Scotland’s slippery win will warn Schmidt’s men about tricky indoor conditions
SCOTLAND will have a major say in the final make-up of Pool A after they breathed life back into their World Cup campaign at the expense of 14-man Samoa.
Ireland could do with Samoa doing them a favour against Japan next week, but judging on last night’s evidence, that is a long shot. The hosts also have the advantage of a seven-day turnaround compared to the five days that Samoa have to pick themselves up and go again.
Ireland’s final pool opponents offered very little in attack and although it took Scotland 75 minutes to secure the bonus point, they eventually got it, and in the process ensured that Samoa became the first team to fail to score a point at this World Cup. By the time Joe Schmidt’s side meet Samoa on October 12, their chances of advancing will almost certainly be over, but Scotland’s encounter with Japan a day later has the potential to be an epic.
“Japan and Ireland are still favourites to get out of the pool,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said. “We have to win our next two games and get at least one bonus point, potentially two. We have to build towards a game-plan that can get us maximum points against Russia but also to beat Japan.”
As a spectacle, yesterday’s game in Kobe will not live long in the memory – apart from being a staggeringly sweaty occasion inside what felt like a Japanese onsen.
At least this way, there will be no mind-numbing debate about whether the roof should be open or closed.
World Rugby rules state that any venues in Japan with a roof will be closed for all games, which means that Ireland will take on Russia in the sweat box that is the Kobe Misaki Stadium.
Japan’s version of the Millennium Stadium is a world away from what the Ireland players will have experienced in Cardiff. It was hot. It was sticky and boy was it slippery.
Given how much Ireland crumbled in the humidity against Japan, it doesn’t bode well. Time and time again, players from both teams lost their footing and lost the ball.
Schmidt will have noted Samoa’s abysmal kicking game. Their inability to clear their lines properly meant that they constantly gave the ball back to Scotland.
The one time they got deep inside the Scotland 22 late in the second half, they inexplicably kicked a penalty dead rather than into touch.
By the time Ed Fidow was sent off for a second yellow card five minutes from time, Scotland wrapped up the bonus point as the winger slid in and denied Sean Maitland a second try. An automatic seven-pointer was duly awarded.
Maitland and Greig Laidlaw crossed in the opening half before two penalty tries as well as seven points from the boot of Laidlaw and a stunning drop goal from Hogg.
SCOTLAND – S Hogg; D Graham, C Harris, S Johnson (D Taylor 64), S Maitland; F Russell (A Hastings 76), G Laidlaw (G Horne 65); A Dell (G Reid 13), S McInally (capt) (F Brown 52), WP Nel; G Gilchrist (S Cummings 52), J Gray; M Bradbury (R Wilson 73), J Ritchie, B Thompson.
SAMOA – T Nanai-Williams; B Tuatagaloa (B Fonotia 44), A Leiua, H Taefu, E Fidow; T Pisi (U Seuteni 53), M Matavao (P Cowley 71); L Muliploa (J Lay 44), R Niuia (S Lam 53), M Alaalatoa (P Alo-Emile 47); F Paulo (P Faasalele 50), K Le’aupepe; C Vui, TJ Ioane (Tyrell 71), J Lam (capt) (J Tyrell 4-15).
REF – P Gauzere (France)