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.
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!
Oh my. They go quickly again, Scotland can’t drift across in time and the replacement hooker goes over to the right!
It’s squeeky bum time for the Scotland fans as Motu Matu’u of Samoa goes over for their fourth try. Photograph: Matt Lewis/World Rugby via Getty Images
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.
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.
Scotland’s Greig Laidlaw scores their third try. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters
Then gets mobbed by his team-mates. Photograph: Bertrand Langlois/AFP/Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
