Scotland v Samoa, 10 October

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SCOTLAND V SAMOA
10 October 2015
KO: 14:30 BST
St. James' Park, Newcastle

Live on ITV

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Touch judges: JP Doyle (England) & Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Television match official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)

A. Head to Head

9 Played 9
7 Won 1
1 Drawn 1
1 Lost 7
218 Points 122

B. Recent Form

8 June 2013
Mr Price Kings Park, Durban, South Africa
27 – 17 Samoa

23 June 2012
Apia Park, Apia
16 – 17 Scotland

27 November 2010
Pittodire, Aberdeen
19 – 16 Scotland

20 November 2005
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
18 – 11 Scotland

4 June 2004
Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand
3 – 38 Scotland

18 November 2000
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
31 – 8 Scotland

C. Teams

SCOTLAND

15 Stuart Hogg 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw (capt); 1 Alasdair Dickinson, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Willem Nel, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Jonny Gray, 6 Ryan Wilson, 7 John Hardie, 8 David Denton.

Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Josh Strauss, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Sean Lamont.

SAMOA

15 Tim Nanai-Williams, 14 Paul Perez, 13 George Pisi, 12 Rey Lee-Lo, 11 Fa'atoina Autagavaia, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i (c); 1 Sakaria Taulafo, 2 Ma'atulimanu Leiataua, 3 Census Johnston, 4 Teofilo Paulo, 5 Kane Thompson, 6 Maurie Faasavalu, 7 Jack Lam, 8 Alafoti Faosiliva.

Replacements: 16 Motu Matu'u, 17 Viliamu Afatia, 18 Anthony Perenise, 19 Faifili Levave, 20 Vavae Tuilagi, 21 Vavao Afemai, 22 Patrick Faapale, 23 Ken Pisi.

Just for completeness:

Sean Maitland – 18 caps, 3 tries

Visser has scored a try this world cup, and I'll give him a theoretical second, denied by Hogg's terrible pass against the USA.

In terms of his attacking play, I'll give him a pass mark. He's met my minimum expectations for a Scotland wing.

His defence has been so poor as to be comical. I was sat in the corner where Seymour scored against South Africa. Visser's attempted tackle on Pietersen in the first half, right in front of me, had me open-mouthed in shock - launching himself through the air, he seemed to tickle Pietersen's neck as he flew by, rolling through the void until he was grabbed by a steward with a long arm and dragged back to Terra Firma.

I'm not saying Visser is bad at tackling, I'm saying he's so bad that he actually seems to re-write the laws of physics in order to avoid having to tackle his opposite man.

Yes he scores the occasional try but he is a defensive liability, and the days of Scotland putting up with dead wood must surely be over.

lostinwales wrote:My view of Visser is greatly influenced by the NZ game a few years back. He got 2 tries. (I seem to remember at least one of them was a really good one). I also seem to remember that possibly 3 of the NZ tries were partly down to his non tackling...

It's nothing we don't already know mate. The guys scores tries, and can't defend for toffees. Mind you Shane Williams had problems defending too, and Visser isn't the only international wing who can go AWOL in defense.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

lostinwales wrote:My view of Visser is greatly influenced by the NZ game a few years back. He got 2 tries. (I seem to remember at least one of them was a really good one). I also seem to remember that possibly 3 of the NZ tries were partly down to his non tackling...

It's nothing we don't already know mate. The guys scores tries, and can't defend for toffees. Mind you Shane Williams had problems defending too, and Visser isn't the only international wing who can go AWOL in defense.

Difference being though that Visser is 10 inches taller and a good 4/5 stone heavier than Williams. No excuse for him being such a turnstile.

No surprise that we are the most defence minded nation in the tournament, when you consider Vern Cotters coaching style and rationale, the guy is pragmatic at best, its an indictment of how we are evolving. I think he has looked at "Gatland-Ball" and decided that a more cautious dour version of that is the way forward for Scotland. I can see him building a team based on set piece, regurgitating the same set-piece and winning the breakdown rather than innovative attacking style.

This was his approach coming into the 6 Nations

6 Nations 2015 wrote:Scotland will play in pragmatic fashion to get the win they so badly want and feel they deserve against “more powerful” Italy on Saturday, says head coach Vern Cotter.

