Good morning and welcome to our minute-by-minute coverage of the Pool B match between Scotland and Georgia at Invercargill, commercial centre of New Zealand's southland region, one of the southernmost cities in the world and a place where many of the main thoroughfares are named after Scottish rivers: Dee Street and Tay Street take a bow.
The Scots have a nervy win over Romania under their sporrans and today face equally hardy east European opposition whose main strengths can be found from numbers one to eight. In the buildup to the game, Georgia's manager Richie Dixon, a Scot, spoke of his side's hopes of taking the game to Scotland in the scrum but conceded that Georgia are at a disadvantage because their opposition have played a game already.

"I think Georgia has built a reputation on the fact that their forwards are good at scrummaging and our aim is to maintain that," said Dixon. "Our problem is that Scotland now have a game under their belt and we are coming in cold. It's really up to us to make sure that when we hit the ground, we hit the ground running."

Thirteen of Georgia's starting line-up ply their trade in France and the star turn is undoubtedly openside flanker Mamuka 'Gorgodzilla' Gorgodze, who plays for Montpellier and was named by L'Equipe as the Top 14's leading overseas player in the 2010-11 season. Agen's Dimitri Basilaia will play at No8, while Toulon prop David Kubriashvili is on the bench, emphasising the strength in depth of the Georgian pack.

"We have versatility in our back row and we feel for this particular game Mamuka at No7 and Dimitri at No8 is how we will start this game," said Dixon. "It's not a new formation for us. He [Gorgodze] plays very frequently at No7 for Montpellier and has played for us a number of times there. We feel, for this particular game, this particular combination is the way we want to go."

Scotland coach Andy Robinson has made 11 changes in personnel to the team that struggled to beat Romania, although he insists this is not a damning indictment of the players who struggled to assert their dominance in their opening game. "It's a cracking side that we've selected," said Robinson, who has kept Max Evans and Allan Jacobsen as winger and prop respectively, moved Sean Lamont from centre to wing and switched Kelly Brown from flanker to No8. "It's very difficult for the players to play two matches in four days. We need to be very physical and be able to smash the Georgians to the floor."

Teams

Scotland: 15-Rory Lamont, 14-Max Evans, 13-Nick De Luca, 12-Graeme Morrison, 11-Sean Lamont, 10-Dan Parks, 9-Rory Lawson (captain); 8-Kelly Brown, 7-Ross Rennie, 6-Ally Strokosch, 5-Jim Hamilton, 4-Nathan Hines, 3-Euan Murray, 2-Scott Lawson, 1-Allan Jacobsen.
Replacements: 16-Ross Ford, 17-Geoff Cross, 18-Alasdair Dickinson, 19-Richie Gray, 20-Richie Vernon, 21-Chris Cusiter, 22-Chris Paterson.
Georgia: 15-Revaz Gigauri, 14-Irakli Machkhaneli, 13-David Kacharava, 12-Tedo Zibzibadze, 11-Alexander Todua, 10-Merab Kvirikashvili, 9-Irakli Abuseridze (captain), 8-Dimitri Basilaia, 7-Mamuka Gorgodze, 6-Shalva Sutiashvili, 5-Vakhtang Maisuradze, 4-Levan Datunashvili, 3-David Zirakashvili, 2-Jaba Bregvadze, 1-David Khinchagishvili.
Replacements: 16-Akvsenti Giorgadze, 17-David Kubriashvili, 18-Giorgi Chkhaidze, 19-Viktor Kolelishvili, 20-Bidzina Samkharadze, 21-Lasha Khmaladze, 22-Malkhaz Urjukashvili.

Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Touch judge: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Touch judge: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Video referee: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

Not long now: Out on the pitch, a topless man in a grass skirt summons the teams from the dressing room by blowing into a giant conch. Meanwhile back in Blighty, ITV1 pundit Gareth Thomas claims "it's going to be a really interesting physical encounter, like an arm-wrestle for the first 10 minutes". He adds that Scotland fly-half Dan Parks is likely to "kick the leather off the ball" in his efforts to get Scotland into good positions, but both he and his fellow pundit Thom Evans concede that Scotland are vulnerable today. With matches against England and Argentina to come, this encounter with Georgia is decidedly "must-win".

