SCOT
No.Name
15Stuart Hogg, -
14Sean Maitland, -
13Mark Bennett, -
12Matt Scott, -
11Tommy Seymour, -
T
10Finn Russell, -
9Greig Laidlaw, -
T
3
5
1Alasdair Dickinson, -
2Ross Ford, -
3WP Nel, -
4Richie Gray, -
5Jonny Gray, -
6Ryan Wilson, -
7John Hardie, -
T
8David Denton, -
Replacements
16Fraser Brown, -
17Gordon Reid, -
18Jon Welsh, -
19Tim Swinson, -
20Josh Strauss, -
21Henry Pyrgos, -
22Peter Horne, -
23Sean Lamont, -

*Players currently on the pitch are shown in bold

Game Info

Venue: St James' Park
2:30 PM, October 10, 2015
Attendance: 51,982
All CommentaryKey Events

Match Commentary

81'FULL TIME ANALYSIS

ESPN's Tristan Barclay had this to say:

"The first-half was one of the most chaotic periods of rugby anyone inside St James' Park will have witnessed. The second-half was just as mad. Scotland came out from half-time with a plan to kick for touch in an attempt to heap pressure on the Samoan defence, but the Dark Blues failed to execute it and Samoa went with them right to the end. Greig Laidlaw thought he'd won it for his side when he touched down on 75 minutes but the Pacific Islanders ensured a terrifying final two minutes when Patrick Fa'apale went over to make it a three-point game. Scotland clung on, but there will be few fingernails left on the fingers of their fans after that heart-stopping game. "
81'36-33 End of second half
80'Scotland have done it! IT'S OVER!
79'Samoa - albeit in their own half - have possession... but it's been pinched back and Scotland have just a few moments to waste before being in the quarters!
79'Player substituted - Kahn Fotuali'i , Samoa
79'Substitute on - Vavao Afemai , Samoa
78'36-33 Conversion - Patrick Fa'apale , Samoa
78'36-31 Try - Motu Matu'u , Samoa
77'SAMOA TRY!
Here we go. Nail biting time for Scotland fans. A little one-two pass with Motu Matu'u and Rey Lee-Lo splits Mark Bennett and Fraser Brown on the line to make way for the try!
76'They've been awarded the penalty and they go quickly with Maurie Fa'asavalu, is it, is it....
76'Player substituted - Matt Scott , Scotland
76'Substitute on - Peter Horne , Scotland
75'Samoa are back at it and they're a metre from the Scottish try line here! Can they spring another surprise?
75'36-26 Conversion - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
74'SCOTLAND TRY!
There we have it! At last! Laidlaw has made it! The Scottish scrum worked its socks off and Laidlaw snuck in round the side to secure the try after a neat little dummy.
74'34-26 Try - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
74'Substitute on - Motu Matu'u , Samoa
74'Player substituted - Manu Leiataua , Samoa
73'It's not given! Very scrappy period of play there. Couple of minutes of some solid Samoan defending finally faltered letting the Scottish ball carrier through under their sticks. But, play was brought back for an offside and we've got the scrum from five metres out!
72'TMO for the Scotland TRY..!
71'Scotland within a metre...
71'Substitute on - Patrick Fa'apale , Samoa
71'Player substituted - Tusi Pisi , Samoa
71'Substitute on - Ken Pisi , Samoa
71'Player substituted - Fa'atoina Autagavaia , Samoa
71'Substitute on - Sean Lamont , Scotland
71'Player substituted - Stuart Hogg , Scotland
70'ANOTHER penalty here as Samoa are penalised for coming in at the side. Lineout, again...
69'Back and forth stuff here in Newcastle. Both sides clearly desperate for the win and silly errors are creeping into both sides. Scotland penalty - again - which has been kicked to the corner.
66'Samoa attacking well after that scrum but just as look like imposing themselves again Scotland regain possession and are back at it themselves.
66'Substitute on - Fraser Brown , Scotland
66'Player substituted - Ross Ford , Scotland
65'Scrum now, the fourth of game...
64'Scotland attacking well here, reaching phase 11, before knocking on. Scotland looking the slightly better side as we enter the final quarter, but only just.
62'Pretty ridiculous amount of penalties being conceded here. Samoa have just let slip again and bring their count up to 17 for the game. Fortunate that Scotland like the corner or they could've been down and out ages ago.
62'Player substituted - Jonny Gray , Scotland
62'Substitute on - Tim Swinson , Scotland
60'Samoa steal the lineout and they've gained some ground and are heading into the Scottish half. Vern Cotter's men seemed to have sealed their defence a bit more and Pacific Islanders seem to be finding it much harder to find gaps in the second half.
59'Scotland lineout along their right flank...
59'Player substituted - Sakaria Taulafo , Samoa
59'Substitute on - Viliamu Afatia , Samoa
59'Player substituted - Census Johnston , Samoa
59'Substitute on - Anthony Perenise , Samoa
59'Substitute on - Vavae Tuilagi , Samoa
59'Player substituted - Alafoti Fa'osiliva , Samoa
56'Just wide!
55'The ball continues to find it's way stuck along the half way with neither side dominating one another. Laidlaw's kicking is proving vital. Samoa have already conceded seven second half penalties with another kicking chance coming up for the Scottish No.9 albeit 49 metres out.
53'29-26 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
53'Substitute on - Josh Strauss , Scotland
53'Player substituted - Ryan Wilson , Scotland
51'Just as Scotland look to secure the next try when they intercept and counter inside their half, their poor passing lets them down again meaning they couldn't work their way around the last couple of Samoan defenders. But, Laidlaw has another kicking chance...
51'26-26 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
50'Finally Scotland decide to take the points from the penalty and are now level.
49'Scrum just inside the Samoan 22, Scotland to feed...
47'Stalemate - that's one way to describe the start of this first half. We've just had another lineout along the Scottish right flank, but not much has come from it. Tempo is still there from the first half, but little coming from either side.
44'Anddd, they've given it back. Samoa penalty, kicked left and out. Samoa lineout.
43'Scottish penalty after a high tackle on Mark Bennett. Within kicking range but they've gone for the lineout deep in the Samoan 22.
41'Tough guys these rugby players. After a couple of minutes fist clenching to make sure his arm still works (I guess?) he's back on his feet and involved in his sides lineout.
41'HALF TIME ANALYSIS