Forget four tries from backs like in the fixture two years ago, and forget a wide attacking style. Scotland will build a foundation at set phases and wear down the Italians, seeking to exploit their suspect fitness exposed by Ireland and England in the first two games.

I feel that's continued going into the world cup

World \\Cup 2015 wrote:Pragmatic Cotter may draw on reserves for USA clash
AFP
September 24, 2015, 11:40 pm

He could have rested Hogg/Bennett/Russell and brought in Maitland/Vernon/Weir, he could have used Maitland more effectively as an attacking FB for that game. In my mind he was always looking to play inexperienced or second choice players against SA, with his intent of just getting to the quarters potentially playing England/Australia and ending up as gallant losers and that would have been "ok", this however all changed when SA lost to Japan and we subsequently beat them, his approach to the USA game was all wrong all to me, we could have got 5 points against them without Hogg/Bennett/Russell.

Against Japan and USA we could have been more expansive but he obviously chose not to adopt this cavalier approach, and against the Boks we were clearly second best in all areas based on this hoofing of the ball, clearing out at the breakdown, and winning of the set piece.    

We are clearly a fitter team than previously, however the "Cotters Attrition" method of coaching is where we are at, we are looking to wear down our opponents strength and effectiveness through our defence rather than an offensive strategy. Thats ok if we are a naturally big, rough, aggressive rugby nation but we are not, so and he will continue scouring the globe for "adopted sons" to bring in.

I hope there is something more to his long term strategy but to me its just all to.... Pragmatic

GLove39 wrote:

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

lostinwales wrote:My view of Visser is greatly influenced by the NZ game a few years back. He got 2 tries. (I seem to remember at least one of them was a really good one). I also seem to remember that possibly 3 of the NZ tries were partly down to his non tackling...

It's nothing we don't already know mate. The guys scores tries, and can't defend for toffees. Mind you Shane Williams had problems defending too, and Visser isn't the only international wing who can go AWOL in defense.

Difference being though that Visser is 10 inches taller and a good 4/5 stone heavier than Williams. No excuse for him being such a turnstile.

Couldn't agree more. He should be putting people on their erses and making them terrified of taking the ball on his wing. Instead he is a target for any runner bigger than a hobbit.

Is it fair to say that he has a pragmatic gameplan when we scored 10 tries in the first two games?

In the last world cup we only scored 4 tries in total!

IanBru wrote:Visser has scored a try this world cup, and I'll give him a theoretical second, denied by Hogg's terrible pass against the USA.

In terms of his attacking play, I'll give him a pass mark. He's met my minimum expectations for a Scotland wing.

His defence has been so poor as to be comical. I was sat in the corner where Seymour scored against South Africa. Visser's attempted tackle on Pietersen in the first half, right in front of me, had me open-mouthed in shock - launching himself through the air, he seemed to tickle Pietersen's neck as he flew by, rolling through the void until he was grabbed by a steward with a long arm and dragged back to Terra Firma.

I'm not saying Visser is bad at tackling, I'm saying he's so bad that he actually seems to re-write the laws of physics in order to avoid having to tackle his opposite man.

Yes he scores the occasional try but he is a defensive liability, and the days of Scotland putting up with dead wood must surely be over.

Spooky dude.  I was about tp post similar about how embarrassing that attempt at a tackle was (the ref had actually blown for a penalty anyway).   Must have made that beep, beep beep Pietersen laugh his beep off

On the McMisser front : it isn't just that he lets players run past him when defending in his own half. We could manage that by adapting our defensive patterns to give him extra support. No, it's the fact that he goes missing everywhere on the field.

On Saturday the Boks scrum-half fielded a restart right in front of where I was sitting. It was an excellent kick, deep in their twenty-two and towards the corner. McMisser was about a yard away as Peitersen was preparing to receive the ball. I was entertaining thoughts of a possible turnover, or at worst them having to kick from behind their goal line, after a crunching man and ball tackle.

But no. McMisser managed to run straight past his man and this allowed them to exit their twenty two on their own terms. Thereby putting the pressure back on us.
The man next to me remarked that McMisser actually seemed to be looking for ways to avoid making a tackle.

