SCOTLAND will be playing for the Pool B runners-up spot when they meet Samoa at St James’ Park on Saturday, after South Africa clinched the group by crushing the United States 64-0 at London’s Olympic Stadium. Provided they beat Samoa, Vern Cotter’s team will progress to a quarter-final at Twickenham on Sunday 18th against the winners of Pool A - Australia or Wales.
The Springboks, for whom Bryan Habana scored a second-half hat-trick to equal Jonah Lomu’s record of 15 tries in the Rugby World Cup, became the first team in this year’s tournament to shut out their opponents. Their quarter-final will be on Saturday 17, also at Twickenham, against the Pool A runners-up.
South Africa, who began their campaign with a historic defeat by Japan, ended up on 16 points. They earned four points for beating Scotland, had two five-point wins against the USA and Samoa, and also earned two bonus points from their loss, one for being beaten narrowly and the other for scoring four tries or more.
Scotland stand on ten points, and will go through with any sort of win - bonus point or not - against the Samoans. If Scotland lose, even with two bonus points, Japan can pip them for second place by beating the USA with a bonus point in the final pool game, on Sunday in Gloucester. Should Japan and Scotland both end up on 12 points - something that will happen if Scotland pick up two losing bonus points and Japan win without one - Scotland will go through because they won the head-to-head meeting.
Cotter will today announce his team for the Samoa match, which kicks off at 2.30pm. The Samoans could finish third - and thus ensure automatic qualification for the next World Cup - if they win with a bonus point and the Japanese lose without one the following day.
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