It was a topsy turvy start in Tokyo, to a test match that in many ways was the opposite of the one last weekend. Last week the Scots enjoyed the territory and the possession and never really looked like losing. This one, they could have lost quite easily.
There was an opening exchange of penalties between kickers, Henry Pyrgos looking assured with the boot. Both sides were trying and failing to throw the ball about though clearly the ball had other ideas, going missing from everyone’s hands in loose play and at the lineout. Sadly Stuart McInally didn’t have a great game in that regard for a second week running.
Tommy Seymour was a pre-match injury concern but was actually one of Scotland’s better performers during an opening half characterised by handling errors. The Scottish defence was clearly well prepared, and exit strategies following turnovers were generally well executed through Stuart Hogg’s boot.
This in turn forced the Japanese to attack from deep; despite the conditions this was something they were happy to do and they illustrated the most effective facet of their game with an end to end, side to side move on 20 minutes that ended with scrum half Kaito Shigeno under the posts.
Poor discipline had killed Japan’s momentum last weekend and it happened again almost straight away with two quick, kickable penalties in succession. Pyrgos missed the longer of the two but it kept Scotland in touch on the scoreboard when in reality they were struggling to put any sort of continuity together.
Tamura kicked a penalty of his own to make it 13-9 by the half hour mark, but Pete Horne’s spot of handbags just before half time showed Scottish frustrations boiling over.
With the last play of the half Scotland finally secured a lineout, but then after some neat offloading spilled the ball and Japan counter-attacked, roared on by the crowd. It was humid, sweaty and Scotland looked tired at the end of a long season with 40 minutes still to play.
Half-time: Japan 13-9 Scotland
In the second half, Scotland had the best of starts – an attacking position close to the line – and the worst of starts, Pyrgos then throwing a potentially try scoring pass across the goal line that was intercepted by centre Tim Bennetts. That, as it turns out, was as close as Scotland would come to a try in the game.
Vern Cotter had swapped the entire front row at half time, and John Hardie came on for the injured Ryan Wilson about five minutes later.
The key change came when Greig Laidlaw entered the fray, and unusually he provided direction and impetus with some strong phases from his pack and a bit of Glasgow style offloading led by Pete Horne and Ruaridh Jackson.
The men in navy improved slightly in approach and execution and penalties began to flow. Laidlaw kicked a long range (on a short pitch) effort to reduce the score to just a point. Japan looked keen and fit, but indiscipline crept in again.
Jackson’s channel had been targeted all game but it wasn’t until Stormers centre Huw Jones earned his first cap that Horne could move inside to shore things up. Jones’s first kick was charged down but that was hardly his fault given the tiny in goal areas of the pitch. He did well to secure a vital late turnover but the Scots had so little possession that he didn’t get the ball in hand otherwise.
Last week Scotland dominated territory and possession and things were much more even in the second test and they were noticeably under the cosh at times. Japan ran everything and often challenged the Scottish line.
However the rejuvenated pack edged the set piece in the second half and a series of scrums (starting from that Jones turnover) ground out another kick for Laidlaw and a 2 point lead at 16-18 with ten minutes left.
Laidlaw continued in his role as unlikely saviour when Japan’s urge to run in their own 22 led up a Matt Scott-shaped blind alley and another penalty made it 16-21.
Even at that scoreline a Japanese try was never out of the question, but sadly a Scotland one was and once again Laidlaw elected to play keep-ball with the pack rather than let the underused backs have one last crack before Stuart Hogg booted it into touch on the hooter.
SRBlog Man of the Match: Extremely hard to call this one, as it was a bad day at the office all round. Hogg’s boot went well, Strauss was the pick of the ball carriers – and even he knocked on several times. That horribly unambitious up-the-jumper stuff in the dying minutes aside, Greig Laidlaw made the difference to drag Scotland over the finish line and a test series win.