Scotland 45-10 Japan: Inside the press-conference

We enter the post-match press conference and take a seat midway down the row of chairs as we wait for the world’s media to assemble.

As time passes, I’m typing my notes from Scotland’s 45-10 victory over Japan before I look up.

I notice that the front five rows of chairs have now been filled. There are a few representatives from UK newspapers and online websites as well as James Cole from Sky Sports News, but a part from that, everyone else is from the Japanese media.

I stand up to take the obligatory photograph of the press conference room for social media and turned around before sitting back down.

Behind me are more Japanese media accommodating the final few rows. There are also pockets of UK journalists standing to reach for the speakers with smartphones, to get the best sound quality from the press conference.

It was clear, just by this situation, that the Rugby World Cup has really captured the hearts and minds of Japan.

After the Cherry Blossoms pulled off an historic win in their opening Pool B match against South Africa last Saturday, they have been the darling of this year’s tournament.

Since then, their popularity has quite rightly increased and the support on show at Kingsholm for their second game of the competition was clear evidence of that.

However, Eddie Jones’ side were rudely woken up from their fairy-tale as Scotland played the villain in an impressive display in Gloucester.

What was the reason in this contrasting performance from Japan? Was it a four-day gap between this match and their game down in Brighton?

But for just over half of this encounter, Jones’ team were very much in the contest. Full-back Aymuru Goromaru highlighted this with a simply stunning try-saving tackle on Tommy Seymour.  

Japan’s star of the show Amanaki Lelei Mafi, who made the most metres in the match with a total of 103, was cruelly injured just after the interval and ultimately Japan were not the same team after that.

From 12-10 down and momentum really with Japan, they conceded five tries without reply and ended up being overwhelmed by Scotland.

Now, in football, if  a team conceded five goals in the second half, you would be lucky to get more than a few sentences out of the manager after the game, let alone a smile and a couple of jokes.

Jones entered the press conference room with Captain Michael Leitch just behind him, both with disappointed looks on their faces.

But as the press conference began, they smiled, opened up and remained positive after a huge reality check from Scotland.

“If you could be patient and wait to ask your question, that would be great,” stated one of the press conference officials.

One of the UK journalists proceeded with his question before: “Wait there!” said the press conference official which prompted a response from Jones: “Just be patient”, he said with a smirk on his face.

The 55 year-old, who will take charge of the Stormers in next year’s Super Rugby season, went back to being serious insisting that his side could not use the playing schedule as an excuse.

“Scotland were just too good for us in the second half,” said the Australian.

But he added: “If you move everything forward and spread the games a little more then you don’t need to have these turnarounds.”

He then got his second round of laughs from the world’s media: “I don’t know why it doesn’t happen now – ask the television people. I’m not an administrator thank goodness, just a silly rugby coach.”

All thoughts will now be on Japan’s game against Samoa in Milton Keynes next Saturday with Jones along with Leitch hoping that Samoa’s next match against South Africa this weekend will be a physical battle.

Leitch ended with a comical quote of his own by saying: “Let’s hope the game on Saturday is like a big UFC battle!”

Exit Japan and enter Scotland with Coach Vern Cotter and Man of the Match Greig Laidlaw.

This was a very professional and clinical display by Scotland with the skipper Laidlaw describing it as an ‘outstanding’ performance.

The scrum-half – playing on his club ground - kicked 20 points throughout the match and helped his side on their way to a bonus point win which puts them top of Pool B.

“After Japan’s great start, that blew the pool wide open,” said Laidlaw. It was very important for us to start well.

“That bonus point could become very important as the pool goes on. We will be taking it one game at time and we are focused on the USA next.”

Laidlaw gave Scotland a 12-7 lead, but despite a Gormoru penalty early in the second half; tries from John Hardie, Mark Bennett (twice), Tommy Seymour and Finn Russell sealed this win for the Scotland.

Coach Vern Cotter added: “ Greig is accurate in what he does. They applied quite a bit of counter ruck to our attacking structure, but they made mistakes and Greig punished them.

“It was great to be here for him at his own club & he fulfilled his role 100 per cent.

"It's going to be difficult, last week's result certainly complicated things. I thought there were good parts of our game, there's things we still need to work on.

"We're back in four days so we'll be recovering then looking at how we take on the United States, who are a very good team.”