Samoa start would be special, says Aki
the squad. “Everybody realised: ‘Hey, we can really do this’. It gave us a lot of belief and confidence in our game,” says Moore.
One major reason why rugby continues to struggle to take grip throughout Japan is that it is still seen very much as a foreign sport in a country in which 98 percent of the inhabitants are native Japanese. Moore was one of nine foreign-born players in the starting XV against Samoa, with four more coming off the bench.
“I played club rugby in Brisbane and had one season of the NRC but after that I looked to go somewhere else because I wasn’t getting any opportunities at the higher level in Australia,” explains the 26-year-old. “A Japanese club picked me up and I just went from there. I’ve loved it over here.”
Moore is still struggling to learn the language, but there is no doubting the connection he and his fellow overseas players have forged with the team and the country.
After Saturday’s match, which was a fairly patchy performance compared to the composure shown a week earlier against Ireland, there was a long debrief on the field amongst some of the senior figures, including squad captain Michael Leitch [initially from New Zealand] and team captain Pieter Labuschagne [South Africa].
“We just said we should put that game behind us,” explains Moore. “We got the bonus point and we were happy with that, but we have to focus on our next game now. It’s the big one. It all comes down to that.
“Our game-plan changes a fair bit depending on what team we’re up against.
“We don’t just have one style of rugby and we will be able to adapt to Scotland. There is a lot of confidence in the team.
“It’s all about preparation for us, focusing on our preparations and trying to reach that goal.”