NO EXCUSES, SCOTLAND

SCOTLAND departed Japan with a final gripe at the organisers of the Rugby World Cup. Coach Gregor Townsend complained that Japan, as hosts, had at least seven days turnaround between each game, while Scotland played their final match having faced Russia four days earlier. Yet a favourable spread of fixtures as a gesture to the host nation has been a part of the competition since 2011 and it wasn’t any great help to England in 2015, eliminated at the pool stage. Equally, there were few complaints from Scotland that year when Japan came into their meeting on the back of the heroic win over South Africa in Brighton four days earlier, exhausted. Scotland, playing their first game, won easily, 45-10. They played Ireland fresh this year, too, and turned in a dismal performance, amassing three points. Scotland did not go home because of the schedule; they went because they were not good enough.