Kick-off: It's a very pleasant evening in Invercargill, types minute-by-minute reporter from London bunker, with the wind and rain of the weekend having dissipated. Georgia kick off, courtesy of fly-half Merab Kvirikashvili, but concede a penalty for handling on the ground in the ensuing ruck, allowing Dan Parks a free kick for touch.

2 min: Just inside his own half, Georgian second-row Vakhtang Maisuradze charges into a wall of Scottish opposition and Nathan Hines is penalised for being offside. Merab Kvirikashvili kicks for touch.

5 min: Excellent carrying by Georgia's talismanic flanker Mamuka Gorgodze, who sets up a Georgia scrum inside the Scotland 22. Scrum-half Irakli Abuseridze pings the ball back to fly-half Kvirikashvili, who slices a left-footed drop goal attempt wide of the left upright. That's a poor effort - he was under the posts and should have put his team ahead.

8 min: "It's all about the intensity of the game ... the level of intensity and the level of contact," expounds ITV match analyst Scott Hastings, as a pair of Scots double up to put a stop to the gallop of Georgian centre Tedo Zibzibadze. It's been a bruising encounter so far, but not as attritional and forward-driven as the pundits suggested it would be before the game.

10 min: Scotland win a line-out about five yards from the Georgia try-line. After a busy period of rucking, Scottish scrum-half Rory Lawson plays the ball out the left, where centre Nick De Luca knocks on. Georgia get to clear their lines.

13 min: Georgia win a penalty just inside their own half and the camera immediately cuts to a guilty looking Scotland flanker Ross Rennie. I have no idea what he did there, but he's allowed Merab Kvirikashvili the opportunity to kick for touch again.

14 min: "Squeeze ball position," says referee George Clancy, awarding Scotland a penalty after Georgia winger Alexander Todua had sprinted down the right wing then tried and failed to squeeze the ball between his legs upon being tackled. Scotland clear their lines courtesy of Dan Parks.

15 min: Georgia win a penalty, 52 metres from goal, a mite left of centre. Merab Kvirikashvili decides to try his luck ...

Scotland 0-3 Georgia (Kvirikashvili pen 17) That's a great kick! The Georgia fly-half splits the post with an excellent kick from distance to put his team ahead.

19 min: Scotland win a penalty out on the left touchline, within kicking range, after a Georgia forward refuses to release the ball on the ground. Dan Parks snatches at it and sends the ball low and left of the left upright. While he's taking the kick, Georgia No8 Dimitri Basilaia gets treatment for an injured jaw.

Scotland 3-3 Georgia (Parks pen 22) Play breaks down after a forward pass from somebody in the Scotland ranks, at which point No8 Kelly Brown gets involved in a bit of handbags. Referee George Clancy brings Scotland back for a penalty they won for some infringement or other he'd spotted before play broke down and Dan Parks bisects the posts with a kick from straight in front of them.

26 min: Scotland win a line-out on the halfway line and play the ball out their backline, where Graeme Morrison crashes into the Georgian defence. George Clancy penalises Georgia for offside and awards Scotland a penalty just inside the Georgia half. Dan Parks signals that he's going to kick for goal, but his effort has neither the legs nor the accuracy and drops short of the posts.

28 min: "Are you looking forward to Ireland inexplicably continuing to under-perform in this World Cup as per usual?" asks Lawrence Oxford. "Don't worry - being a strange breed of half Scottish/half English and feeling comfortable supporting both, I have a double amount of doom and gloom after the opening performances. I would say my soon to be Welsh brother-in-law would be happiest. But deep down I know he'd rather have actual wins rather than good performances." Your soon to be Welsh brother-in-law? Do you mean your brother-in-law is soon to be Welsh? Or are you referring to a man who is soon to be your brother-in-law? Sorry, but it's too early and I'm confused.

31 min: Good quick handling by the Scotland backs unsettles the Georgian defence, until Max Evans gets brought to ground and Georgia full-back Revaz Gigauri rips possession back for his side - the seventh time Scotland have turned over possession.

