After that defeat for Ireland, the last thing you probably want to do is follow another Rugby World Cup game. Nevertheless, we’re following this weekend’s fourth and last semi-final right here. Is there any chance the Scots can cause a shock against Australia? Kick-off at Twickenham is at 4pm.
Australia head coach Michael Cheika is without injured duo David Pocock and Israel Folau, which is some cause for optimism for the Scots. However, there’s more than enough quality in this Wallabies side to ensure they remain the strong favourites to book a semi-final meeting with Argentina next Sunday afternoon at Twickenham. Stephen Moore and Matt Giteau are both also winning their 100th caps.
Australia
15. Kurtley Beale
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
13. Tevita Kuridrani
12. Matt Giteau
11. Drew Mitchell
10. Bernard Foley
9. Will Genia
8. Ben McCalman
7. Michael Hooper
6. Scott Fardy
5. Rob Simmons
4. Kane Douglas
3. Sekope Kepu
2. Stephen Moore
1. Scott Sio
Replacements:
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau
17. James Slipper
18. Greg Holmes
19. Dean Mumm
20. Sean McMahon
21. Nick Phipps
22. Matt Toomua
23. Quade Cooper
The good news for Scotland is that Jonny Gray and Ross Ford are both available to play after they both successfully appealed three-week suspensions.
Scotland
15. Stuart Hogg
14. Sean Maitland
13. Mark Bennett
12. Peter Horne
11. Tommy Seymour
10. Finn Russell
9. Greig Laidlaw
8. David Denton
7. John Hardie
6. Blair Cowan
5. Richie Gray
4. Jonny Gray
3. WP Nel
2. Ross Ford
1. Alasdair Dickinson
Replacements:
16. Fraser Brown
17. Gordon Reid
18. Jon Welsh
19. Tim Swinson
20. Josh Strauss
21. Henry Pyrgos
22. Richie Vernon
23. Sean Lamont
It’s Scotland versus Australia, so here’s your token picture of Scottish fans dressed in tartan and kilts outside Twickenham…
Not forgetting the Aussie fans dressed up as wallabies, of course…
Scotland have won two of their last three games against Australia. Is there any hope that they can ensure some northern hemisphere involvement in the semi-finals of this World Cup?
Let us know your pre-match predictions and your thoughts during the game. Comment below, join us on Facebook or tweet us @Rugby_ie.
The early advantage — as it pretty much always does — goes to Scotland with the national anthems. We’re ready to go for the fourth and last Rugby World Cup quarter-final. Stick with us!
Australia 0-0 Scotland
1′ – It’s underway at Twickenham! We’ll keep you posted every step of the way…
Australia 0-0 Scotland
1′ – Craig Joubert of South Africa is the referee for this one and it’s an early penalty for Australia inside their own half for an infringement at the breakdown by the Scots. Bernard Foley sends it to touch about 30 metres from the Scottish line.
Australia 0-0 Scotland
3′ – Turnover for Scotland thanks to Richie Gray on their own 22 but they’ve lost it forward. Australian scrum.
Australia 0-0 Scotland
4′ – Solid scrum for Scotland but Australia are inside the 22 and knocking at the door.
Australia 0-0 Scotland
6′ – Australia should have had a try as Foley offloaded to Mitchell just shy of the line but he couldn’t hold on to it. Major let-off for the Scots. Foley probably could have finished that on his own instead of releasing it.
Australia 0-0 Scotland
8′ – Apart from the kick-off, this entire game has been played deep inside Scotland’s half so far. Australia have been dominant.
Australia 5-0 Scotland: Try! Adam Ashley-Cooper (9′)
Australia 5-0 Scotland
10′ – Excellent move by the Wallabies, spreading it wide as Kuridrani releases Adam Ashley-Cooper who crosses in the corner. However, Foley dragged the conversion wide from a difficult angle.
Australia 5-0 Scotland
14′ – Good response by Scotland and they’ve got Australia on the back-foot just short of the line. The Wallabies cough up a penalty at the breakdown and Scotland will go for the posts.
Australia 5-3 Scotland
15′ – Greg Laidlaw makes no mistake to reduce the gap to two. Given Australia’s early dominance, Scotland will be happy enough with that scoreline.
Australia 5-3 Scotland
16′ – Incredible take by Tommy Seymour there in their air for Scotland, making up for his missed tackle in the lead-up to Australia’s try.
Australia 5-8 Scotland: Try! Peter Horne (18′)
Australia 5-10 Scotland
19′ – Scotland’s fantastic fight-back continues as the Wallabies are caught napping at a ruck near their own line, allowing Horne to nab the ball from the base and saunter through unchallenged. Laidlaw adds the extras and Australia are starting to look very nervous.
Australia 5-13 Scotland
22′ – Another score for Scotland as Laidlaw kicks a penalty. It’s hard to keep up with this game, remarkable stuff at the moment from Scotland!
Australia 5-13 Scotland
26′ – Here’s the moment Ashley-Cooper got over for Australia, but it’s been all Scotland since then…
Australia 5-13 Scotland
27′ – Australia starting to see more of the possession now again and they’ve got a penalty just inside their own half due to Scottish hands in the ruck. Foley kicks it to touch inside the Scottish 22.
Australia 5-13 Scotland
29′ – Australia going through the phases near the Scottish line.
Australia 10-13 Scotland: Try! Drew Mitchell (30′)
Australia 10-13 Scotland
31′ – Patient build-up by Australia and Kuridrani eventually found a gap out wide for Mitchell to score at the corner, but again Foley has uncharacteristically dragged the conversion wide.