ESPN's Tristan Barclay had this to say:

"Scotland have a tendency to start games slowly, while Samoa came out at St James' Park like a steam train. The result? 40 minutes of utter chaos. The Pacific Islanders have been breaking the gainline with almost every attack, making hay in the open nature of the game and humiliating Scottish tacklers. Huge players in professional rugby are nothing new, but Samoa seem just too big and powerful for the slighter Scots. The Dark Blues are really only holding on thanks to some calm decision-making by skipper Greig Laidlaw, who has chosen to kick for the posts and corners at the correct times, but they were put under real pressure by the yellow card shown to Ryan wilson. He was lucky to escape red, but head coach Vern Cotter is likely to be a nice shade of rouge in the changing room right now. "
41'+123-26 End of first half
40'We're back underway but not for long as Samoa's Maurie Fa'asavalu is down with an injury, and he looks in a lot of pain, too...
40'Nope! Nothing. Laidlaw does manage a brief little forward run with ball in hand but is soon hacked down. Penalised, however, and Samoa kicked up field for their own throw and catch drill, which also results in nothing significant. HALF TIME!
40'23-26 Start of second half
39'Scottish lineout on the right flank. Driving maul...We all know what happened last time...
38'23-26 Penalty goal - Tusi Pisi , Samoa
36'Samoa penalty offers the chance for them to probably go in at the break in the lead... Physiological boost perhaps?
35'SAMOA TRY....NO!
They very nearly hand it thanks to Zak Taulafo. Pace is ripping this Scottish defence apart and the passing from their opponents has been fantastic. Scotland just couldn't handle the movement of the Samoan backs, in particular Nanai-Williams, but Scotland are saved here by the TMO finding an offside.
34'Samoa looking threatening again with Nanai-Williams looking as likely as ever to score another try. The Pacific Islanders are passing the ball very well here.
33'Samoa lineout along their right flank, just along half way. Tommy Seymour kicked pushed the two teams up the field to this point.
33'23-23 Conversion - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
32'21-23 Try - John Hardie , Scotland
31'SCOTLAND TRY!
The lineout has paid dividends here. After the first two failed attempts of the driving maul from the initial throw, the third one has supplied the try! The Scottish pack completely splinters the Samoan's and Laidlaw has leveled up with his boots.
29'Player substituted - Kane Thompson , Samoa
29'Substitute on - Faifili Levave , Samoa
29'16-23 Penalty goal - Tusi Pisi , Samoa
28'Laidlaw once again to rescue as he runs the ball out from his 22 down the left flank. He's not made that much ground, but that extra five metres could prove vital but they've gone to the TMO for a tackle check...and Ryan Wilson has been binned for foul play! Pisi to kick again.
28'Player substituted - Gordon Reid , Scotland
28'Substitute on - Alasdair Dickinson , Scotland
28'Yellow card - Ryan Wilson , Scotland
27'Scotland under severe pressure as Samoa mounting again for the next try...
25'16-20 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
24'How silly of me to think that. Scotland have added even more points to the board. Laidlaw's kicking keeping them within touching distance.
23'Substitute on - Gordon Reid , Scotland
23'Player substituted - Alasdair Dickinson , Scotland
22'We've got a scrum now, perhaps this will settle the game down a bit...
21'
21'13-20 Try - Rey Lee-Lo , Samoa
20'SAMOA TRY
This is utter madness. Samoa looking very impressive on the ball and are having a lot of joy down their left flank with Rey Lee-Lo and Tim Nanai-Williams running riot. Some nice passing but Scotland's main problem is they just can't deal with the pace of the Samoan's. Scotland only one converted try behind, somehow...
