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Hello and welcome to ESPN's live commentary of Scotland's Pool B clash with Japan. Can Vern Cotter's side start their World Cup campaign with victory or will the Brave Blossoms repeat their heroics over South Africa?Here are your teams...
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| 1 |
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Japan kick us off at Kingsholm and there's early pressure from the Brave Blossoms - but Scotland enjoy a superb turnover before Kotaro Matsushima is pushed out of play. Lineout Scotland.
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| 2 |
0 - 3 |
Penalty Scotland - Japan sack the Scotland maul. Greig Laidlaw has an early sighter at goal. He makes it - just! Good start for Cotter's side.
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| 4 |
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So, Scotland lead 3-0 and we've got a shock on the cards...
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| 5 |
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Japan enjoy the first chance to display their free-flowing brand of rugby following a loose ball from Laidlaw. They work the ball side to side, but the referee calls it back for a Japanese foul. First scrum of the match.
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| 7 |
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After a couple of collapses, Scotland earn the penalty to relieve the pressure. It's booted out of play and we'll have a navy lineout near the Japanese 22.
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| 8 |
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Good work from Russell and Hogg, before Tommy Seymour is inches away from breaking free on the right side. Lineout Japan.
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| 10 |
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Knock-on from Japan captain Michael Leitch after a high kick from Stuart Hogg and Scotland have another penalty - they've taken the scrum.
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| 11 |
0 - 6 |
This game has started at a frantic pace. Both teams making handling errors though. Scotland advance again towards the Japan 22, David Denton with a smart run. Leitch gets caught in the ruck and Scotland have another penalty in front of goal. Laidlaw makes it two from two with ease.
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| 13 |
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| 14 |
5 - 6 |
Lineout for Japan after a tremendous kick from Goromaru.Try! Brilliant lineout from Japan - Steve Borthwick will be pleased as punch with that. Powerhouse play from the Brave Blossoms, with Amanaki Mafi bundling the ball over from the maul. That was a carbon copy of the Mafi scored in the final warm-up game against Georgia, also at Kingsholm.
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| 15 |
7 - 6 |
Goromaru makes no mistake adding the extras.
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| 17 |
7 - 9 |
Japan's Shota Horie goes in for a tackle with no arms and Scotland have a third kickable penalty to retake the lead. Laidlaw lines it up - and he makes it three from three. Brilliant kick, not easy with these problematic Gloucester winds.
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| 19 |
7 - 12 |
Michael Leitch drops another high ball, this time from a swirling Laidlaw kick. Scrum called and again the Scotland pack has the better of its Japanese opponents. Penalty to Scotland after a collapse and Laidlaw dispatches with ease.
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| 20 |
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| 21 |
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Much better from Japan - Leitch with a smart offload to Mafi as they advance into the Scotland 22. However, it's turned over after a superb tackle from Laidlaw.
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| 22 |
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Lamont breaks and gets a bit of luck with his own chip kick. Matsushima, though, has his hands in the ruck and gives away another needless penalty. John Lacy has had enough and he shows the Japan wing a yellow card. Laidlaw, though, misses the penalty.
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| 24 |
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| 25 |
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Mind games already? Japan refuse to take the three from the resulting penalty, much like they did against South Africa. Lineout time.
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| 26 |
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Scotland deal with Japan's driving maul brilliantly - Tanaka this time knocks on under tremendous pressure. Scrum Scotland deep in their half.
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| 28 |
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Japan have finally won a penalty in the scrum as Scotland break the bind. Captain Leitch has a word with Goromaru and the fullback will this time kick for goal.
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| 29 |
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The man who scored 24 points against South Africa puts it wide left of the posts - by quite a long way, too. Should have done better from that range.
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| 32 |
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Good pressure from Japan as they advance from halfway to the Scotland 22 with some lovely rugby. Easy to forget they've only got 14 men on the field - but referee Lacy eventually calls it back for a forward pass from Luke Thompson.
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| 34 |
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Matsushima is back on the pitch - neither side scored in the 10 minutes he was off.
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| 35 |
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Huge drive from Japan with Leitch and Mafi involved - they're inside the five, they're under the posts...but no try! The Scotland defence stands strong and they earn the scrum.
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| 37 |
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More Japan attack but they're penalised for crossing as they enter the Scottish 22. Russell kicks into touch on the halfway line to relieve the pressure.
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| 38 |
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Penalty Scotland with Japan penalised for inching offside in the ruck. Russell kicks into touch on the Japan 22. Navy lineout is won and they drive inside the Japanese 22. Late pressure in the half from Scotland.
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| 40+1 |
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Scotland within two metres as Laidlaw fakes and goes for the line - the Japan defence holds firm though. Sa'u with a big hit before the ball is worked wide to Seymour - he has to be in here surely, but no! What a tackle from Goromaru to save the try! Fantastic end to the half!
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ESPN's Tristan Barclay at Kingsholm -- Scotland started the half looking the better organised and stronger side, whacking over a couple of penalties to take the early lead. Stuart Hogg in particular impressed both in attack and defence, making those mazy runs from deep that have become his trademark. Scotland were dominant in the scrum too, and area Japan targeted in their shock victory over the Springboks last weekend. But as the half wore on, the Kingsholm crowd became more and more vocal in their support for the Brave Blossoms. A Male Sa'u break brought such a roar, you'd have thought he'd scored a try. There are plenty of Scotland fans in here today, but today the neutrals are rooting for Japan.
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| 40 |
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Russell gets us under way for the second half - Eddie Jones said if his side were in it at half-time they would win it...
