Townsend warns Scots despite Japan’s post-world Cup decline
Scotland’s 28-21 defeat by hosts Japan two years ago in a winnertakes-all game, which led to the departure of Gregor Townsend’s side from the World Cup, remains one of the most painful losses suffered by many of the current team.
The scars add a fascinating subtext to the final fixture of Scotland’s autumn campaign today at Murrayfield. Twelve of the match-day squad played in Yokohama, including all the starting and replacement backs, bar Duhan van der Merwe and Ali Price.
The fortunes of these two freerunning sides have, however, diverged rapidly. Since being knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual winners South Africa, Jamie Joseph’s Japan have struggled for game time following the pandemic and results have been mixed.
Yet Townsend, who strengthened Scotland by making seven changes to the side beaten by South Africa – including bringing in Bath’s speedy No8 Josh Bayliss – stressed how seriously the challenge posed by Japan was being taken.
“I’ve not spoken to the players as a group about 2019, but I did mention that Japan have proven over the past two or three years what a top team they are,” Townsend said.
As for Scotland, they have made huge strides since 2019, widening their player pool and transforming their defence. At last year’s Six Nations, they won three games and conceded a record low of 59 points; this year they claimed historic wins at Twickenham and in Paris.
“Scotland have really improved since we played them at the World Cup,” Joseph said. “Their players who were quite young during the World Cup are now senior members of their team and they have changed their game a lot. They’re keen to run the ball and we’re expecting a big contest in the loose forwards.”
Scotland (Glasgow), D van der Merwe (Worcester); F Russell (Racing 92), A Price (Glasgow); J Bhatti (Glasgow), G Turner (Glasgow), Z Fagerson (Glasgow), S Cummings (Glasgow), G Gilchrist (Edinburgh), J Ritchie (Edinburgh), H Watson (Edinburgh), J Bayliss (Bath).
Replacements S Mcinally (Edinburgh), P Schoeman (Edinburgh), J Sebastian (Scarlets), S Skinner (Exeter), D Richardson (Sharks), M Fagerson (Glasgow), G Horne (Glasgow), B Kinghorn (Edinburgh).
Japan R Yamanaka (Kobelco Steelers); K Matsushima (Clermont Auvergne), S Nakano (Suntory Sungoliath), R Nakamura (Suntory Sungoliath), S Fifita (Kintetsu Liners); R Matsuda (Saitama Wild Knights), Y Nagare (Suntory Sungoliath); C Millar (Saitama Wild Knights), A Sakate (Saitama Wild Knights), A Ai Valu (Saitama Wild Knights), J Cornelsen (Saitama Wild Knights), J Moore (Sanix Blues), M Leitch (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Pieter Labuschagne (Kubota Spears, capt), K Himeno. (Highlanders). Replacements K Horikoshi (Suntory Sungoliath), K Inagaki (Saitama Wild Knights), S Kakinaga (Suntory Sungoliath), B Gunter (Saitama Wild Knights), T Tatafu (Suntory Sungoliath), N Saito (Suntory Sungoliath), Y Tamura (Yokohama Eagles), Dylan Riley (Saitama Wild Knights).