My point is ; it's not tries scored by him balanced against one on one try saving tackles he misses, it's the fact that he cannot be relied on to do the half of his job that is done without the ball.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Is it fair to say that he has a pragmatic gameplan when we scored 10 tries in the first two games?

In the last world cup we only scored 4 tries in total!

2 wins/10 points/10 tries is a remarkable achievement and more than I expected but when you consider how the SA/Japan game ended and then our win against Japan and the time frame to the USA match then Cotter could have risked and mixed it up a bit against the USA e.g. he could have started the inexperienced Vernon and Horne with Weir and still expected them to crank it it.

Consider our first half performance against both teams, who (without being disrespectful) are second tier level.
Two mitigating circumstances changed the outlook of the Japan game, firstly Mafi went off injured around the 45 minute when he only minutes before that he was close to scoring his second try of the match, and he was orchestrating his backrow and were all over Hardie and Wilson, it was no coincidence we made our first real offensive movement as soon as he went off and Hardie scored his try and how our second around eight mins later, secondly Japan clearly tired in the last quarter. Japan looked a different team in their first and third game, we were fortunate to engage them coming off a clearly emotionally tiring match, and a four day turnaround, I am not sure what the result would have been if we played them first instead of SA.  

Against USA we were devoid of any attacking intention until our front row was changed second half. Personally I have been disappointed with USA

SA...... well I am still wondering why the hell I bought four tickets for that match.

Perhaps on the back of the disappointment last weekend, I might be a bit too sub-analytical at this stage and not seeing the bigger picture, but for the life of me I cannot see getting out of the pool as runners up (hopefully), then losing a quarter final against Australia when we had the real chance of going through as group winners and giving Wales a real test (and who knows maybe win) as progress.

Given the Boks performance in Saturday, do we really think starting Dickinson, Ford and Bennett would have made that much of a difference?

I think we would have had a similar result - there was no way after the Japan game that SA would mess up again.

Their power was frightening, and those 3 wouldn't have overturned that IMO.

2 minutes into the USA game and SA have a player pinged for a high tackle. That's a surprise

cakeordeath wrote:2 minutes into the USA game and SA have a player pinged for a high tackle. That's a surprise

Glad to hear it.

Hopefully we have a similarly minded ref on Saturday.

Right posted this in the wrong thread originally. I can be an absolute numpty

I have not quite kept up with the conversation but hasn't Hogg started every match and played at least an hour? Surely they will rest him and put Maitland in at 15.

An addendum to that is I expected Lamont to get to 100 caps this World Cup and I believe he is on 99. They would likely start him on his 100th and I don't fancy him in the quarter finals lining up against Australia or Wales (assuming Scotland don't screw this game up). For me, he will be on one wing and Seymour will be on the other.

Sorry guys, one final plug for this article about my choir:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-choral-society-master-five-10213299

I even get a mention at the bottom!

IanBru wrote:Sorry guys, one final plug for this article about my choir:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-choral-society-master-five-10213299

I even get a mention at the bottom!

And I thought I was the only shameless self promoter around here!

Great work Bru

Looking ahead to team selection tomorrow, I really hope Shlong starts in whatever capacity this weekend for cap 100

Now I'm sure this may well be laughed at, but genuinely, big Sean was what inspired my love for rugby & my taking up of the game!
Interests were initially peaked catching brief glances of the 2005 6 nations (which looking back at our performances I can't quite fathom why). But the real catalyst was going to my first game (Barbarians at Pittodrie) and watching Lamont's mazy runs & beating defenders for fun. From that moment on I knew I'd found the sport for me.

#thankyousean

Shlong is a wholehearted player and made the best of his skills. Not a bad role model / inspiration.

Think it's fair to say Mrs RDW-to-be's love of Mr Lamont stems from something other than his mazy runs and determination!

My favourite Lamont moment - I was in the corner where he started his run:



https://youtu.be/riEWC--VIs4

It also sums up Lamont perfectly - great determination to power through the gap and keep on going, but he was just too slow - Tana Umaga easily caught him FFS!

Also, how badly did we mess things up after that?? We've really had to endure some awful stuff as Scotland rugby fans.

