Scotland v Japan, 23 September

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SCOTLAND V JAPAN
23 September 2015
KO: 14:30 BST
Kingsholm, Gloucester

Live on [tbc]

Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Touch judges: George Clancy (Ireland) & Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

A. Head to Head

4 Played 4
4 Won 0
0 Drawn 0
0 Lost 4
221 Points 45

B. Recent Form

09 Nov 2013
Scotland 42 - 17 Japan
Murrayfield, Edinburgh

13 Nov 2004
Scotland 100 - 8 Japan
McDiarmid Park, Perth

12 Oct 2003
Scotland 32 - 11 Japan
Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville

05 Oct 1991
Scotland 47 - 9 Japan
Murrayfield, Edinburgh

C. Teams

SCOTLAND

15 Stuart Hogg
14 Tommy Seymour
13 Mark Bennett
12 Matt Scott
11 Sean Lamont
10 Finn Russell
09 Greig Laidlaw (c)

01 Ali Dickinson
02 Ross Ford
03 Willem Nel
04 Grant Gilchrist
05 Jonny Gray
06 Ryan Wilson
07 John Hardie
08 David Denton

16 Fraser Brown
17 Ryan Grant
18 Jon Welsh
19 Richie Gray
20 Joshua Strauss
21 Henry Pyrgos
22 Peter Horne
23 Sean Maitland

JAPAN

01- Keita Inagaki
02- Shota Horie
03- Hiroshi Yamashita
04- Luke Thompson
05- Justin Ives
06- Michael Leitch (captain)
07- Michael Broadhurst
08- Amanaki Mafi

09- Fumiaki Tanaka
10- Harumichi Tatekawa
11- Kenki Fukuoka
12- Yu Tamura
13- Male Sa'u
14- Kotaro Matsushima
15- Ayumu Goromaru

16- Takeshi Kizu
17- Masataka Mikami
18- Kensuke Hatakeyama
19- Shinya Makabe
20- Shoji Ito
21- Hendrik Tui
22- Atsushi Hiwasa
23- Karne Hesketh

TightHEAD wrote:I really hope Japan are given some games against tier one nations as they build towards 2019, the development and distance they have travelled since 2011 is just breath taking.

After this World Cup Eddie Jones is going to the Stormers and Steve Borthwick is going to Bristol. That is a disaster for them as a team, because its the fact they are so well-drilled which is allowing them to punch above their weight.

Of course, its definitely in World Rugbys interest to get them playing more games against Tier 1 sides if they are to be competitive in 2019 and hopefully that happens.

Japan need to do the basics better - if they cut out the errors they will win this.

Stupendous tackle right at the end of the half.

That was stupid from the japanese player to try to go over the ruck for the try, just needed to go wide and they would have eventually scored.

What do we make of Japan making more handling errors than last game???

Em.... four days, John?

Laidlaw's missed kick was a momentum changer for me, we should have gone for the corner and pushed on against 14 men, even if we hadn't scored we could have kept the pressure up, I know it's important to build up a score but in that situation. That said had it been Seymour on one wing and Lamont on the other I reckon we'd have had two tries by now.

VinceWLB wrote:That was stupid from the japanese player to try to go over the ruck for the try, just needed to go wide and they would have eventually scored.

Even just to ground the ball against the post would have been enough. That was a huge missed opportunity.

I don't think Lacey is reffing any particular team badly but I'm just a bit confused about his decisions sometimes.

I do agree, that missed pass usually works well for Russell WHEN they are flat and the defense is up quick. However, this time, Japan were not up fast and it was a 2 on 1 (3 on 2?) overlap ... so just straighten up and go through the hands!

Was Wilson left in the dressing room at the start of the game

Notch wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:I really hope Japan are given some games against tier one nations as they build towards 2019, the development and distance they have travelled since 2011 is just breath taking.

After this World Cup Eddie Jones is going to the Stormers and Steve Borthwick is going to Bristol. That is a disaster for them as a team, because its the fact they are so well-drilled which is allowing them to punch above their weight.

Of course, its definitely in World Rugbys interest to get them playing more games against Tier 1 sides if they are to be competitive in 2019 and hopefully that happens.

They should have waited. Could have had Lancaster's job after this weekend!

Have just got back to my desk. Condensed a 60 minute presentation into 20 minutes. Question number one was: do you have somewhere else to be??

