotland
Jonny Gray takes and they form a powerful driving maul, which comes infield, splitting the defensive pack. Scotland are too strong and the maul surges over the line to the right of the posts. Laidlaw levels the scores.
Updated
31 min Russell’s chip over the top is very well taken by Fotuali’i, who turns and scoots downfield towards the Scottish line. The referee was playing advantage for offside at the lineout though, and Russell kicks a very good penalty to touch in the right-hand corner.
30 min Looking at that Wilson incident again, it’s ridiculous he wasn’t shown a red. He was held in the tackle and stamped hard on the Samoan flanker’s arm. Thompson has gone off for Samoa, replaced by Levave. Fotuali’i clears the restart to touch, near halfway on the left.
Penalty (T Pisi 29) Samoa 23-16 Scotland
Chipped over and the lead is back to seven. Dickinson is back on for Scotland after his HIA.
We’re going all the way back to where the offence took place. That’s 10 metres out, right under the Scottish posts.
Oh that’s bad. It’s a stamp by Ryan Wilson on Faasavalu’s arm. He’s lucky, as it was just below the head so it’s only yellow. He’s got away with that.
Updated
28 min This is being played at an absurd pace. First Maitland, then Bennett, look for gaps from inside their own 22. Laidlaw kicks ahead into space and Nanai-Williams returns tot touch, but the TMO wants to check for foul play.
27 min Samoa have the lineout on their left, on the Scottish 10 metre line. It’s clean ball from Paulo, but Lee-Lo is stopped dead in his tracks by Hardie. Samoa keep possession and Pisi stabs his kick through; Lee-Lo gets to it but can’t control his gather up.
26 min Wilson gathers the restart and is taken out in the air, but it’s a fair contest so no penalty. That’s a very good call from Peyper, although Scotland aren’t happy. They go right from their own 22, looking to get Maitland away down the short side, but the wing runs it into touch.
Photograph: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Updated
Penalty (Laidlaw 25) Samoa 20-16 Scotland
Straight through it goes, from 30 metres right in front.
24 min We’re restarting with a Scottish scrum in the middle of the Samoan half as the ball was spilled forward a couple of phases after that collision. The ball is lost forward by Richie Gray, but we’re going back for a penalty against the Samoans. Again, it’s their ill-discipline that’s keeping Scotland in this.
23 min Faosiliva runs from his own 22 and sends Dickinson flying as the prop goes too high with the tackle. He’s shaken and has to go off for an HIA, with Reid coming on in his place. That was a nasty collision, but entirely the Scotsman’s fault. They’re really rattled right now.
22 min From the left-hand touchline, Tusi Pisi’s conversion drifts wide. Scotland are looking worried now.
Try! (Lee-Lo 21) Samoa 20-13 Scotland
Ironic cheers from the Scottish fans as Hogg gathers the restart. Russell clears over halfway and Samoa run it back, looking dangerous again. Lee-Lo straightens and hares through, looking to offload inside but it goes loose. They keep possession though, it comes inside and then left again, and George Pisi puts his centre partner in with a wonderful offload!
Penalty (Laidlaw 20) Samoa 15-13 Scotland
From pretty much under the posts, Laidlaw narrows the gap to two.
19 min The maul drives up to within four metres, but then when it comes inside Denton drops it under no pressure. He gets away with it though as three defenders were offside. Another penalty to Scotland and this time they’ll take the points.
18 min Jonny Gray takes and they form the maul.
17 min This time they go for touch from halfway. Indeed they find it, a metre inside the 22 and on the right. It’s taken in the middle and Scotland get another penalty as Paulo played the man in the air. Russell goes to the corner again.
16 min This time Fotuali’i, the captain for the day, box kicks clear. Scotland move it left along the halfway line and George Pisi absolutely smashes Hardie. Scotland have advantage for offside, but Seymour steps and jinks through a gap, getting up to the 22. The ball goes loose and we go back for the penalty.
15 min This time Pisi’s kick from the right is scuffed and drifts wide of the far post. Can we have a breather now, please?
