IF the organisers of the Rugby World Cup wanted the first weekend of competition to have a fiesta feel to it, they could hardly have chosen a better place than Brighton. Sussex By The Sea is in party mode for most of the year anyway, and with the Indian summer still in full swing, the city is especially vibrant right now - and that’s before the fans arrive for the two matches.
By the time Pool B comes to a conclusion, three weeks from now and 350 miles north in Newcastle, the weather may well have worsened, and three of the five nations will be bidding farewell to the competition. But for the time being at least, optimism reigns for everyone.
Scotland sit out the first round of fixtures, which see South Africa play Japan today and Samoa take on the United States tomorrow, both matches being held at the Brighton Community Stadium. The one good thing about the enforced rest is that it gives the coaches and players a chance to examine their forthcoming opponents - especially Japan, whom they play first. There is a more significant disadvantage, however - the tightened schedule that Scotland face.
The Japanese play on the first and last days of the pool stage, Samoa and the USA on the first and last weekend. The Springboks complete their programme first, and like Scotland face two games in four days: against the Scots themselves on Saturday 3rd October, and then against the USA.
For Scotland, the tight turnaround comes at the start: Japan in Gloucester this coming Wednesday, then the USA in Leeds a week on Sunday. Two Saturday games follow at St James’ Park, against South Africa first, then Samoa.
You would never choose to play two matches in such quick succession, even against the two weakest teams in the group, but Vern Cotter has refused to be distracted by worries over the schedule. “It’s what it is and we have to deal with it,” he said earlier this week. “There’s no point entertaining those thoughts. We got the dates and we’re counting down.”
Similarly, the head coach and his staff will not fret about the outcome of this weekend’s games.You would expect South Africa to win well, Samoa less comfortably, but whatever the results, Scotland’s task will remain the same: to get the three or four wins that will ensure that Newcastle, while the end of the road for Pool B, will not be the end of their World Cup adventure.
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