Both Rob Penny and Robbie Deans cosch in Japan so one of them could take over from Jones?

I'll never understand why teams don't just go along the line with that kind of overlap, it was Stuart Hogg he missed out, not a ruddy prop who might man sausage it up

Did anyone see the Bet365 ad at the interval? It flashes up Sean Lamont 8/1 to score next try.

Oh how the uneducated may think that's worth a flutter! (Says the man who put him in his fantasy team just to celebrate his 100 caps)

Quite frustrated by this Scottish performance too many players don't seem to be in the game. Japan's silly mistakes are the only thing keeping us in it

Oh god - I cannot stand the condescending ladywater that Jim Rosenthal, Guscott and even Gibbs are coming out with.

Don't know about the rest of you bur Scotland seem to be under pressure right now.

Scotland relying on the boot of Laidlaw to score the points. At least Japan have'd scored a try

We need Maitland on asap as well

And we're off. Japan break away from kickoff, chip over top, Russell dives on and great Scotland rucking to ssecure that ball. Nearly exploit an overlap on their own 22 but ball knocked out of Scottish hand in the tackle. Scrum for Scotland under their own posts.

Jeezus.

Even if Japan get a losing bonus point from this game, it would put them at the top of the table on 5 points.

Then they've ten days to recover and prepare for their crunch match with Samoa.

I think that bonus points are going to decide qualification from this pool for both spots.

Glad Ireland dont have to play Japan.

I really don't understand the TMO rules anymore. They intervene and flag things up for the referee, but only sometimes. Other times things like that clear out are just let go.

epsn have Scotland making 75 out of 78 tackles (japan 54/60)

Japan not driving straight, Scotland out of jail. Hogg clears this one and it's a boomer - our lineout half way. Let's do a MOVE

According to Eddie Jones Scotland will lose this, given the superior fitness of the Japanese players.....

funnyExiledScot wrote:According to Eddie Jones Scotland will lose this, given the superior fitness of the Japanese players.....

And so they did.

Right - Ford over throws


I am changing my prediction to we will lose this

We are still sh it

Jesus Frak Christ

Jones is quite some coach. He's got Japan playing like a NZ super 15 team, and they look good! Hopefully this world cup is a defining moment for rugby in Japan and they continue to grow.

Was I the only one that thought that offside call was BS?

Japan have a penalty inf ront of posts after an over the top lineout fails massively for Scotland (I think teams read this too easily now) and then Mafi makes a barnstorming run right up to the Scotland line. Pinged for offside somehow ..

Scotland looking a right shambles on their own game line.

Jesus Christ someone needs to get a grip of this game, bring on Strauss and Maitland

I also think Eddie Jones may have been right. They were in it at half time and I honestly think they're going to beat us!

God how depressing is it watching Scotland perform - or not

Why bother getting a small amount of hope///

Yeah. I agree we will be lucky if we scrape a win

I just don't understand why we look so slow and lacking in fluency. Seymour looks very ponderous.

Ford and Dickinson made 10 tackles each in the first half - bloody hell!

This is grim viewing. Scotland showing nothing here.

We really need to up our game

Shame that Mafi going off, having a blinder

That's a big loss for Japan as Mafi has to leave the pitch. Hope he's okay.

123456789 wrote:Jesus Christ someone needs to get a grip of this game, bring on Strauss and Maitland

+1

Pause in play as Mafi stretchered off. That's their try scorer (from the maul) and big breaks in early 2nd half. Now Japan take the kick and it's through.

Scotland 12 - 10 Japan

Bring on some subs please.

12-10

Ooooo.

Eddie Jones said if we were behind after 30 minutes we’d lose – given we were leading I hope he’s right…!

Kick goes over and it's 12-10 to Scotland after 46 mins.

McHardie scores!

Not a coincidence that Scotland score a try the first time they actually manage to get some continuity into their game!

And Scotland in for a try through Nzer Hardie

JOHN HARDIE SCORES IN THE CORNER!

Nice passage of play after a turnover (interception) from Japan attack. Hardie a wonderful passage of play.

That was essentially a big man running over a small man, like two of South Africa's tries.

Laidlaw conversion ... misses. Ok now you're not even good for that.

Japan need to off load the bench and get their first choice players from the SA game on, this is still winnable.

YASSSSSS.......

Hardie!! He's Scottish as Irn Bru I tells Ye.