Try! (Leiataua 14) Samoa 15-10 Scotland
For the third time in succession, Samoa gather it and surge into the 22. They get a penalty for offside, Fotuali’i takes it quickly and steps right, before slipping it off to the hooker who crashes over. This is madness.
Updated
Conversion (Laidlaw 13) Samoa 10-10 Scotland
Laidlaw curls his kick over and it’s as you were.
Try! (Seymour 12) Samoa 10-8 Scotland
Oh this is sloppy. Samoa sling it along their own tryline from the restart and the ball bounces up over Paul Perez. Seymour nabs it away from him and falls over the line.
Updated
Conversion (T Pisi 11) Samoa 10-3 Scotland
From dead on the right-hand touchline, the fly-half is as cool as a Tarantino antihero.
Try! (T Pisi 10) Samoa 8-3 Scotland
Again the restart is claimed by Samoa, giving them position inside the Scotland half. Tusi Pisi gets it and ghosts through a gap to surge into the 22. Faosiliva takes it on and the ball is recycle right. Johnston offloads to his fly-half, who heads for the corner and, under pressure from Matt Scott dots it down!
Updated
Penalty (Laidlaw 9) Scotland 3-3 Samoa
From the 22, off to the right, it’s an easy one for the Scotland No9.
8 min This pitch cut up pretty badly during the New Zealand v Tonga match last night, so we could be waiting a long old while at scrum time. Scotland get a penalty at the scrum as Census Johnston is penalised for pulling it down.
6 min Faasavalu looks to run it from his own five metre line after the restart, but he’s caught. The clearance goes long to Russell and Scotland carry it up to midway inside the Samoan half. Right it goes and Scott slips out of a tackle, before offloading to Hardie. Off it goes again to Richie Gray, but Kane Thompson holds him up in the tackle and earns the put in to the scrum.
Penalty (Pisi 5) Scotland 0-3 Samoa
From 15 metres in from the right and around 14 inside the Scottish half, Pisi will go for goal. He’s not had a great tournament, but over that one goes.
Updated
4 min Leiataua looks to snipe through a gap from the breakdown after the lineout. Peyper reckons that’s a maul illegally collapsed by Scotland though and he awards the Samoans another penalty,
3 min Scott crashes up the middle after quick ball off the top, but Denton dives in off his feet and gives away the penalty. Tusi Pisi’s kick isn’t the best, finding touch on the right midway between the 10 metre line and the 22.
2 min As Samoa pick and drive towards the 22, John Champion notes that George Pisi is playing in the centre rather than on the wing. Never mind that his brother Ken was the man on the wing for the other matches. Penalty Scotland for holding on and Russell clears to touch on the Samoan 10 metre line.
1 min Being clever, ITV are now showing this on a delay. Good one. Anyhow, Jaco Peyper peeps his whistle and Pisi kicks off, his shallow kick tapped back into Samoan hands. It goes left and Lee-Lo chips ahead, but Scotland return with a kick to touch down the right. It’s taken quickly and now Samoa look to run from deep, with a break taking Lam over halfway.
They have kicked off. ITV are on an advert. Eff’s sake.
The Siva Tau is done. Kick-off is coming up shortly.
Popular children’s book author JK Rowling is at the match today.
Off to Newcastle for #SAMvSCO and if lots of you tweet #AsOne to support Scotland, you can have Sirius's birthday! #RugbyWorldCup
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 10, 2015
I assume that’s a Harry Potter reference. I haven’t read it, because I’m a grown-up. Still, enjoy the match JK.
The teams are out for the anthems. Judging by the crowd at a cold, cloudy-looking St. James’ Park, the Scottish border has been shifted south of Newcastle for the day. You could easily mistake the place for Firhill.
Samoa have been hampered in this World Cup by their own disciplinary issues. You do it to yourself, you do, and all that. But that’s a nice little tenuous link to the following issue.
@DanLucas86 – know why nothing done re Schalk Burger's neck-wringing act v #USA? I've asked my therapist, God & Sir Roger Moore. No luck.
