We all knew that Scotland has never been such strong before but we still believed our boys could have performed a miracle.

Our hope suddenly erupted when Vasil Lobzhanidze scored a try at the 4^th minute. Nobody, including The Lelos, expected it.

Soon the Scots showed their possibilities. First they equalized score and then, they did such things that even fans of The Lelos were delighted.

But there is one “but”: the English referee sin-binned Kote Mikautadze at the 14^th minute and did not do that against the Scots when they violated rules in the same way at least three times. While Mikautadze was out, the hosts earned 14 points and the Georgians only one penalty.

The first half finished 31:11 – after missing a conversion, Merab Kvirikashvili scored two penalties.

At the beginning of the second half the Scots scored a try and conversion – 38:11. They were defending themselves and let the Georgians score only one try. Lobzhanidze scored the second try. Kvirikashvili missed conversion again.

At the end of the match Milton Haig changed the first line but in vain.

43:16 in favor of the hosts: mixed emotions, almost crushing statistics but very promising episodes.

But still, when you are watching Vasil Lobzhanidze and Badri Alkhazashvili’s game, you realize that the future is ours!..

Rugby Park (Kilmarnock, Scotland). 20000 spectators

Scotland - Georgia 43:16 (31:11)

Scotland: Hogg, Maitland, Bennett, Dunbar, Seymour, Russell, Laidlaw; Dell, Ford, Fagerson, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, Watson, Wilson

Replacements: Brown, Allan, Low, Gilchrist, Barclay, Price, Horne, Hughes

Head coach: Vern Cotter (New Zealand)

Georgia: Kvirikashvili, Aptsiauri, Sharikadze, Mchedlidze, Todua, Malaghuradze, Lobzhanidze; Nariashvili, Bregvadze, Chilachava, Mikautadze, Nemsadze, Kolelishvili, Gorgodze, Bitsadze

Replacements: Alkhazashvili, Asieshvili, Kubriashvili, Lomidze, Tkhilaishvili, Begadze, Tsiklauri, Sutiashvili

Head coach: Milton Haig (New Zealand)

0:5 Lobzhanidze (4), 5:5 Seymour (7), 7:5 Laidlaw (8), 12:5 penalty try (14), 14:5 Laidlaw (14), 14:8 Kvirikashvili (17), 19:8 Maitland (19), 21:8 Laidlaw (20), 24:8 Laidlaw (27), 24:11 Kvirikashvili (31), 29:11 Hogg (34), 31:11 Laidlaw (35);

36:11 Watson (41), 38:11 Laidlaw (43), 38:16 Lobzhanidze (53), 43:16 Hogg (76).

Yellow cards: Mikautadze (14), Low (73)

Slava Gasparov