Australia 10-13 Scotland
32′ – This England fan at Twickenham appears to have some regrets about the part of the UK in which he was born…
Australia 10-16 Scotland
34′ – Again it’s a brilliant response from Scotland to a Wallabies try. Sio is penalised for collapsing the scrum and Laidlaw makes it four from four with his kicking to score the subsequent penalty.
Australia 10-16 Scotland
37′ – Scotland are full of belief here. They’re putting serious pressure on the Aussies just outside the 22 as the interval approaches. However, Australia have stolen it — Sio redeeming himself with the turnover. Foley sends it back into Scottish territory.
Australia 10-16 Scotland
37′ – Scottish celebrations following Pete Horne’s try earlier on…
Australia 10-16 Scotland
39′ – Wallabies penalty inside the 22 and Foley goes for the corner. They’re looking for a try just before half-time.
Australia 15-16 Scotland: Try! Michael Hooper (40′)
Australia 15-16 Scotland
40′ – The Wallabies got a sold maul going from the lineout and it was Hooper who eventually touched it down. However, for the third time in a row, Foley drags the conversion wide on the stroke of the break.
Half-time: Australia 15-16 Scotland
Australia 15-16 Scotland
HT – We could have a shock on our hands here, folks! Go and put the kettle on and we’ll see you back here in a few moments for the second-half from Twickenham.
Australia 15-16 Scotland
Australia 15-16 Scotland
41′ – And we’re back! Bernard Foley gets the second-half underway.
Australia 15-16 Scotland
42′ – Australia better pull the finger out here or this fan will have worn a plant on his head for nothing. Nothing!
Australia 15-16 Scotland
42′ – Bad start to this half for the Scots as Sean Maitland is yellow-carded — quite harshly, it seems — for a deliberate knock on while the Walalbies were on the attack.
Australia 20-16 Scotland: Try! Drew Mitchell (43′)
Australia 22-16 Scotland
45′ – Again, Australia went for the maul from a lineout near the Scottish line, before Genia offloaded to Mitchell who nipped in at the corner for his second try. This time, Foley nails the conversion. This is an uphill task for Scotland now with Maitland in the bin.
Australia 22-16 Scotland
46′ – Big scrum from Scotland puts the Wallabies under pressure and earns Vern Cotter’s side a penalty. Laidlaw will go for the posts.
Australia 22-19 Scotland
47′ – Greg Laidlaw, take a bow. That’s five from five now for him and it’s a three-point game.
Australia 22-19 Scotland
49′ – Ashley-Cooper gets over for a try but it’s been ruled out. Craig Joubert went upstairs and saw that Genia knocked the ball forward at the preceding ruck. Finn Russell breathes a sigh of relief as his careless pass had put his side under pressure.
Australia 22-19 Scotland
51′ – James Slipper is on in the Australian front-row in place of the injured Scott Sio.
Australia 22-19 Scotland
52′ – Greg Laidlaw has been fantastic from the kicking tee today for Scotland…
Australia 22-19 Scotland
53′ – Sean Maitland returns from his 10 minutes in the bin as Bernard Foley lines up a penalty for Australia.
Australia 25-19 Scotland
54′ – Foley makes no mistake — two in a row for him now after a bad start — and the gap is out to six.
Australia 25-19 Scotland
57′ – Big turnover for Scotland inside their own half which had Denton careering down the wing but the offload missed the mark and Australia escape.
Australia 25-24 Scotland: Try! Tommy Seymour (59′)
Australia 25-24 Scotland
60′ – Finn Russell blocked down Foley’s chip and managed to release the ball to Seymour, who got in at the corner despite the efforts of Michael Hooper. However, Laidlaw misses his first kick of the day with the conversion so the Wallabies still lead by the narrowest of margins.
Australia 25-24 Scotland
64′ – Scotland lose their lineout near their own line. They’re under serious pressure here.
Australia 30-24 Scotland: Try! Tevita Kuridrani (64′)
Australia 32-24 Scotland
66′ – Rob Simmons stole Fraser Brown’s lineout to set that try up, with Kuridrani eventually getting over. Foley added the extras and it’s now an eight-point lead. Scotland will need to produce something special from here.
Australia 32-24 Scotland
67′ – Penalty for Scotland and they’re heading to the corner. This is far from over yet.
Australia 32-27 Scotland
70′ – Scotland knocking at the door and they’ve won a penalty following an infringement at the breakdown. Laidlaw takes the points.
Australia 32-27 Scotland
71′ – A moment to remember for Tommy Seymour with his try earlier in the game…
Australia 32-27 Scotland
73′ – The heavens have opened at Twickenham. It’s going to be a nervy last few moments in this one.
Australia 32-27 Scotland
Australia 32-34 Scotland: Try! Mark Bennett (74′, Laidlaw conv)
Australia 32-34 Scotland
77′ – Incredible! A terrible pass by Wallabies prop James Slipper was intercepted and Bennett got in under the posts. Scotland are three minutes from a World Cup semi-final!
Australia 32-34 Scotland
78′ – Phipps is shoved into touch and there’s a lineout to Scotland just outside their own 22.
Australia 32-34 Scotland
79′ – Jon Welsh is caught offside and it’s a penalty to Australia. This is the game!
Australia 35-34 Scotland
80′ – Foley shows incredible bottle to nail it. This will be a cruel defeat for Scotland. Seconds remaining.
Australia 35-34 Scotland
80′ – At the breakdown from the restart, Phipps sends the ball back to Giteau, he puts it into touch and Australia have won a remarkable game. Poor, poor Scotland.
Full-time: Australia 35-34 Scotland
