Scotland 31 Samoa 8

Date:  18 Nov 2000
Venue:  Murrayfield
Attendance:  43447
Referee:  Hyde-lay i.

Scotland, showing four changes from the side beaten by the Wallabies last week, bounced back this week to ease to a 31-8 victory against Samoa.

The Scots scored four tries through John Petrie, Alan Bulloch, Tom Smith, and the recalled Kenny Logan, who had another disallowed early on.

The other points were all kicked by fly-half Gregor Townsend with the Scots keeping Samoa pointless afterleading 14-8 at the interval.

Scotland coach Ian McGeechan revealed a tactical switch at the interval helped his side run out 31-8 over Samoa at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Scotland were only 14-8 ahead at half-time but three second-half tries saw the home side emerge fairly comfortable winners.

He said:  "We tried to force the game in the first half and sometimes lost our momentum as a result.  We changed things at half-time and I thought we took the game away from Samoa.

"We were playing too much in front of them in the first half and wanted to turn them and move them from front to back and also from side to side.  We did that well and chose good options around our 22."

McGeechan believes his pre-match prediction that the Pacific Islanders would be a tough nut to crack proved correct.

He said:  "I am very pleased with the end result.  I said yesterday Samoa were somewhere between the USA and Australia and I think that has been proved to be right.

"In difficult conditions we conducted a good tactical game.  We don't have a roof we can close so we have to play with conditions as they are.

"The weather loses two seconds out of the game so I thought we made the best of them.  We were very organised without the ball.  Once we got a chance of a turnover we got the ball away well.  Alan Bulloch's try was a very good proactive, reactive try."

McGeechan is also very positive for the future development of his side.

He said:  "If you add the New Zealand game to these three we are a long way to where we want to be.  The players are more comfortable with our way of playing and we have a good prop of players.  The nice thing is that the players are asking when the next training session is.  Mind you that might be so they can avoid it!"

Samoa captain Onehunga Matatauiau believes Scotland can mount a successful Six Nations challenge next year after seeing his brave side go down at Murrayfield.

He said:  "I think they'll go well in that competition.  They are getting better and better with every game.  I played against them last year at Hawkes Bay so I can compare.

"The forwards are very hungry for the ball and half-back Townsend and John Leslie are going well together.  They are on the right track.

"The Scots were very much harder to play than Wales.  Last week (against Wales) we had so many players playing for the first time it was so difficult.  Scotland have got so much more up their sleeves in attack and defence."