Scotland blitz Russia to set up crunch qualification fixture with hosts Japan
Scotland hammered Russia 61-0 as they claimed the crucial World Cup bonus-point win that tees up a do-or-die showdown with Japan on Sunday.
Gregor Townsend's team needed to take maximum points from their clash with the Bears in Shizuoka to give themselves the best possible chance of making the quarter-finals, and they did just that thanks to a stunning nine-try demolition job.
George Horne became the first Scottish scrum-half to score a hat-trick after Adam Hastings put them ahead with a quick-fire early double.
George Turner, Tommy Seymour, John Barclay and Stuart McInally also scored in a resounding win that now leaves Scotland needing victory over the hosts in Yokohama in four days' time to seal their place in the last eight.
Townsend was trusting his second string to get the job done as they chased the bonus-point win that would keep them in the hunt for qualification.
(Continue reading below…)
Only Darcy Graham was retained from the side that beat Samoa last week as Townsend made 14 changes to his line-up. Barclay returned to the back row to skipper the side, while full-back Blair Kinghorn, centre Peter Horne, lock Ben Toolis and hooker Turner were all given their first taste of action since the tournament got under way.
Scotland got the early breakthrough they were hoping for 12 minutes in as Hastings exploited a chink in the Russian line to score the first try. And the stand-off scored again six minutes later, chasing his own kick through to dot down. Scotland made it three tries in eight minutes as Dmitry Perov's suicidal pass on his own try line was intercepted by George Horne, who gleefully finished off to ensure Townsend's team went in at half-time 21-0 up.
Scotland kept up their scoring blitz to secure the extras they needed. Horne went over four minutes after the restart before completing his hat-trick just before the hour mark, while Turner and Seymour also took advantage of the Russians' tiring legs to score.
There was still time for Barclay and McInally to get in on the scoring act too as the Scots completed a resounding 61-0 win. Victory over Japan on Sunday - while denying the Brave Blossoms a bonus point - will be enough to see Townsend's men into the last eight.
"I'm just glad we got through the game with no injuries, from what I hear. It takes a lot of effort to break down a team like Russia," said the coach. "The players in that first 20 minutes had to put in that effort and then the holes started appearing and we exploited them well. Stage one of a two-stage week is completed.
"It will be huge (versus Japan). Our focus now is on recovery, making sure that we get our preparation right for that game, and we get the selection right. We have been planning this game for a while. We have watched a lot of Japan, I know they will have watched a lot of us too.
"And they have had big rests going into all their games and they have had another big rest into this one. We've just got to make sure we deliver our best performance. We will have to because Japan are a very good team."
- Press Association
WATCH: The latest episode in the RugbyPass Exceptional Stories series – Jackson: Climbing Mountains – features Ed Jackson’s incredible fightback to health following a swimming pool accident
Latest Comments
No just because the personal is much better than last year. I've shown no antagonism of Crusader players, you must be confusing me with someone else.
I have critized Razor for picking players he knows occasionally?
I said I'm not surprised because of his style, he's more a grinder player like Cane, not going to show up on peoples radar until you see how bad the other choices are. This year players like Clarke have been on fire and just show a bit more.
Are you one of those posters continually taking it easy on Razor because he doesn't have his Crusaders stars available? Do you think the rugby world is going to up to him suddenly once Mo'unga returns? lol
Go to commentsJohn you have been beating this drum for a couple of years, if you get proven right get back to us.
The last recent and decent Aussie coach was Ewen McKenzie, he was undermined and forced out by a couple of slimy Aussie players who were given a free pass when they should have been disciplined.
So our history since McQueen is very checkered and it seems to make little difference whether we have an Aussie coach or a Kiwi coach. The players have been entitled for a long time and we had to hit bottom to get them back into reality and to stop thinking it is all about them.
Cheika was an OK coach but his 'go our and destroy the opposition' tactic worked for a while and then didn't.
Please give me a list of great Aussie coaches that I have missed.
Go to comments