Scrum again?
Toony perplexed by penalty award that puts Japan in the qualification box seat
GREGOR TOWNSEND admits he was baffled by the late scrum penalty that was handed to Japan against Samoa.
The Brave Blossoms secured a bonus point in the 38-19 win when they scored a stoppage-time try after the Pacific Islanders were pulled up for a rarely questioned crooked put-in by referee Jaco Peyper. Japan’s extras mean Scotland could take maximum points from their final two Pool A clashes against Russia – who they face tomorrow – and the hosts yet still crash out if the Japanese were to secure two losing bonus points. Toony said: “It’s an incredible call. It’s not something that’s been referred and there’s an agreement there is more latitude for the scrum-half putting the ball into the scrum because you’re the team who’s won the scrum.
“To see it in the World Cup surprised me. To see it come in added-on time was an even bigger surprise.
“It was a call I’ve not seen for a long time in the game.”
Scotland’s fate remains in the balance but they could yet be given a helping hand from Mother Nature.
World Rugby says it is monitoring a typhoon that could hit Japan on Saturday.
Typhoon Hagibis has formed in the Western Pacific Ocean off the south coast of Japan and it could hit the island of Kyushu this weekend.
Ireland face Samoa in the Kyushu city of Fukuoka on Saturday, where Joe Schmidt’s men need a bonuspoint victory to seal their place in the last eight.
Any games cancelled due to weather problems are registered as scoreless draws – meaning Scotland and Japan could yet progress at Ireland’s expense.
Toony said: “My first thought was that it was called Typhoon Haggis!
“We have to win our next two games to qualify. That would not change if the Ireland and Samoa game ended up in a draw.”
Townsend has made 14 changes to his line-up ahead of tomorrow’s vital clash with Russia in Shizuoka. Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham is the only man to keep his place from the hammering of Samoa. Blair Kinghorn, Pete Horne, Ben Toolis and George Turner will all play with props Gordon Reid and Zander Fagerson also in. John Barclay, Fraser Brown and Ryan Wilson will line up in the back row.