SCOTLAND 43

GEORGIA 16

THERE are perhaps two principal ways of assessing Scotland’s progress over the three Autumn Tests. One is how well they have asserted themselves in attack; the other is how they have responded to adversity. By either measure, they have made a sizeable advance.

The game against Australia was a frustrating performance, one which with a little more composure Scotland might well have won rather than losing by a single point. The performance against Argentina was more flawed, but the greater composure was there, and produced a narrow win. Then on Saturday at Rugby Park all the best aspects of those first two games were concentrated into a first half which showed Vern Cotter’s side at their best.

There were four tries before the break and two after to add to the single touchdown against Argentina and the three against the Wallabies. On their own ball, Scotland now have greater confidence than they have enjoyed for years, largely because they have so many sources of danger with which to menace the opposition.

The self-confidence engendered by that greater versatility is also a boon when things go wrong, as they always do from time to time for even the best teams. There were several points of the game when the Georgians might have rattled Scotland, from the opening score of the game to a long sticky spell in a scrappy second half; but on each occasion Vern Cotter’s squad had the self-belief to reassert their dominance before too much damage was done.

Georgia might have been the most lowly-ranked of the three teams Scotland have faced this month, but they are 12th in the world and clearly have the physical power to trouble anyone. In fact, it is surely not so long ago that Scotland would have gone into a fixture like this with genuine fears of being on the wrong end of an upset: remember the defeat by Tonga at Pittodrie in 2012?

More recently than that match, we have seen Cotter’s team win matches in which they have been favourites, but only after an unseemly struggle. At last year’s Rugby World Cup, for example, they were disjointed in the first half of the match in Leeds against the United States, and then in the last pool game against Samoa they were at sea for long stretches of the game before Greig Laidlaw dragged them over the line in a display which gave proof as seldom before of his vital leadership qualities.

The difference in Kilmarnock on Saturday - at least once Georgia’s opening score was annulled just a few minutes later - was that the difficult spell only came when victory was already assured. And in fact that difficulty was relative: the visitors were a lot more effective after the break than they had been before it, but they still lost the second half 12-5.

The opening score by Vasil Lobzhanidze off the back of a rolling maul was one of the few moments of the game in which Scotland were caught napping. They soon proved their alertness, however, with Tommy Seymour making amends for being caught out of position for the scrum-half’s try by scoring one of his own from a kick ahead by Stuart Hogg.

Georgia had scored a pushover try and a penalty try a week earlier in their win over Samoa, but the boot was on the other foot for Scotland’s next score, which came when a rolling maul was stopped illegally. Sean Maitland got the third try after a long period of pressure, and Hogg claimed the fourth after collecting his own kick ahead.

Laidlaw converted all four tries and added a penalty in the first half, while full-back Merab Kvirikashvili was on the mark with two penalties of his own.

Chasing a 20-point deficit, Georgia needed a spectacular start to the second half, but instead went further behind within two minutes. Richie Gray won clean lineout ball, and Hamish Watson finished off well despite the efforts of three defenders to stop him.

The visitors then reverted to type by attempting a pushover try, and although the move ended just short of the line Lobzhanidze was there to seize the loose ball and score his second try. The last word, however, went to Scotland and Hogg, who broke quickly from a tap penalty by debutant substitute Ali Price to score his second and his team’s sixth.

The arrival of Price, the Glasgow Warriors scrum-half, was just one indication of a growing strength in depth in the squad. Loosehead prop Allan Dell made his debut against Australia, tighthead Zander Fagerson made his first start in the same match, and loose forward Magnus Bradbury won his own first cap against Argentina.

All four of those players will be knocked back down the pecking order if Cotter has all of his more experienced men fit again come the Six Nations, but they have done enough to merit consideration at some stage of the Championship.

At the same time, more competition is required, perhaps above all at tighthead. WP Nel will reclaim the No 3 jersey when he recovers from his neck injury, and Fagerson will deputise for him. Beyond that there is Moray Low, who came off the bench on Saturday and was then sinbinned for a scrum penalty. Then there is Kevin Bryce, who is not only injured at present but has yet to properly begin his transition from hooker. The position is therefore a concern, but in general there has been a lot for Cotter to be pleased about this month.

Scorers: Scotland: Tries: Seymour, penalty try, Maitland, Hogg 2, Watson. Cons: Laidlaw 5. Pen: Laidlaw.

Georgia: Tries: Lobzhanidze 2. Pens: Kvirikashvili 2.

Referee: M Carley (England). Attendance: 15,401.