Today’s match was a key one for both the Scots and Samoa, as the Japanese victory over Ireland had blown the group wide open.

Although you can never be sure in rugby, it does seem likely that there are now three contenders for the knockout stages rather than four as Scotland took a bonus point in a comprehensive 34-0 victory.

The Samoans will have to regroup before they face the host nation on Saturday, whilst Scotland will play their next game against Russia.

The match today took place in Kobe, which is often rated a lovely place to live. You can read the article on my visit four years ago here.

Rather bizarrely, the basketball legend Kobe Bryant is also connected to the city. His father liked the name so much when he saw it on a restaurant menu (Kobe beef is legendary) that he decided to name his kid after it.

But that didn’t stop Kobe himself suing the city for naming rights in 2010, due to the fact that he was, in his opinion, far more famous. Litigation gone mad.

Tomorrow is a rest day at the World Cup (but not for the blog) and the beginning of October. It was another scorcher today, however, so there’s very little autumnal feeling going around, despite the shop decorations’ best efforts.

Today’s Match
Scotland 34-0 Samoa (Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe)

Expression of the day
住みやすい所です (sumiyasui tokoro desu)
Which means…
It’s a nice place to live.

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