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Scotland v Samoa - 36-33: what a match!
#1
I must say this was one of the most open and free-flowing World Cup matches that I've watched for a long time! What a nail-biter of a game v a Samoan team that had nothing to lose but what huge entertainment for all the fans @ Saint James Park. Scotland's captain, Gregg Laidlaw, an inspiring leader and organiser on the pitch and thank god we had him there to restore some faith in Scottish team sport after a very disappointing week following the football World Cup tie v Poland! IMO we won't progress any farther v the Aussies in next Sunday's QF but we got there and our rugby was better than seen in years gone by. To the players - just give it your best shot at Twickers and hope for the best against a very strong and top class RU team!! Thumb up
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#2
I'm still pissed that the Rugby WC is on pay per view over here!! Not seen any of it so far. Always loved watching the likes of Samoa and Fiji playing, all offense and little defense but fabulous entertainment!!

I know it's unlikely but it would be great if you guys could just find a way of turning the Aussies over!!
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#3
It would be incredible, but it can't happen if we play the way we have been early in our matches.
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#4
Sadly our defence is not good enough and we have not reached that level of brawn, muscle and quality that was clear for all to see in last night's bruising encounter at Twickers when the Aussies dumped Wales without two of their players on the pitch during the crucial part of this match in the second half. Awesome!
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#5
Ross Ford and Jonny Gray both suspended from the rest of the Rugby World Cup tourney after being deemed guilty of foul play during the match v Samoa! So IMO any slim chance of a Scotland upset v the Aussies is well and truly gone!!! Sick
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#6
35-34 for the Aussies and great to be proved wrong by a Scottish RU team that was not gonna be written off and took on the Aussies, head-on. A gut-wrenching last seconds defeat (a min away from a historical, gutsy victory) and the manner of the loss with so many Aussie violations conveniently ignored by an iffy French referee!!! It still doesn't deflect away from a great Scottish performance v a RU side that is rated as favourites to win the World Cup! But oh to take a cute last min lineout, keep possession and run down the clock or simply, chance it and don't throw straight and concede a scrum that we'd dominate anyway - but don't give them or the referee the chance to sucker us!!! Rolleyes
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#7
The ref was South African, and he was the same ref who swung the 2011 final in New Zealand's favour by repeatedly ignoring offences by the Kiwis but penalising the French for everything and anything. I'd like to think he's just guilty of incompetence, but that incompetence always seems to favour Southern Hemisphere sides.
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#8
Even Gavin Hastings calling for an international ban on this SA ref and he's quite a moderate rugby pundit TBH! I've randomly observed Joubert before and never liked this guy's style of refereeing but never thought he'd play a pivotal role in suckering Scotland eventually because I didn't think we'd be competing in such an important fixture.
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#9
One of the many troubles with Rugby Union is that it has become dominated by offences which are mostly not obvious to spectators and appear to surprise even the players, who are trained to accept any refereeing decision.

One wrong decision will now rightly be highlighted by the Scots, but the whole course of the game and its ebb and flow is constantly being interrupted by refereeing. Both offences spotted and punished, and offences missed, change the course of every game ...... and they proliferate because the potential to offend both accidentally and deliberately is huge.

Lifted line-outs are silly. Scrums with constantly crooked put-ins are ridiculous. Hookers have become pointless - you may as well select a big centre in the middle of the front row, he'll never actually have to hook. Constant substitutions mean that giant players can replace other giant players ...... so proper athletes with the ability to spin the ball and the stamina for the full game gain no advantage as beef bruises beef, is replaced by beef, whilst beef shelters under an ice pack till next week.

And worst of all tiny technical offences, often accidental, lead to penalties which offer a relatively easy three points to the opposition. Imagine football if an accidental trip on the halfway line were punished by a free kick at an open goal .......
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#10
Just announced on bbc - it looks like there will be an official enquiry into this result! After watching so many video re-runs of this massive last min wrong decision/incident by Joubert, I hope it's not just a formal cover up. WRU officials coming out with a lame defence that a TMO is only used in a try situation but missing the point that the guy upstairs can still look and advise the ref re a potential knock-on, a possible yellow/red card offence, scrum offences etc. For example, before the Aussies scored their 1st try in this match, there was a clear knock-on offence in their lead up play - that's 7 pts against us that could well have been chalked off!! As for Maitland's deliberate knock on??? He tried to catch the ball and you can clearly see it as an interception and, if he'd caught the ball, a possible runaway try for Scotland. Joubert's yellow card decision was crucial in contributing to chalking up another 7 pts for Australia with an extra player on board!! He also conveniently missed the Aussie assault (far worse than the highly questionable Maitland yellow card!) on Hogg well before that questionable last min pen award that got the Aussies out of jail!
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