FULL MATCH REPORT

Captain of calm leads his side into last eight as f ired up Samoa take Scots right to the wire

SOME people pitched up in Newcastle believing Scotland might win this game comfortably. That is not how they do final pool games in the Rugby World Cup, though.

Instead, the national side turned in another loose first-half performance against a free-flowing Samoan attack and found the opposition defence unwilling to yield in the second.

However, just as in 2003 against Fiji and 2007 against Italy, Scotland reached into the fire in the closing minutes of this pulsating match to grasp a courageous victory and joyous return to the quarter-finals.

Captain Greig Laidlaw delivered a huge message to his doubters by emerging the Scottish hero with 26 points from five penalties, three conversions and the crucial matchwinning try in the final five minutes.

As vital in this win was his composure and bravery amidst the mayhem to decline kickable penalties and go for the win late on.

The proud Samoans still ended this incredible roller-coaster of a match with their fourth try to utterly shred Scottish nerves but, roared on by a Murrayfield-like crowd in St James’ Park, Laidlaw’s side finally controlled ball long enough to land the win.

Knowing how a team will play is one thing, but stopping it quite another. With nothing to play for, other than an outside chance of third spot and guaranteed qualification for the 2019 World Cup, Samoa came at Scotland with a frenetic game plan oozing with power and cunning.

They split the field at the kick-off and caused problems at almost every restart, dominated possession and territory, and exploited Scottish hesitancy at the breakdown.

The Scots struggled to enjoy any decent period of control and when they were not missing tackles on exciting Samoan runners they were being sent spinning backwards on the ball by countless thunderous hits.

The sight of veteran flanker Maurie Fa’asavalu rampaging across halfway and hooker Manu Leiataua breaking round a ruck, leading to the opening points from a Tusi Pisi penalty, were signs of what was to come.

The Scottish pack worked tirelessly to compete — David Denton and Richie Gray immense in the unseen work, while incessant flanker and man of the match John Hardie put in big tackles — but Samoa were sharper at ruck-time and Scotland suffered.

Greig Laidlaw converted a scrum penalty against 135kg prop Census Johnston, but the Scots failed to secure the restart again and were heavily punished when Tusi Pisi squeezed into the right-hand corner after neat hands by Johnston. With Pisi converting from the touchline, Samoa led 10-3 after 10 minutes.

Full-back Tim Nanai-Williams threw a wayward pass in front of his own line which Tommy Seymour caught, at the second attempt, and dived on for a rapid response try. But Samoa regained the restart — albeit with a knock-on which was missed by referee Jaco Peyper — and duly finished their second try with hooker Leiataua breezing over after a handful of phases.

When Samoa repelled two driven line-outs, Laidlaw returned to the kicking route to cut the deficit to 15-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Again Samoa stole ball from the restart to ramp up pressure with direct running and slick passing that ended with centre Rey Lee-Lo diving into the left-hand corner. The Scots pleaded with Peyper to check with the TMO, insisting a pass had gone to ground and forward in the lead-up. The referee did check, but still declared it a try.

Scotland prop Alasdair Dickinson was then forced off briefly, after getting in the path of No 8 Alafoti Fa’osiliva off the next restart, but Laidlaw kept his head to convert another penalty and reduce the deficit to 20-16 after 25 minutes.

Ryan Wilson made sure of the next restart; Hardie dealt the Samoans some of their own hard-hitting medicine, and Mark Bennett showed a neat fend in escaping the home 22, which roused the Scotland support.

But it was deflated within moments when TV replays showed Wilson had stamped on Fa’asavalu to release his, albeit illegal, hold after the tackle. The Scot was shown a yellow card — and Pisi stretched Samoa’s lead back to seven.

Peyper then penalised the Islanders at the next maul. From a subsequent kick to touch, Scotland drove superbly over the line for Hardie to touch down amidst a pile of bodies.

Laidlaw converted and, despite Scotland grasping a restart and clearing, the dazzling Samoan centre Lee-Lo cut the Dark Blue defence open and loosehead Sakaria Taulafo went over.

This time Laidlaw’s protestations that he was taken out by George Pisi were upheld by the TMO and the score ruled out.

Samoa still had a penalty and Tusi Pisi slotted it to send Samoa into the break 26-23 in front.

Another Lee-Lo break from his own 22, ended only by a poor pass to wing Paul Perez on the Scots’ 10-metre line, and two sackings of the Scottish maul suggested little had changed in the interval. But Vern Cotter’s men stiffened their defence, the pack started to get the upper hand in the scrum, the lineout continued to supply good ball and Laidlaw kicked goals, two more taking Scotland into the lead for the first time at the hour-mark.

But the srum-half then sent two penalties just past the posts and the tension began to creep up.

Eventually, Stuart Hogg gave way, allowing Sean Lamont to make his 100th Test appearance, and Scotland started to grip the game.

At 29-26 ahead, they opted against kicking another penalty with 10 minutes left, going for touch instead.

The line-out drive launched a concerted period of attack at the Samoan line. Scotland created an overlap on the right but Russell’s pass was knocked down by a defender. But with no penalty and, just when the momentum seemed to have stopped, Willem Nel dived over the line. However, scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i’s leg was underneath the ball and the TMO decreed ‘no try’.

Scotland could have kicked another penalty but, bravely, opted to scrum, and captain Laidlaw proved it to be the right decision, breaking from the back and sniping over.

His conversion took Scotland into a 36-26 lead with just five minutes left, a crucial advantage as Samoa struck again with replacement hooker Motu Matu’u diving over and Patrick Fa’apale converting, to ensure the intensity of this clash continued to the last whistle.

But the Scots kept possession when it mattered and let the clock reach 80 minutes.

Hero of the hour Laidlaw then booted the ball straight into the stand and Scotland back into the last eight of the World Cup.