Hastings leads the charge in second rout
SCOTLAND’S final pool match against host nation Japan will be a shoot-out for a place in the quarterfinals, after Gregor Townsend’s men ran away as nine tries to zero winners over a Russian team which seemed to have run out of steam after exceeding expectations earl ier in the tournament.
Adam Hastings was named manof-the-match after scoring two tries and kicking eight conversions, while it was also a pleasing 80 minutes for his Glasgow Warriors team-mate and half-back partner George Horne, who helped himself to a hat-trick.
Even more pleasing for head coach Townsend is the fact that this was a second consecutive shut-out of the opposition following on from last week’s 34-0 victory over Samoa. It is the first time Scotland have prevented the opposition scoring in back-toback matches since 1964.
The Japan game is scheduled to be played in Yokohama on Sunday [7.45pm local time, 11.45am BST] but with weather reports indicating that Typhoon Hagibis could hit the city over the weekend, there appears to be a distinct possibility of the game either being pu s h e d back a day or two or be ing moved to an alternative venue.
Wherever or whenever the game is played, Scotland know what they need to do. They must pick up at least four match points more than their opponents. That means a straight win with no bonus point whilst depriving the host nation of any bonus points, or a bonus point win and limiting Japan to one bonus point. If Japan win, draw or pick up two losing points in defeat then Scotland are out.
There was a time when this would look like a pretty straight-forward and easily achievable task, but the Brave Blossoms have become a force to be reckoned with during the last five or six years. They have already defeated Ireland at this tournament, and Ireland – lest we forget – thumped Scotland on the opening weekend.
Japan also have home advantage, and a raucous and partisan crowd of almost 70,000 will urge them on as they seek to become the first Asian side to reach the last eight of a World Cup.
Hastings put Scotland ahead on 13 minutes when he collected firstphase ball in the middle of the park to cruise past three defenders and over the line, and he doubled it five minutes later when he chased down h i s own kick-through and took advantage when a wicked bounce wrongfooted Russian skipper Vas i ly Artemyev.
Scrum-half Horne got in on the act with a classic piece of opp or t u n i s m which involved intercepting opposite number Dmitry Perov’s pass from a caught line