Scotland 6-3 Georgia (Parks penalty 32) Parks slots one over from the left side of the field after yet another infringement prompts referee George Clancy to tell Georgia captain Irakli Abuseridze to have a word with his team-mates to tell them to stop giving away so many penalties. Scotland lead for the first time in the match.

36 min: A period of sustained pressure from Georgia's forwards is brought to an abrupt end on the Scotland 22 when George Clancy penalises them for the heinous truck-and-trailer themed crime of obstruction. He'd warned them, so they've no excuses, but I can't help but think the fact that few of them speak English puts them at a huge disadvantage to other teams in a sport where constant communication between referees and players is so important.

Scotland 9-3 Georgia (Parks drop-goal 37) Scotland scrum-half Rory Lawson has a kick charged down and from the sanctuary of the pocket, out-half Dan Parks has plenty of time to try his luck from distance. All eyes turn to the referee, who signals the kick is a good one and Scotland pull six points ahead.

40 min: A handling error by Parks allows Georgia to briefly lay siege to the Scotland line, but the pressure is alleviated by the half-time whistle. It's been a decidedly poor error- and penalty-strewn game so far.

This from Terence Giles: "Re: the heinous truck-and-trailer-themed crime," he writes. "Can you elaborate on this type of action you described on 36 min. Interestingly the BBC live text commentary also uses the same phrase, but seems to use the American spelling or something (they also had it timed at a minute later – so it's a process not a specific action?"

Like I said, it's way, way too early for this, but in rugby, a truck-and-trailer occurs when the ball carrier hides behind one or more of his team-mates in a maul. They act as a screen, rendering it impossible for any of the opposition to tackle the ball-carrier legitimately. I think.

Second half: The rain is lashing down in Invercargill as the teams emerge from the dressing rooms for the second half. Scotland kick off, courtesy of Dan Parks. There are no changes on either side.

41 min: With Scotland on the attack deep in Georgia territory, Allan Jacobsen loses possession. A hospital pass from Georgia winger Irakli Machkhaneli to Revaz Gigauri leaves the Georgia full-back in all sorts of bother under his own posts, but he manages to keep his head, control the wet ball and kick for touch.

43 min:I had a feeling this might happen. "Truck-and-trailer does not occur when the ball-carrying player hides behind team-mates in a maul," writes Ryan Miller. "A maul is, in fact, the only time when such hiding is allowed. Truck-and-trailer happens when the ball-carrier is shielded by his own team-mates in any other situation - but occurs most frequently when the back of a maul splinters off, ending the maul situation and allowing the ball-carrier to be tackled again. If he continues on while being shielded this is obstruction, and a penalty." I'm not so sure Ryan's correct on this one - I'm pretty sure the opposition have to be able to tackle the ball-carrier, which is not the case if he's doing a passable imitation of a trailer.

46 min: I should also add that I don't really feel that strongly about the issue one way or the other.

47 min: While we're nit-picking, Lawrence Oxford (28 mins) is back with some clarification: "Erm," he erms, hesitantly. "Yes, I think from my original email you could say it's far too early in the morning for me. It's a soon to be brother-in-law - he has always been Welsh as far as I'm aware. If it wasn't still too early in the morning, I'd attempt some pun on changing nationality to play international rugby or something."

48 min: The ball is slippery, but you'd think it was piping hot as well considering the number of handling errors Scotland are making. They're constantly losing it in the contact area; the camera cuts to their coach Andy Robinson who looks most displeased with his troops' butterfingers.

50 min: After a period of sustained pressure on the 10-metre line, Merab Kvirikashvili tries a drop-goal. His effort his awful and skids along the ground, allowing Scotland full-back Rory Lamont to set off on the counter-attack. One line-out and a fine Dan Parks kick from deep later and Georgia are desperately defending a line-out five metres from their own try-line.

54 min: Georgia win the line-out and clear their lines courtesy of a box-kick from scrum-half Abuseridze.

56 min: Kvirikashvili launches a high ball which Scotland full-back Rory Lamont knocks on - that's an uncharacteristically schoolboy error. Scrum for Georgia inside the Scotland half, just beyond the 10-yard line.

