Scots aiming to improve on opening win in Japan
For Scotland, this was mission accomplished. Yet they rarely got out of second gear against an under-strength Japan who defended ferociously and constantly looked to raise the tempo.
However, with Scotland’s greater physicality trumping Japan’s endeavour, 16 points from the unerring boot of captain Greig Laidlaw, and a try either side of half-time while Japan had men in the sin bin, sealed this result.
“It was a good win,” said Laidlaw. “We probably need to tighten up a little and be more accurate. We let Japan off the hook a little bit in the second half, but we’re here to win two games so we will look to improve for next week.”
Laidlaw and coach Vern Cotter know this could have been a more emphatic result, with both Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour spurning chances to turn overwhelming domination of territory and possession into a more comfortable margin. Scotland also suffered from a degree of ring rustiness, with several players not having played a competitive fixture for over a month. Yet, as the match wore on and they weathered Japan’s early charge, the tourists largely controlled the game and deserved a win that bodes well for next week’s second Test.
Despite an early Laidlaw penalty after prop Kensuke Hatakeyama came through a ruck, the early stages did not go to plan for Scotland, with Japan scoring the first try after ten minutes. Scotland had expected the Brave Blossoms to play quick, heads-up rugby, but seemed surprised when scrum-half Kaito Shigeno took a quick tap penalty and fed No.8 Amanaki Mafi, who beat two players before passing to centre Harumichi Tatukawa, who was hauled down just short of Scotland’s line.
Before Scotland could organise their defence, the ball was spun to stand-off Yu Tamura, who put skipper Shota Horie in under the posts.
Scotland continued to show a lack of precision that will have infuriated Cotter, with Ruaridh Jackson kicking the restart out on the full and hooker Stuart McInally overthrowing at a lineout on Japan’s 22. But they gradually began to assert some control, with the impressive Ryan Wilson carrying well.
Two Laidlaw penalties were answered by a massive Tamura threepointer from just inside Scotland’s half to make it 10-9, yet Scotland were by now bossing the game. Five minutes before half-time Japan’s combative blindside flanker Hendrik Tui was yellow-carded for dragging down a Scottish rolling maul after he entered on the wrong side.
Things took a desperate turn for JaComing pan moments later in the game’s defining moment when Scotland moved the ball wide and looked sure to score until Rikiya Matsuda deliberately knockedon what should have been a scoring pass from Hogg to Seymour. As the replacement fullback was the last man, Kiwi referee Ben O’Keeffe had little choice but to award a penalty try and send Matsuda to join Tui in the sin bin.
out for the second half leading 16-10 and facing a Japan side down to 13 men, Scotland started brightly, Seymour reclaiming the kick-off and wing Damian Hoyland almost forcing his way over on his first start after collecting an astute cross kick from Jackson. Prop WP Nel was soon driven over from close range by Richie Gray and John Barclay, with Laidlaw adding the conversion from the touchline.
With Tamura and Laidlaw swapping penalties, Scotland never looked in danger. Flanker Shokei Kin did intercept a loose Duncan Taylor pass, only to throw a loose pass himself when a try looked likely, but then Seymour also let a try go begging when he hacked over the dead-ball line.
Indeed, thanks partly to the intensity of the tackling but largely to the inability of either side to string together phases of play, both sides struggled to build any continuity.
Scotland will be the happier side, yet they will also know that against a weakened Japan team there should be much more to come next week.