20'13-15 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
18'Lineout turns into the driving maul unlike the first, and manages to gain five metres or so until it's broken down. Samoa penalised for being offside and this time Laidlaw has opted to take the points.
17'No driving maul, but Samoan are penalised for tackling off their feet. Scotland have gone for the lineout despite it definitely being in kicking range. Can they smell blood here?
16'Is the game settling down? Nope, not at all. Scotland had the lineout along their right flank just inside the Samoan 22. What will come of this?
14'10-15 Try - Manu Leiataua , Samoa
13'SAMOA TRY!
What is going on here! Madness! Samoa straight back. Scotland's defence in complete pieces and a couple of quick passes soon after kick off unlocks the space for Manu Leiataua to break through for the next five points!
13'10-10 Conversion - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
12'
12'8-10 Try - Tommy Seymour , Scotland
11'SCOTLAND TRY!
Well, well, well. Another TMO decision there. Controversy here in Newcastle. Tommy Seymour is alert and intercepts a stray Samoan pass right on their try line. Samoa's No.12 is beaten to the catch by Seymour who slaps it 'forward', catches the other side of the man and then touches down.
11'3-10 Conversion - Tusi Pisi , Samoa
11'3-8 Try - Tusi Pisi , Samoa
10'SAMOA TRY!
Samoa are straight back at it with Alafoti Faosiliva bursting to the five metre line before finding Tusi Pisi on his right who touches it down just in the corner! We needed a TMO check to see if he didn't bounce the ball over the line but the points are given and Pisi adds the extras!
9'3-3 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
8'One back to Scotland here as Census Johnston is penalised for collapsing in the scrum. Scotland's chance for a few points now. Kick is just outside the 22.
6'Ahhh, knock on. Samoa have the scrum now. Samoan pack is seven kilos heavier than Scotland's.
5'Scotland's turn to tattack now, with Russell and Laidlaw combining well dow nthe left before pumping it back in field. They've made good ground here, just about to get inside the Samoan 22...
5'0-3 Penalty goal - Tusi Pisi , Samoa
3'Samoa lineout along their right flank, driving maul arrives but Scotland penalised for bringing it down. For opportunity for three points here.
1'Samoa have kicked us off and straight away have brought the game to Scotland. The men in white are imposing themselves well straight from the off here, with Scotland having to call on Stuart Hogg's boot already to release the pressure being mounted on them.
1'Hello and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of the Pool B clash between Samoa and Scotland!

Follow our man at the ground, Tristan Barclay (@tbarclayESPN), who'll be providing us with his first hand insights straight from Newcastle.

You can read the preview HERE

Scotland XV: Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Mark Bennett, Matt Scott, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (captain), Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Willem Nel, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, Ryan Wilson, John Hardie, David Denton.

Samoa XV: Tim Nanai-Williams, Paul Perez, George Pisi, Rey Lee-Lo, Fa'atoina Autagavaia, Tusi Pisi, Kahn Fotuali'i (captain); Sakaria Taulafo, Ma'atulimanu Leiataua, Census Johnston, Teofilo Paulo, Kane Thompson, Maurie Faasavalu, Jack Lam, Alafoti Faosiliva.

Also see...
- Ireland's Payne out the Rugby World Cup
- New Zealand's victory over Tonga
- Our England vs. Uruguay preview
1'0-0 Start of first half

Rugby World Cup 2015 News