Rugby World Cup Pool A table: Japan go top to leave Ireland in danger and Scotland on brink
SCOTLAND have work to do to secure qualification from Rugby World Cup Pool A after a crushing defeat against Ireland. The Scots went down to Joe Schmidt’s men in a limp 27-3 defeat and will likely need to win their matches against Japan, Samoa and Russia to progress now. And Home Nations’ woes were compounded […]
SCOTLAND have work to do to secure qualification from Rugby World Cup Pool A after a crushing defeat against Ireland.
The Scots went down to Joe Schmidt’s men in a limp 27-3 defeat and will likely need to win their matches against Japan, Samoa and Russia to progress now.
And Home Nations’ woes were compounded as a famous Japan win over Ireland made it more difficult for both Celtic nations to qualify.
Rugby World Cup Pool A fixtures and results
Japanese time in brackets.
Friday, September 20: Japan 30-10 Russia
Sunday, September 22: Ireland 27-3 Scotland
Tuesday, September 24: Russia 9-34 Samoa
Saturday, September 28: Japan 19-12 Ireland
Monday, September 30: Scotland vs Samoa – 11.15am (7.15pm)
Thursday, October 3: Ireland vs Russia – 11.15am (7.15pm)
Saturday, October 5: Japan vs Samoa – 11.30am (7.30pm)
Wednesday, October 9: Scotland vs Russia – 8.15am (4.15pm)
Saturday, October 12: Ireland vs Samoa – 11.45am (7.45pm)
Sunday, October 13: Japan vs Scotland – 11.45am (7.45pm)
Rugby World Cup Pool A table
Rugby World Cup Pool A squads
Ireland
Forwards: C Healy, D Kilcoyne, R Best (capt), N Scannell, S Cronin, T Furlong, A Porter, John Ryan, James Ryan, I Henderson, J Kleyn, T Beirne, CJ Stander, P O’Mahony, J van der Flier, J Conan, R Ruddock.
Backs: R Kearney, J Larmour, K Earls, J Stockdale, A Conway, R Henshaw, C Farrell, B Aki, G Ringrose, J Sexton, J Carbery, J Carty, C Murray, L McGrath.
Scotland
Forwards: John Barclay, Simon Berghan, Fraser Brown, Scott Cummings, Allan Dell, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Stuart McInally, Willem Nel, Gordon Reid, Jamie Ritchie, Blade Thomson, Ben Toolis, George Turner, Magnus Bradbury*, Ryan Wilson.
Backs: Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Adam Hastings, Stuart Hogg, George Horne, Pete Horne, Sam Johnson, Blair Kinghorn, Greig Laidlaw, Sean Maitland, Henry Pyrgos**, Finn Russell, Tommy Seymour, Duncan Taylor.
*Replaces Hamish Watson
**Replaces Ali Price
Japan
Forwards: Keita Inagaki, Yusuke Kizu, Koo Ji-won, Isileli Nakajima, Asaeli Ai Valu, Takuya Kitade, Atsushi Sakata, Shota Horie, Luke Thompson, Wimpie van der Walt, Uwe Helu, James Moore, Hendrik Tui, Yoshitaka Tokunaga, Michael Leitch, Pieter Labuschagne, Kazuki Himeno, Amanaki Mafi
Backs: Kaito Shigeno, Fumiaki Tanaka, Yutaka Nagare, Yu Tamura, Rikiya Matsuda, Kenki Fukuoka, Ataata Moeakiola, Lomano Lemeki, William Tupou, Ryoto Nakamura, Timothy Lafaele, Kotaro Matsushima, Ryohei Yamanaka
Russia
Forwards: Sergey Chernyshev, Evgeny Matveev, Stanislav Sel’skiy, Azamat Bitiev, Kirill Gotovtsev, Valery Morozov, Vladimir Podrezov, Andrey Polivalov, Evgeny Elgin, Bogdan Fedotko, Andrey Garbuzov, Andrei Ostrikov, Tagir Gadzhiev, Victor Gresev, Roman Khodin, Anton Sychev, Nikita Vavilin, Vitaly Zhivatov
Backs: Vasily Dorofeev, Dmitry Perov, Ramil Gaisin, Yuri Kushnarev, Sergey Yanyushkin, Igor Galinovskiy, Dmitry Gerasimov, Kirill Golosnitsky, Vladimir Ostroushko, German Davydov, Denis Simplikevich, Vladislav Sozonov, Vasily Artemyev
Samoa
Forwards: Afaesetiti Amosa, TJ Ioane, Jack Lam, Piula Fa’asalele, Josh Tyrell, Chris Vui, Teofilo Paulo, Kane Leaupepe, Senio Toleafoa, Michael Alaalatoa, Paul Alo-Emile, James Lay, Jordan Lay, Logovi’i Mulipola, Motu Matu’u, Ray Niuia, Seilala Lam.
Backs: Ed Fidow, Tim Nanai-Williams, Ahsee Tuala, Belgium Tuatagaloa, Henry Taefu, Alapati Leiua, Reynold Lee-Lo, Kieron Fonotia, AJ Atatimu, Tusi Pisi, Ulupano Seuteni, Dwayne Polotaivao, Melani Matavao, Scott Malolua.