57 min: "The rules of rugby make quantum physics look like Sesame Street," writes Gary Naylor, who has never previously hinted at ignorance of any subject in his many long years sending emails to assorted Guardian minute-by-minute and over-by-over writers. Have we finally found his Kryptonite? And is it conceivable that it's something as mundane and largely straightforward as the rules of rugby that Naylor struggles with?

60 min: "Ryan Miller is absolutely right," writes Gareth Owen. "You're not allowed to tackle people in mauls at all - that's a penalty for collapsing the maul. Truck + trailer comes under the law on obstruction in open play." I find it a constant source of amazement that I managed to play rugby for 11 years - from four to 14 - without actually having anything more than a passing acquaintance with the rules of the game. I'd probably have been a lot better at it if I'd had a less foggy idea what was going on.

63 min: Scotland win a penalty, which Dan Parks misses.

64 min: Georgia have used four replacements so far, all of them forwards. Scotland haven't used any yet.

66 min: From a scrum on the right, the Scotland back-line finally get their sprint on with ball in hand. It's passed out to Graeme Morrison, who pops it back inside to full-back Rory Lamont. He heads for the vast green expanses down near the left corner. Upon being tackled, he offloads to brother Sean, who makes another few yards before being dragged to ground.

69 min: Scotland scrum, just outside the Georgia 22. Lawson takes the ball from the edge of the scrum, pops it up to Parks, who feeds Rory Lamont coming through on the burst. He's brought to ground, there's a Georgian infringement and Scotland have a penalty on the 15m line.

Scotland 12-3 Georgia (Parks penalty 69) Over she goes ...

71 min: Scotland bring on Richie Gray and Chris Paterson for Nathan Hines and Rory Lamont, but Georgia have a penalty ...

Scotland 12-6 Georgia (Kvirikashvili penalty 72) Georgia's out-half splits the posts after Scotland were penalised for refusing to release the ball at the ruck following the restart from the previous penalty.

73 min: "I am convinced that the respect shown to referees in rugby (as opposed to association football) is due mostly to the fact that none of the players really understand the rules either, so they have to accept whatever the referee says," writes Kat Petersen. "That was certainly my approach when I played."

"Even allowing for the fact that Rugby Union has no 'rules' (they're called 'laws'), Richie McCaw manages to get along without most of them quite well - you're in good company," writes Luke Williams.

Scotland 15-6 Georgia (Parks penalty 78) The Georgians concede yet another penalty, when second row Vakthang Maisuradze fails to drink a pint of lager through a sock in the time it takes his team-mates to gather around, lower their shorts and chant "Aroo-cha-cha! Aroo-cha-cha! Aroo-cha-cha-cha!" repeatedly. Dan Parks takes advantage of his opponent's misfortune and slots the ball between the posts.

Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over - Scotland have notched up their second unconvincing victory over eastern European opposition in two games. To their credit, this unconvincing victory was less unconvincing than their last unconvincing victory, which will be of scant consolation to Scotland fan Ewan Dunnett. "I'm glad this world cup is happening early in the morning," he writes. "It means I'll be stuck in the office for all of Scotland's dismal displays. Rugby used to excite me. Now it makes me want to cry into my soggy saltire."

More on the rules/laws of rugby: "Like you, I played rugby at school for years despite having only the slightest acquaintance with the rules," writes Ben Evans. "I reckon this is the key to rugby players' much-vaunted respect for referees - I never criticised a rugby ref, as I never knew the basis of the arcane rule that was being invoked. Not so with good old, simple footie."

More emails: "Actually it's better not to know the rules when you are playing, as you'd just stand quietly confused in the middle of the pitch," writes Ronnie Smith. "Better to get on with it and let the referee worry about the rules."

"I can't believe that all knowing Gary Naylor is confused!" writes Paddy Blewer. "The rules are simple – it all goes backwards. Pass backwards, enter rucks and mauls from the back foot. Remain behind the offside line (the ball) at all times ... and finally, don't play the ball if you're on the floor. Simple. Alternatively, you could follow Keith Wood's famous advice: 'Kick ahead. Any fecking head!'