The team was expected to close ranks however for the rest of the World Cup.
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Imagine that. Cycling over 43,000km around two continents and all you want in return is your team to beat a World Cup minnow, something they’ve down countless times over the years. Scotland is the only team in the pool that have yet to begin their campaign and will face Japan on Thursday morning.
“The first thing to understand is why we lost, why Japan put us under so much pressure”, the 32-year-old Burger said.
Now 55, Jones joked after Japan’s victory over the Boks that he could “look forward to retirement”. That must happen fast.
“We respect Scotland greatly”. Their only victory had come against Zimbabwe.
“I am well aware of the responsibilities that come with this job, one of the biggest franchise jobs in world rugby, but I am also excited about the talent available in the Stormers squad and the potential of this playing squad”, he said.
Taylor, defence coach of the Queensland Reds when they won the 2011 Super Rugby title, said the coaching staff had focused on players rather than the strategy of Japan’s inspirational coach Eddie Jones. We know we are a fit team so if we can stick with them in the first 30 minutes and we are in the game at half-time, we will run them off their feet. It won’t be easy. As you know we’ve only had a short turnaround which we’re well used to so we’re going to be well-prepared for the game.
The final moments of the match will go down in sporting folklore and commentators around the world were left hollering the name of New Zealand-born try-scorer Karne Hesketh as he went over in the corner to make it 34-32 to Japan.
Fans around the world are still attempting to get their heads around the fact that Eddie Jones’s men somehow managed to defy the overwhelming favourites in a match which had absolutely everything.
Chief among those is the freshening the front row that destroyed the Springboks trio of hooker Bismarck du Plessis, his prop brother Jannie and Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira, one of the most experienced in world rugby on Saturday.
“But the belief isn’t about winning the World Cup, it is about beating Samoa on Saturday”, he said.
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Cotter has unveiled the side that will start against the Asian nation and there were few surprises in a strong Scotland line-up.
