Eddie Jones insists his Japan side are fitter than Scotland – and warned Vern Cotter his team are ready to run the Dark Blues “off their feet”.
The confident Brave Blossoms boss turned to mind-games ahead of today’s World Cup duel at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium.
The Asian champions have become the darlings of the tournament since sucker-punching two-time former winners South Africa in Brighton on Saturday.
That incredible Pool B opener has already been described as the biggest upset in rugby history, but Jones wants his team to prove their Springboks slaying was no fluke.
And despite having had just four days’ rest, the former Australia boss insists his team will have the legs on Scotland.
Jones – who has made six changes to his stating XV – said: “If you look at Scotland’s scoring profile they are very heavily a first-half scoring team.
“They get outscored consistently in the second half. We know we are a fit team so if we can stick with them in the first 30 minutes and we are in the game at half-time, we will run them off their feet.
“Are we fitter? Definitely.”
Scotland defence coach Matt Taylor met the media two hours before Jones and insisted his side were not feeling the pressure – despite neutrals around the world willing the Japanese to claim another notable scalp.
But Jones had a different assessment.
He said: “There is a great American coach who said, ‘Pressure is what you feel when you don’t know what you are doing’. So while we are nervous about the game we don’t feel any pressure.
“Last Saturday’s game showed that maybe the order of world rugby can change.
“Scotland is one of the most established rugby countries in the world. Sevens started in Scotland, so for Japan to challenge Scotland, where they are in world rugby, puts significant pressure on Scotland.
“All the pressure is on Scotland. We can go in there free and easy, play our rugby, enjoy the rugby and that’s what we intend to do. If we are good enough we’ll win it, if we’re not good enough we won’t.
“We don’t have any fears. We knew it was a four-day turnaround so we’ll go into the game as well as we can and give it our best shot.”
After beating the Boks, Japan have leapfrogged the Scots in the world rankings, climbing to 11th.
Now Jones has told his men they now have the chance to justify that position at the Kingsholm Stadium.
“Are we favourites? Well if you read most of the papers we’re not,” said Jones, who revealed he will quit his post to move to South Africa after agreeing a deal with the Cape Town-based Stormers.
“People still think it was a fluke that we beat South Africa, so this is a great chance for us to show it wasn’t and really front up as a serious rugby nation.
Playing today
Pool A: 17.45 Australia vs Fiji.
Pool B: 15.30 Scotland vs Japan.
Pool D: 21.00 France vs Romania.