— Martin Pengelly (@MartinPengelly) October 10, 2015
Also, @DanLucas86, oh oracle of things rugby, what the f*** with #NZL pack getting cheesed by #TGA and no yellows or penalty tries? Huh?
— Martin Pengelly (@MartinPengelly) October 10, 2015
Martin is right. The problem in this tournament hasn’t so much been the lack of consistency from the referees, but their tendency to give greater leeway to the teams they perceive to be more skilful, which is invariably the tier one side.
Today’s pre-match reading comes courtesy of chess genius (so I’m told) Sean Ingle*, who has been having a chat with one of the breakthrough stars of this World Cup, Scotland’s John Hardie.
*I’d offer you a game, Sean, but my three-year winning run against my girlfriend came to an end on Thursday.
Pre-match musical entertainment. You should also go and get John Grant’s new album, which is magnificent.
Good news if you’re a Samoa fan, of sorts. It turns out that Alesana Tuilagi’s ban has now been reduced from five weeks for two. Obviously this is still two weeks too long and doesn’t help them today, but small mercies and all that.
Japan face the might of Tuilagi at full speed - brought to you by @SamsungUK | #SamsungRugby http://t.co/nZYxTSLVIX
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) October 3, 2015
Preamble
Afternoon, folks. A couple of days ago I watching the film Wild Card, starring Jason Statham and George Costanza (no, really), and for which spoilers appear in the following preamble. At one stage in the film, our recovering gambling addict Statham has won over $500,000 in one night at Blackjack. All he has to do is cash out and he can make like Nicholas Cage and leave Las Vegas for Corsica, escaping the bloke out of Heroes who has contracted Stanley Tucci to murder him. Statham heads to the counter or whatever it’s called to claim his money: it’s really straightforward. You had one job, Jason!
Scotland have one job tonight. Beat a Samoan side who have been, by and large, thoroughly disappointing, can’t qualify themselves and who have lost one of their star players to the most ludicrous five-week ban you’ll see this tournament. Do that and they can make like South Africa and leave Pool B – albeit as runners up – for the promised land of a quarter-final against Wales or Australia.
Jason Statham suffers a panic attack and returns to the blackjack table. In one ill-fated move, he loses everything. $525,000 flushed down the toilet and his dreams become a shattered visage. There’s to be no escape for him. Instead, as he leaves the casino he is ambushed by heavies and gets punched in the face a lot.
Scotland are the better side and should win at St. James’ Park this afternoon. But there is that trepidation among their fans, that sense that they could panic and blow it all and, let’s be honest, few would be enormously surprised if they contrived to beat themselves tonight. Do that, and there’s every chance they will be ambushed by Japan, who are favourites to beat the USA tomorrow.
Kick-off for this one is at 2.30pm BST. That’s 3.30am in Apia. Your teams are as follows.
Scotland
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Maitland (London Irish), Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors). Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester, captain); Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), WP Nel (Edinburgh), R Gray (Castres), J Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors), John Hardie (unattached), David Denton (Edinburgh).
Replacements: Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors).
Samoa
Tim Nanai-Williams (Ricoh Black Rams), Paul Perez (Coastal Sharks), George Pisi (Northampton Saints), Rey Lee-Lo (Cardiff Blues), Fa’atoina Autagavaia (Nevers), Tusi Pisi (Suntory Sungoliath), Kahn Fotuali’i (Northampton Saints, captain); Sakaria Taulafo (Stade Francais), Ma’atulimanu Leiataua (Aurillac), Census Johnston (Toulouse), Teofilo Paulo (Benetton Treviso), Kane Thompson (Newcastle Falcons), Maurie Faasavalu (Bath), Jack Lam (Bristol), Alafoti Faosiliva (Bath).
Replacements: Motu Matu’u (Wellington Hurricanes), Viliamu Afatia (Agen), Anthony Perenise (Bristol), Faifili Levave (Wellington Lions), Vavae Tuilagi (Carcassonne), Vavao Afemai (Manu 7s), Patrick Faapale (Manu 7s), Ken Pisi (Northampton Saints).