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| 41 |
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Brilliant from Mafi as he breaks down the left with a jinking run - Russell has to be at his best to get the tackle in. Scotland scrum underneath the posts after a Japan knock on in the tackle.
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| 42 |
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| 43 |
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The scrum collapses and Japan are penalised. Hogg hoofs the ball into touch. Lineout is overthrown and Japan counter with another superb Mafi run. Tatekawa tries a little chip kick and has the advantage - penalty Japan after a Scottish offside.
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| 44 |
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Mafi, meanwhile, is down for a second time in as many minutes. Huge blow for Jones' side as the stretcher comes on - the number eight has been by far the best player on the pitch. Hendrik Tui coming on.
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| 45 |
10 - 12 |
Japan, meanwhile, have the penalty - Goromaru with the kick to claw the deficit back to two points...
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| 46 |
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| 47 |
10 - 17 |
Try! Absolutely superb move from Scotland. Finn Russell with a brilliant reverse offload in the middle of the park sees Scotland scythe through the Japan backline. It looks like John Hardie is going to get barged out of play but he miraculously keeps the ball in play with a backwards pass. Hogg goes inches to the line - the ball is thrown back to Hardie who drives over! Laidlaw misses the conversion attempt.
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| 48 |
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| 50 |
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Scotland get their positioning from the restart all wrong and Matsushima almost breaks clear. Scotland penalised for offside at the ruck and Goromaru kicks for goal - it's off the post and back out!
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| 54 |
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Japan look to capitalise on pressure towards the Scotland 22, but the defence holds firm and Goromaru passes the ball into touch. There was no one there...
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| 55 |
10 - 22 |
Try Scotland! Stuart Hogg with a marvelous run through Japan's defence but his offload is agonisingly short. However, Mark Bennett carves a brilliant run off Laidlaw and grounds completely unchallenged!
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| 56 |
10 - 24 |
And Laidlaw adds the extras from underneath the posts. Japan are looking tired, mistakes are creeping in - is this the hangover from Saturday's heroic efforts against the Springboks?
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| 57 |
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| 58 |
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Matsushima with some brilliant defensive work in his own half under heavy Scotland pressure. Japan having to use every effort just to gain yardage here.
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| 59 |
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David Denton penalised in contact and Goromaru kicks into touch deep inside the Scotland 22. WP Nel penalised for going over in the ruck and Goromaru goes for the same kick - lineout on Scotland's five metre mark
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| 61 |
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Another fantastic piece of defensive work from the Scots as Japan's maul is driven back...
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| 63 |
10 - 29 |
TRY! Brilliant from Tommy Seymour - he nicks the pass just before it gets to Sa'u's hands and races clear from his own 22. Fukuoka tries a last-ditch tap tackle but he can't get near the sprinting Seymour.
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| 64 |
10 - 31 |
Laidlaw converts with ease in front of the posts - this looks very much like game over for Japan. They look out on their feet.
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| 65 |
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Three tries in seven minutes for Scotland - that'll give them an opening win in Pool B. Cruel on Japan, but this was always going to be a tough effort after Saturday's efforts in Brighton.
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| 66 |
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| 68 |
10 - 36 |
Scotland on the attack in Japan's 22 and are on the prowl for a winning bonus point...TRY! Mark Bennett again! Mark Scott is tackled and reacts quickly enough to offload to fellow centre Bennett, who shows a brilliant sleight of hand to fake and power himself over the line for his second try of the match. Hello bonus point.
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| 69 |
10 - 38 |
Laidlaw converts for the third time this match.
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| 71 |
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Japan concede their 10th penalty of the match. Combination of tiredness and mounting error count looks to have cost them today.
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| 72 |
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Finn Russell with a ridiculous offload before the tackle. Scotland again press towards the tryline and they have a scrum five metres out...
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| 73 |
10 - 43 |
TRY! Finn Russell gets one on his birthday! The Japanese gift wrap, though, as Russell is allowed to weave his way through to ground under the posts.
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| 74 |
10 - 45 |
Cheeky chip over the crossbar from Laidlaw provides the extras. Scotland, combined with tiring Japanese legs, have been absolutely immense this second half.
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| 76 |
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Credit to Japan - they're still going for it. They break towards the five-yard line, but fantastic defensive work sees a 10th turnover for Scotland. Russell's clearing kick is charged down and we have a Japanese scrum on the five-metre mark.
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| 78 |
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Japan are inches away from Scotland's try line. Broadhurst and Tui both go close but the Scotland defence is standing firm. Backline has been nigh on unbreakable since Japan's first-half maul try.
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| 80 |
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Into added time. Phase 19 for Japan.
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| 80+1 |
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Sean Maitland intercepts and he thinks he's away - he's still running even though the referee has brought it back for offside! Japan with one final chance...
Scotland have made 180 tackles this afternoon - absolutely phenomenal effort from their defence. The ball looks over - and we're going to the TMO...
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| 80+2 |
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From ESPN's Tristan Barclay in Gloucester: Talk in the build-up to today's Test was of Japan facing burn-out just four days after clinching victory over South Africa, but for the opening stages of the second-half, they looked like they were still ready to compete with Scotland. All of a sudden, however, the fight just got too big for them. Tommy Seymour's length-of-the-field burst for Scotland's second try was probably the straw that broke the Japanese back. After that score, on the hour mark, the Brave Blossoms were too loose in defence, and Scotland's energetic midfield cut through them too easily. It must be said that Japan never gave up - battering the Scotland line in the closing minutes, but this was just a game too far for the tournament's surprise package.
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