Vern Cotter wants Scotland to focus on United States

“The next five years, with this World Cup and another in 2019, plus two Olympic Sevens tournaments, are going to be critical for us to keep building”, said Melville, who spent a year coaching coaches at Reading Football Club before taking the job with USA Rugby.

It would be fantastic if Scotland could win the Webb Ellis Trophy, however let’s be honest, that’s extremely unlikely to happen.

“South Africa will rebound”, he insisted. While ranked only four places ahead of the U.S.in the World Rugby Rankings, the gulf in experience between the sides is significantly greater. But we are happy to get through it. We put a lot of analysis into the game and it paid off for us.

Number eight David Pocock claimed two first-half tries from rolling mauls to lay the platform for the twice world champions and a try by prop Sekope Kepu soon after the break set them on course for a comfortable if not overly convincing win.

“John has been great for us”, said the Perpignan forward.

“It was a tough team talk at halftime”. What an incredible team they are!

Giteau was one of the overseas-based players allowed into the squad following a change of heart by the Australian Rugby Union that saw them relax their eligibility rules for worldwide selection.

The Scots were the beneficiaries of tight scheduling on Wednesday when they faced a Japan team worn out after its stunning win over South Africa four days earlier.

However, Japan performed with enough verve and style in the first half to briefly take the lead through Amanaki Mafi’s opening touch down – leaving the Dark Blues fearing they were about to suffer the same humiliation dished out to the Springboks.

World as one: One thing I love about rugby as a sport is that unlike in football, fans from both sides can sit alongside each other in the stands. The highest honor as a Kiwi is to wear the All Black jersey and play for NZ in an RWC.

It is rugby’s answer to the marathon where the knockout rounds are like the last most challenging 10km. A very special, ritualistic, and iconic element of the All Blacks is the Haka.

Argentina is appealing the nine-week suspension against lock Mariano Galarza, for making contact with the eye or eye area of his New Zealand opposite Brodie Retallick in a Rugby World Cup match at Wembley last weekend.

But having avoided a potentially risky banana skin, hopes have been raised that they can now go on to challenge the Boks for top spot in their group. As was to be expected, a video circulating on the aforementioned caused an outrage from the small island nation of NZ and now the English will have to answer to the All Blacks on the pitch.

But Scotland were able to take advantage of the tiring Japanese side, who clearly suffered from only a four day turnaround – and lost inspiration as Mafi, their best performer, was stretchered off.

“Credit to Scotland, it was a team that was exhausted but they came out in the second half with a lot of energy when the game was in the balance”, he said.