Ireland vs Scotland LIVE: Result and latest reaction from Autumn Nations Cup
Follow the latest updates from the third-place play-off at the Aviva Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.Follow the latest updates as Ireland take on Scotland in the battle to claim third in the Autumn Nations Cup as Finals Weekend continues.
After Georgia and Fiji raised the curtain on today’s action, it’s the turn of the two group runners-up to take centre stage in the third-place play-off. It’s of course not the game that either wanted to be in, with Ireland coming unstuck against England earlier in the tournament while Scotland lost their decider to the French, but both sides have signalled their intent to end the year on a high with the Six Nations just around the corner.
Ireland will be led by returning captain Johnny Sexton who has recovered from a hamstring strain suffered in the opening game against Wales, while Scotland turn to debutant fly-half Jaco van der Welt in the hope of finding a replacement for injured duo Finn Russell and Adam Hastings. Follow the live updates below.
53 mins: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
That’s quite an error from Giorgadze - just seconds after he sends Tuisue flying with an emphatic carry - as he mistimes his catch effort and knocks on Lomani’s box-kick to give Fiji a good attacking position.
51 mins: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
The scrum becomes a penalty that allows Georgia to clear the danger, although there’s a bit of concern over the tighthead Melikidze, who of course is already on for Gigashvili. He’s fit to continue, which is handy given the tight scrum battle that has been raging so far.
50 mins: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
No try! The TMO decides that the loosehead prop has lost control of the ball in the act of placing it on the line, and Georgia breathe a sigh of relief as they have a 5m scrum to defend.
50 mins: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
We’re going to the TMO after a series of pick and goes leads to Ravai going over, but it looks like he hasn’t got the ball down as he initially comes up short of the line. He then rearranges his position to place the ball, bit did he get it down before losing possession?
45 mins: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
Fijian No 8 Tuisue does brilliantly to infiltrate the Georgian maul and wrap up the ball that secures the turnover when it goes to ground, and they have an attacking scrum just 10m out from the Georgian try line. They win a penalty for forcing the front row up into the air as they drive them back, with the ball kicked out of the scrum by Lobzhanidze who is lucky to escape sanction there.
Fiji fancy this now and go for another scrum.
44 mins: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
Lomani feeds Botia on the crash ball and Fiji quickly work their way into the 22, but play stops due to suspected foul play and it’s against Fijian No 8 Botia for a leading arm into scrum-half Lobzhanidze. Adamson is taking a closer look at this, and he’s not seeing too much wrong from Botia and gives him the green light to continue without punishment.
42 mins: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
An early penalty goes in favour of Fiji as Mayanavanu gets over the ball and traps opposite number Mikautadze, and after kicking to touch they are handed a free-kick for closing the gap. Despite flirting with a quick-tap, Fiji elect to wait for the scrum.
41 mins: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
Georgia kick off to get the second half under way!
Half-time: Georgia 10-19 Fiji
Oh what could have been for Fiji! They’ve certainly shown the trouble that they can cause all sides so far, with a flying start to the match seeing the Pacific Islanders score three tries in the opening 18 minutes. All that frustration of four weeks cooped up in quarantine was unleashed on a Georgia side that that simply couldn’t live with Fiji’s power early on.
Nemani Nadolo and Josua Tuisova showed exactly that as the two giant wings scored either side of Johnny Dyer’s close-range score, and at that stage Fiji looked like romping clear on the scoreboard.
But as the weather worsened, Georgia found a foothold in the match and managed to fight their way back into the contest with a try from replacement prop Giorgi Melikidze, and they’ve let a couple of other chances slip by that could really have made it interesting.
The first score in the second half is going to be crucial here.
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