Scotland Topple Giantkillers Japan

22 Thursday, September 24, 2015 Scotland topple giantkillers Japan SAYONARA BRAVE BLOSSOMS Gloucester 3-0 lead after two minutes and soon added over the tryline by leaping NFL style over ark Bennett scored two tries and a second. the massed bodies but came up short. captain Greig Laidlaw kicked 20 Japan stayed true to their attacking Goromaru produced a heroic tackle on pointsM as Scotland destroyed World Cup instinct. Star fullback Ayumu Goromaru the stroke of half time to stop Tommy giantkillers Japan yesterday. kicked right into the corner from a penalty Seymour scoring a near certain try. Japan’s heroics beating South Africa and from the ensuing throw in No 8 The Japanese came bursting out of the 34-32 left them exhausted and after a Amanaki Mafi drove over for a brilliant try blocks in the second-half Mafi bullocking bright start with a brilliant Amanaki Mafi to get Japan back into the game. his way deep into the Scots’ 22 before try, they just could not keep up with the Goromaru added the conversion for 7-6 being brought to ground and had to be dark blues. but Laidlaw added two further penalties to stretchered off with a leg injury. Leading 12-7 at half-time, Scotland took take it out to 12-7. Japan repeatedly got on Goromaru missed a chance to reduce complete control after the break. the wrong side of Irish referee John Lacey. the deficit, his penalty coming back off Two tries by Bennett one each from Lacey’s patience ran out at persistent the post. flanker John Hardie, Tommy Seymour infringements and flashed a yellow card in It proved a turning point as a brilliant and Finn Russell on his 23rd birthday the 23rd minute at Japanese wing Kotaro piercing run by fullback Stuart Hogg crushed the spirited Japanese. Scottish Matsushima for ripping the ball from resulted in centre Mark Bennett going skipper gave a clinical display of kicking Scottish opposite number Sean Lamont in under the posts -- Laidlaw adding the on his Gloucester home ground, packed after tackling him. conversion for 24-10. with 14,354 people for the occasion. Laidlaw missed the resulting penalty and It was game over just after the hour Laidlaw paid tribute to the Asian despite being one man down the Japanese mark as Seymour this time made no champions. “They gave us a good workout kept the Scots largely inside their own half. mistake, intercepting a Japanese pass inside for our first game and it took time for us They might even have reduced the the Scots 22 and just had the legs to evade to get into our stride,” said. “It was tough deficit. a couple of Japanese defenders to touch despite the scoreline.” Goromaru sent a penalty just wide of a down -- Laidlaw converted for 31-10. The Scots did not make the same error post and Mafi looked to be due his second Somewhat undeservedly from a as Springboks skipper Jean de Villiers as try but the 25-year-old Tongan born back Japanese point of view the game turned Laidlaw opted to go for goal with their first row forward was adjudged to have taken into a rout as their weary bodies failed to penalty rather than kick for touch. the ball from a forward pass. stop Bennett going over for his second try Scotland’s Grant Gilchrist catches the ball The Scottish captain slotted over for a Maft then tried a novel way of going -- Laidlaw added the conversion for 38-10. Springboks make major changes Birmingham plying their trade all over the for him to be replaced. He will composition of the side -- outh Africa brought back world,” he added. move from inside to outside part of the process of post- big guns such as Willie le Springbok captain Jean de centre. apartheid ‘transformation’ SRoux and Duane Vermeulen Villiers, 34, escaped the cull But the ongoing row in -- which intensified after to tackle Samoa in the World despite calls in South Africa South Africa over the racial the Japan defeat, is sure to Cup on Saturday in eight be revived again given there changes to the team stunned are now only six non-white by Japan. players in Meyer’s matchday However, hard-man hooker 23 to play Samoa, compared to Bismarck du Plessis, 31, was seven last time out. dropped but 38-year-old lock However, as was the case for Victor Matfield, persuaded the shock loss to Japan, four to come out of retirement non-white players will start by coach Heyneke Meyer, with wings JP Pietersen and retained his place. Bryan Habana, centre Damian Despite being criticised for de Allende and prop Tendai the age of the side that lost Mtawarira all in South Africa’s 34-32 to Japan last weekend, 1st XV. Meyer has named an even The government ‘target’ more experienced line-up, is to have seven non-white with a new record 891 caps players in a matchday 23 between them for the Pool and five on the pitch at any B game against Samoa in one time, although this is an Birmingham. aspiration rather than a strict “The last few days have requirement. been a time for retrospection Three players nominated and the team this week has for the World Rugby player been selected specifically with of the year award over the last Samoa in mind, as we know two years -- Eben Etzebeth, we’ll have to be at our very Vermeulen and Le Roux -- best to succeed,” Meyer said were all recalled to the starting on Wednesday. lineup. “They will pose a massive Adriaan Strauss, who will challenge and I think it’s fair win his 50th cap, is the starting New Zealand’s centre Sonny Bill Williams (C) South Africa’s to say that it’s the biggest game hooker. Vermeulen will make is tackled during a Pool C match between New back row of the season for us. They have his first Test appearance of the Zealand and Argentina at Wembley stadium Duane Vermeulen a very strong team with players year in the No 8 jersey. .

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