Sublime skills and prodigious pace fire Japan's three-try burst
TOKYO, 13 Oct - Japan's sensational bonus-point victory over Scotland was built on three first-half tries that established a 21-7 lead at the break.
The first was scored from a lineout. Japan had grouped their whole back three - William Tupou, Kenki Fukuoka and Kotaro Matsushima - on one wing. It is exceptionally hard for Scotland to account for all that pace and skill in one area.
Centre Timothy Lafaele has both wingers on his outside and his miss-pass to Fukuoka cuts out the Scottish defenders before Matsushima scores after a wonderful Fukuoka offload.
Japan's back three is one of the most exciting in the world at the moment, and coach Jamie Joseph has worked out a game plan that allows them all to play in the same part of the pitch.
The second try gives the forwards a chance to show off their circus skills. Hooker Shota Horie spins out of a tackle that would have left Japan behind the gain line. By the time he has offloaded he has removed three Scottish defenders from the defence.
Second-row James Moore takes a further defender out of the game with his offload to full-back Tupou. Tupou’s footwork beats Stuart Hogg and the Japanese full-back is hauled down by a despairing Chris Harris tackle.
Prop Keita Inagaki has followed the attack as it develops and he is there to fall over for the try. A try created by a hooker and finished by a prop with three offloads in between. It can only be Japan.
The third try comes from a Scottish 22-metre restart. Japan win the ball 40 metres out and immediately have an overlap on the far side. Fly-half Yu Tamura and centre Ryoto Nakamura pair up to give number eight Kazuki Himeno a run at a retreating Scottish defence.
At this point Scotland have two Japanese attackers unaccounted for. Finn Russell is stood deep to cover the kick but he rushes into the line when Tupou receives the ball. The Japanese full-back sees this and slips a kick into the space Russell has vacated.
Fukuoka, pictured, is too quick for a defence who have to turn around and run back. He collects and steps around Hogg as he attempts a last-ditch tackle.
Japan’s pace was too much for Scotland to handle in the first half and they forced them into making errors. Scotland missed tackles and they failed to account for where Japan had positioned their dangerous carriers on the pitch.
Japan have been ruthless in their four pool matches. Nobody will want to face them but somehow South Africa - Japan's victims in the famous Brighton Miracle four years ago - need to find a way to stop the Brave Blossoms' ruthless attack in Tokyo next Sunday.
RNS sl/rl/bo