Team announcement coming up, no doubt spread over several annoying tweets!

Bench:

Welsh
Reid
Brown
Swinson
Strauss
Pyrgos
Horne
Lamont

Hardie, Wilson & Dents back row

both grays at 2nd row

It saddens me whenever they use the word 'powerful' when describing Ryan Wilson!

Dickinson, Ford, Nel

I hate this drip feed thing they do

Laidlaw capt, and Finn

Matt Scott (12) and Bennett centre combo. Guessing Scott's his concussion

Seymour, Maitland & Hogg back 3.

First choice team (Wilson debatable) - no excuses.

Team

Dickinson,
Ford
Nel
Gray
Gray
Wilson
Hardie
Denton

Laidlaw
Russell

Seymour
Scott
Bennett
Maitland
Hogg

Is the bench up? Surely Strauss is there?

Head Coach Vern Cotter today named the Scotland team to face Samoa in this Saturday’s decisive Rugby World Cup Pool B match at St James’ Park, Newcastle (kick-off 2.30pm) – live on ITV.

A win would guarantee the Scots a place in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup for the seventh time since the competition’s inauguration in 1987.

Standing in their way are the formidable Pacific Islanders who, despite being out of contention for the last eight, will look to end their campaign on a positive note.

Scotland Head Coach Vern Cotter, said: “Every Test match is a ‘must-win’ when you represent your country.

“We’ve put in a huge amount of work to get us to this point, and our performances and commitment have put us in a position to qualify for the last eight.

We’ll need to be up to the challenge, enjoy the opportunity, and maintain the awareness needed to play to our strengths and impose our game.
– Scotland Head Coach Vern Cotter

Cotter has made seven changes to the starting line-up that lost out to South Africa last weekend (34-16) – three of which are returning from injury: back-row John Hardie (return-to-play protocol), wing Sean Maitland (hand) and stand-off Finn Russell (ankle).

Outside-centre Mark Bennett also returns to partner Matt Scott in midfield, while full-back Stuart Hogg, wing Tommy Seymour and captain Greig Laidlaw start once again.

The three remaining changes to the starting pack are all promoted from the bench: Alasdair Dickinson and Ross Ford join Willem Nel in the front-row, while Ryan Wilson starts in the back-row alongside Hardie and number 8 David Denton.

Richie Gray will win his 50th cap for his country this Saturday having being reinstated in the second-row alongside brother Jonny, while Sean Lamont could become the third Scotland internationalist to make 100 appearances – joining centurions Chris Paterson (109; 1999 to 2011) and Donna Kennedy (115; 1993 to 2010) – should he take to the field from the bench against the team he faced on his 2004 debut.

If Scotland are successful this Saturday they will face the winner of Pool A (Australia or Wales) at Twickenham Stadium the following weekend.

SCOTLAND TEAM TO PLAY SAMOA AFRICA AT ST JAMES’ PARK IN ROUND 4 OF RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL B

Saturday 10 October (kick-off 2.30pm) – live on ITV

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 36 caps; 9 tries, 2 pens, 51 points


14 Sean Maitland (London Irish) – 18 caps; 3 tries, 15 points

13 Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors) – 11 caps; 5 tries, 25 points

12 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) – 32 caps; 4 tries, 20 points

11 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps; 9 tries, 45 points


10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps; 2 tries, 3 cons, 1 pen, 19 points

9 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester) – 44 caps; 3 tries, 52 cons, 94 pens, 401 points

–

1 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 50 caps; 2 tries, 10 points

2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 92 caps; 2 tries, 10 points

3 Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – 6 caps; 1 try, 5 points

4 Richie Gray (Castres) – 49 caps; 2 tries, 10 points

5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps; 1 try, 5 points

6 Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps

7 John Hardie (unattached) – 3 caps; 1 try, 5 points

8 David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby) – 30 caps


Substitutes


16 Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps

17 Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps

18 Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons) – 10 caps; 1 try, 5 points

19 Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 15 caps

20 Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps

21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps; 4 tries, 20 points

22 Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps, 1 try, 1 con, 1 pen, 10 points

23 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) – 99 caps, 14 tries, 70 points

Wilson again???

