Thud, sweat and cheers as hard work puts Scotland back in mix
● Physicality and energy missing against Ireland to the fore as crucial try bonus point is secured
Scotland’s Rugby World Cup is up and running after this comprehensive four-try, bonus-point win in sweltering conditions kept them on course for a quarter-final shootout with hosts Japan in Yokohama a week on Sunday.
Gregor Townsend’s men played with positivity and purpose against awkward but limited opposition to partly atone for their shocking start to Pool A against Ireland. It wasn’t without tension, though, as Scotland’s fans were left sweating, quite literally in the indoor Kobe Misaki Stadium, until six minutes to go when a second penalty try secured the bonus point they so desperately wanted.
An earlier penalty try in the 57th minute put Scotland on the brink after excellent scores by Sean Maitland and Greig Laidlaw had given Scotland a 20-0 half-time lead following a tight first quarter.
Townsend certainly got the energy that had been so lacking in the opening quarter against Ireland in Yokohama and it was the new boys in the team who provided the spark.
Winger Darcy Graham made a thrilling burst into the Samoa 22 and, when he was stopped, flanker Jamie Ritchie – excellent all night – took on the charge before being penalised.
Scotland had a slight edge but the accuracy was a bit off as both teams took time to acclimatise to the steamy and greasy conditions.
Samoa lost their captain Jack Lam to a temporary injury replacement for a ten-minute spell, during which Greig Laidlaw opted for the posts with a penalty to give Scotland an early lead. The try chase could wait.
With both sides in blue, Samoa in Royal, scotland in navy, the exchanges remained bitty and footing was tricky on the slick surface. It was Townsend who had to make a change in the 17th minute when loosehead Allan Dell took a head knock and was replaced by veteran Gordon Reid.
The game was already turning into very hard work. The Scots had possession dominance but struggled to do much with it and the wet ball slithered out of stand-off Finn Russell’s hands yet again to scupper a chance to build from inside his own half.
Russell and Stuart Hogg got their first chance to launch off first phase after a Samoa knock-on but the fullback was stopped short of the opposition 22 before another foray towards the Samoan line was repelled.
Scotland needed something special to break the impasse and, when that is required, Russell is the man to deliver. On 30 minutes he cut out the middle men and went route one with a sublime right-to-left cross-field kick which landed straight in Maitland’s bread basket.
The wing was half stopped but had the momentum to get over for the crucial breakthrough score, which Laidlaw converted.
Scotland may have been the 20th
“First, Hogg’s probing touchfinder to the Samoan corner had the islanders on the back foot. Then, when they tried to clear, the full-back collected from 40 metres out, steadied himself and connected beautifully to send over an absolute showstopper of a drop goal”
and last team to register a try at this tournament but there wasn’t too long to wait for the second.
Suddenly, what had been treacle turned to quicksilver as the team’s main ball players began to grow in confidence.
Russell, pictured, produced a fabulousfeint and go then flipped the ball up to Jamie Ritchie, who fed inside to Laidlaw. It looked as though the scrum-half was going to be swamped by the covering Samoan defence but he tenaciously brushed off the first attempt to stop him then burrowed on to crash over before converting his own try. Hogg then showcased that, for all his breathtaking fleet-footed attacking talent, he is also a consummate rugby footballer.
First, his probing touchfinder to the Samoan corner had the islanders on the back foot. Then, when they tried to clear, the full-back collected from 40 metres out, steadied himself and connected beautifully to send over an absolute showstopper of a drop goal. It was the first time a Scot had scored Test points through that avenue since Duncan Weir’s last-minute winner against Italy in Rome over five years ago. It was also Scotland’s first drop goal at a Rugby World Cup since Dan Parks’ effort against England in 2011.
More importantly, it opened up a satisfying 20-0 lead.
It was all Scotland now but the Samoans survived to the break, knowing that they would be up against a side thirsting for two more tries in the second half.
The first ten minutes after the break saw Scotland well in control again but, again, the stifling conditions and slimy ball continued to frustrate.
With the scrum already dominant, Townsend looked to turn the screw by freshening up the pack as Fraser Brown replaced Stuart Mcinally at hooker and Scott Cummings came on for Grant Gilchrist at lock.
Another good nudge at a set-piece got the backs moving again but Russell’s pass out to Graham haring down the right went inches over the youngster’s hands.
Samoa were pinned back now and struggling to clear out of their ten, never mind 22-metre line.
A penalty was kicked to the corner as the Scots sought the third try that would open the door in good time to the all-important bonus.
The Samoans were mauled back over their line and French referee Pascal Gauzere went to the television match official (TMO). Brown looked confident that he’d touched down but, in the end, the ruling was a penalty try, to make it 27-0, with Samoan wing Ed Fidow sent to the sin-bin for being offside when holding up the Scots’ replacement hooker.
So, the game won as surely as the Ireland one was lost when the men in green hit 27 points just over a week ago in Yokohama. There were now 22 minutes for Scotland to secure the four-try bonus point which would put them back in the mix in what is unfolding as the most intriguing and unpredictable pool in the tournament.
Laidlaw was warmly applauded off after another sterling effort in dark blue – befitting of his 75th cap – when he was replaced by George Horne. At the same time centre Duncan Taylor relieved Sam Johnson, who had put in another lung-busting shift in both defence and attack.
Changes made, Scotland needed to rediscover their flow and momentum as the clock ticked precariously towards the last ten minutes. But Samoans are proud warriors and the sight of a big fat zero next to their name on the scoreboard was hurting. They rallied to frustrate the Scots before the opening was finally made.
Maitland was unleashed on a twoon-one overlap and seemed destined for the glory score.
He appeared to have dived for the corner too soon and had clearly lost the ball before crossing the line in the left corner. Going upstairs to the TMO seemed futile but replays showed that Fidow had led with his knees in making the covering challenge.
Another penalty try was awarded and, to compound Samoa’s misery, Fidow’s second yellow-card worthy transgression saw him sent off.
The sighs of relief around the stadium may have reduced by a fraction the greenhouse-like temperature, or perhaps added to it, but the bottom line was that Scotland’s job was done.
Late to the party, perhaps, but at least now firmly on the dancefloor.