Rugby World Cup: Japan-Scotland match really threatened

The suspense will end in the morning of Sunday in Japan, the night of Saturday to Sunday in France. After inspection of the Yokohama stadium, the international federation and the organizers will decide if the Japan – Scotland match, decisive for a place in the quarterfinals, will be able to compete as planned a few hours later (at 19:45 local time, 12:45 French time).

For this, it will be necessary that the damage caused by the typhoon Hagibis on the stadium of the suburbs of Tokyo (72 000 places), located at seaside, and the networks of transport, were not too important.

But the case is far from won as torrential rains fell on the region this Saturday. The weather agency has forecast 50 cm of rain over the Tokyo metropolitan area in 24 hours until Sunday noon. More than 180,000 homes in affected areas were without electricity in the evening. Above all, at least two people have died.

The threat of a court remedy

On the sports side, the Scots do not want to hear about a cancellation of their match as has already been the case for France-England and Italy-New Zealand. For them, this last meeting of Pool A against the host country must be played, whether in Yokohama or elsewhere, in camera or not, Sunday or Monday.

And for good reason: with four lengths of delay (10 points) on Japan, they would be eliminated in case of cancellation (draw 0-0, two points for each team). In this group, Ireland, first, (16 points) is qualified after their victory against Samoa this Saturday.

The Federation and coaching of the XV thistle put pressure on World Rugby: the president of the SRU Mark Dodson and refuses that his country is "the collateral victim of a decision made hastily", brandishing the threat of appeal to the courts. An output that World Rugby has not really appreciated, reminding the Scottish Federation that it had signed and therefore accepted the conditions for participation in the World Cup including the regulatory point that provides for this cancellation in case of typhoon.