2016 Japan v Scotland

2016 - Rugby - Japan v Scotland

Scotland travelled to Japan in June 2016 to play two full international games against Japan. In part this was to begin to prepare Scotland for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which is being hosted in Japan.

In the first game in the Toyota Stadium on 18 June Greig Laidlaw's unerring goal-kicking guided Scotland to a 26-13 victory. In the second game in Tokyo on 25 June in front of Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, Scotland found themselves behind 13-9 at the interval before Greig Laidlaw came of the bench to kick four penalties and rescue a narrow 21-16 win for Scotland.

The official programme shown below has 58 x glossy colour A4 pages and apart from some introductions in English, is all in Japanese. It is unusual that the programme runs from back to front. The programme includes the list of fixtures and details of the referees. It then has three pages on Scotland's victory over Japan at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. has extensive articles with Japans Caretaker Head Coach Mark Hammett and Japan's "Iron Man", lock Hitoshi Ono. There then follows details of the other Japan players with full page photos of Fumiaki Tanaka, Shota Horie, Harumichi Tatekawa, Amanaki Lelei Mafi and Kotaro Matsushima. The programme then has an extensive article on Scottish rugby before giving details of the Scottish players and large photos of Stuart Hogg, Richie and Jonny Gray and Greig Laidlaw. The programme finishes with some memories of Japan's successful 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign and some details of Japan's 28-24 victory the last time Scotland played in Tokyo in 1989.

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