Seriously, he must be pumping Vern.

Other than that, the team is fantastic. I would be bold enough to say that we really ought to be blowing Samoa away on Saturday with a 5 point win.

What has Cotter got going on with Wilson?! He's never done anything of note in a blue shirt. Why does he keep getting picked?!

Bar that it's a cracking team.

Interesting that Maitland was classed as injured for the SA game - so that means it was only 3 fit players away from our 1st XV.

Good team, apart from Wilson. I would have preferred Joshua Strauss but I'm fairly sure Batman will do a job.

Based on current form Scotland by 20. However I'm presuming nothing. The 1st XV will have to be at their very best.

We also need Didier Hoggba to get his head in the game and his passing sorted. He's lethal on the counter but needs to remember that there are others on the team.

What are we to conclude from Weir not being anywhere near the team?

Good team and I actually thought Wilson played ok against SA


this is our best team by a country mile (except maybe Wilson, but no-one else has put their hand up yet) - and we are all in agreement with the team - so we can not complain that they did not mix it up right

So if they do not perform - it is in their hands

George Carlin wrote:What are we to conclude from Weir not being anywhere near the team?

that he's not really very good?

Is it very wrong to have a tiny portion of me that wants Samoa to win this so Japan go through?

Growing controversy over Tuilagi's ban over use of the knee. Looks very marginal in my opinion.

It should not have made any difference to this game either way

Pleased with the team.

I think the call on Wilson is correct, he's played well and does look for offloads when going forward. Strauss can help bring some leadership/strong carrying off the bench.

I want to see more from Hogg though. He's been a bit quiet given his potential - I'd really like to see him score a try and really step up.

Very, very wrong Chelsea. Go to the Naughty Step.

Japan has a huge manufacturing industry, long life, beautiful women and worldwide respect.

Scotland has Nicola Sturgeon, alcoholism, horizontal rain and Jimmy Krankie. 

We need to get through to the knockout stages. Japan doesn't, regardless of how cuddly they are.

If it is playing to something approaching its potential for 80 minutes (instead of the usual 40 which we choose to turn up for), then that Scotland side should hammer that Samoan one.

George Carlin wrote:What are we to conclude from Weir not being anywhere near the team?

Conclude he is not very good

Mad for Chelsea wrote:

George Carlin wrote:What are we to conclude from Weir not being anywhere near the team?

that he's not really very good?

Is it very wrong to have a tiny portion of me that wants Samoa to win this so Japan go through?

No - so long as its at SAs expense not ours

Riskysports wrote:

George Carlin wrote:What are we to conclude from Weir not being anywhere near the team?

Conclude he is not very good

I suspect that we didn't need today's team announcement to tell us that. 

Does show how bloody useful it is to have a 9 and a 12 in the matchday squad who can also do a serviceable job at fly half.

George Carlin wrote:

Riskysports wrote:

George Carlin wrote:What are we to conclude from Weir not being anywhere near the team?

Conclude he is not very good

I suspect that we didn't need today's team announcement to tell us that. 

Does show how bloody useful it is to have a 9 and a 12 in the matchday squad who can also do a serviceable job at fly half.

well, yes. You know what would be even better? To have two decent tens in the WC squad...

Still, the side Cotter's picked should beat this Samoan side (who've really not been very good at all) comfortably. I'm still annoyed at the performance (and team picked) against SA though.

All I can say, if we lose with this team - we do not deserve to go through - it is as simple as that

Mad for Chelsea wrote:Still, the side Cotter's picked should beat this Samoan side (who've really not been very good at all) comfortably. I'm still annoyed at the performance (and team picked) against SA though.

I'm still two minded about it, definitely wanted to see a better go at SA, but then given the way the group panned out(what with Japan surprising us all) I equally want to make extra special sure that we win the games that really matter in the group!!

Got to say, I think people on here are being overly critical of Weir.

He did very well in the try and has had very little game time with Scotland AND Glasgow due to Russell.

Perhaps he should be switched to Edinburgh and Horne considered more at 10?

I think Weir should go a team where he is the no 1 10 in the squad - even if this means a season in the english or French second division. He has not even had a seasons worth of games in 3 years.