Scotland put Blossoms to the sword

Japan captured the hearts and minds of the rugby-following world last weekend with a momentous and historic 34-32 victory over South Africa.

Having turned over one of the front-runners for the 2015 World Cup, how Japan – on only three days rest - rebounded against a Scotland side opening their World Cup campaign on Wednesday afternoon was always going to decide what type of encounter the Kingsholm clash was going to be.

Unfortunately for the Brave Blossoms, Scotland began their World Cup with a bang, running in five tries in a convincing 45-10 victory over a Japanese side for whom it was apparent were still reeling from their bruising encounter in Brighton on Sunday.

Scottish captain and scrum-half Greig Laidlaw contributed 20 points – all from the kicking tee – at his home ground with Mark Bennett notching a two-try tally as Scotland picked up a bonus point victory to take them to the top of Pool B.

But in truth it would be unfair to pinpoint only two Scotsmen for accolade with the entirety of Vern Cotter’s selected 23 contributing to a punishing, ruthless, efficient, and most importantly, impressive performance in front of a sold-out Gloucester crowd.

The discipline that characterised the Japanese’s unlikely victory over the Springboks was found wanting in the game’s early opening with Japan struggling to string together phases of play and over-committing in defence at the breakdown.

And Gloucester’s own Laidlaw made everybody’s new favourite international rugby team pay with four penalties within twenty minutes to push Scotland out to an early 12-7 lead.

Interspersed between Laidlaw’s ruthless kicking was the now-customary punishing Japanese rolling maul which - with the ease in which they carved through the Scottish goalline defence – was sure to have caused some of the Scottish attendents in the crowd some early jitters.

However Scotland’s defence was not to succumb that easily, indeed barely at all, again to the Japanese’s admirable offensive pressure with a 45 minute penalty from Ayumu Goromaru Japan’s only further score.

And Scotland put Japan to the sword completely and efficiently in a rousing second-half with the Scottish able to consistently puncture the Japanese defence as the  Blossom's players visibly began to tire.

New Zealand-born John Hardie opened the floodgates for Scotland on 55 minutes with a powerful finish in the corner to cap an incisive break that the flanker himself started.

Outside centre Bennett grabbed his brace with two evasive, mazy runs in a short, 13 minute burst either side of a length-of-the-field intercept return from Tommy Seymour.

And with the bonus point already secure and their defence holding steadfast, birthday boy Finn Russell jinked around Kotaro Matsushima to touch down under the posts, extending the score to 45-10 and ensure jubilant Scottish celebrations in England’s South-East.