GREATER discipline in the first half and superior stamina in the second gave Scotland a resounding bonus-point victory in their opening Rugby World Cup Pool B game. Japan began brightly, played a lot of exuberant rugby, but ran out of steam in a match played just four days after their historic win over South Africa.

Scotland got on the scoreboard at the first opportunity with a second-minute penalty from Greig Laidlaw. Stuart Hogg had hustled Kotaro Matsushima into touch after the winger gathered a Finn Russell punt into the Japan 22, and the penalty was conceded at the lineout which followed.

The captain made it 6-0 with another penalty after 11 minutes, strengthening the very solid start made by his team. Up to that point Japan had had little more than a couple of halfhearted attacks to offer, but they responded almost immediately when given the chance to kick a penalty of their own to touch on the Scotland five-metre.

The lineout drive which followed was a textbook move - simple, predictable but unstoppable, as the pack forced Amanaki Mafi, the No 8, over the line. Ayumu Goromaru converted, and despite having played second fiddle for the opening quarter of an hour, Japan found themselves in front.

The lead only last a couple of minutes, as Laidlaw was on target with a penalty from around 40 metres out. The scrum-half took his tally to 12 points at the end of the first quarter with a slightly longer penalty to put his team 12-7 up.

When Japan tried to hit back with a promising move up the right, a sudden counter-attack by Sean Lamont ended with Matsushima being yellow-carded for swiping the ball away at the breakdown. This time, however, Laidlaw missed with the penalty attempt.

Japan’s confidence in their lineout superiority was shown when Goromaru kicked a penalty to touch from 30 metres out rather than going for goal. Scotland handled the lineout maul far better, eventually winning a scrum for a knock-on, and when a penalty was awarded in a similar position Goromaru went for goal but sent his kick wide.

Japan spurned any opportunity to wind the clock down when they were a man short, instead attacking with more ferocity. Handling errors let them down during that passage of play, but the fact they did not concede before Matsushima returned was a moral victory in miniature.

Restored to 15 men, they came agonisingly close to claiming a second try with successive close-quarters attempts by their pack to force their way over. In fact Mafi crossed the line under the posts, but he had to go high to evade the ruck of bodies and was held up.

In the last action of the half, deep in Japanese territory, Russell floated a long pass out to Tommy Seymour on the right. The winger looked sure to score, but Goromaru denied him with a superbly timed tackle. A try at that point would have been a body blow to Japan, but despite failing to stretch their lead, Scotland had to be content with their 12-7 advantage at the break.

Five minutes into the second half, the lead was down to two points when Goromaru chipped over a penalty. It could have been worse for Scotland, as an explosive burst through the middle by Mafi had given Japan excellent field position, from which they should have scored their second try of the game. Injured during the move, Mafi, who only came back from a dislocated hip weeks ago, had to go off, to be replaced by Hendrik Tui.

Scotland responded to that score by claiming their first try with a move that was by some way their best of the game. Matt Scott kept the ball alive just before he was forced into touch on the left, and although Stuart Hogg was downed short of the line, the ball was quickly recycled, allowing John Hardie to plunge over. Laidlaw missed

the conversion.

Having got into their stride as an attacking force, the Scots wasted little time in getting a second try. Hogg did the damage with a break through the middle, and this time it was Mark Bennett who profited from speedy recycling to glide through a tiring defence. Laidlaw converted to make it 24-10, and Scotland had some breathing space.

Japan tried to force their way back into the game, but any doubt about the outcome was removed quarter of an hour from time when Seymour intercepted inside his own 22 to run 90m and touch down. Laidlaw added the two points this time.

Bennett made sure of the bonus point with his side’s fourth try a dozen minutes from time, again proving his ability to slice through the slenderest of openings. Laidlaw’s conversion took the score to 38-10, and the Brave Blossoms had wilted at last.

Russell made it five tries with five minutes left, easing over from a five-metre scrum. Another two points from Laidlaw’s boot completed a victory that was far more convincing than all but the most optimistic of Scotland supporters had expected.

SCOTLAND 45

Scorers: Tries: Hardie, Bennett 2, Seymour, Russell. Cons: Laidlaw 4. Pens: Laidlaw 4.

JAPAN 10

Scorers: Try: Mafi. Con: Goromaru. Pen: Goromaru.

Scotland: S Hogg (S Maitland 66); T Seymour, M Bennett (P Horne 72), M Scott, S Lamont; F Russell, G Laidlaw; A Dickinson (R Grant 65), R Ford (F Brown 70), W P Nel ( J Welsh 70), G Gilchrist (R Gray 50), J Gray, R Wilson (J Strauss 56), J Hardie, D Denton. Substitute: H Pyrgos.

Japan: A Goromaru; K Matsushima, M Sa’u, Y Tamura, K Fukuoka; H Tatekawa (K Hesketh 73), F Tanaka (A Hiwasa 66); K Inagaki (M Mikami 41), S Horie (T Kizu 72), H Yamashita (K Hatakeyama 53), L Thompson (S Ito 66), J Ives (S Makabe 60), M Leitch, M Broadhurst, A Mafi (H Tui 46).

Referee: J Lacey (Ireland). Attendance: 14,354.