Easson’s harsh words pay off with six-try win
BRYAN EASSON said he was delighted with a job well done after watching his side score six tries in a comprehensive victory over a Japan team who were reduced to 14 players in the 19th minute following a red card for second-row Seina Sato for a high tackle on Rhona Lloyd.
He was even pleased with how his team turned round the one major negative in their performance, which was a lacklustre 20-minute spell just before half time when they surrendered a 10-0 lead to go in 12-10 down at the break.
“We worked quite hard last week on getting that consistency back in our performance and the first 20 minutes was good, but the second 20 was not so good and there were a few choice words at half-time,” said Easson.
“I’ll be honest with you, we were quite blunt. It wasn’t what we are about. The days of just throwing the ball about and just expecting things to happen are long gone.
“In the second half, we really got back to basics, and I thought our game management and our kicking game was excellent. We really pressurised Japan and when we got ball in hand it was about carrying hard and attacking space, which we did really well.
“If we are going to continue to be a good side then we have to become ruthless and that doesn’t happen by going rogue and playing as individuals, it is about playing as a team and sticking to the plan.
“So, we were just very clear at half-time that we didn’t need to change what we had been doing well, and the players totally got it.
“Rachel Malcolm, our captain, spoke very well, and they all accepted things and took it on the chin, and I was pleased with the way we responded. That shows that we are growing and learning to adapt during games.”
Scotland had raced into that early lead through tries from Lloyd and Lana Skeldon, before Japan bounced back through Nijiho Nagata and Sachiko Kato, with Ai Hirayama’s conversion separating the two sides at the break.
In the second half, Megan Gaffney, Chloe Rollie and Lisa Thomson all finished off wellworked tries, before Lloyd put the icing on her player-of-thematch performance by winning a 50-yard foot race to claim her second try of the afternoon. Helen Nelson kicked three conversions.
This was Scotland’s last hitout before they play in the Final Qualifying Tournament for next year’s World Cup. It is anticipated that this repechage competition will take place in Dubai in January or February.
Columbia, Samoa and either Hong Kong or Kazakhstan will provide the opposition, with one spot at the main event – which is to be played in New Zealand during October or November next year – up for grabs.