SHIZUOKA, 8 Oct – A preview of the Pool A match between Scotland and Russia, which kicks off at 16:15 at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa on Wednesday.

The big picture

For Scotland, this game has loomed as a potential banana skin since the fixtures were announced. With anticipation around their pivotal final pool match against hosts Japan already at fever pitch, since the 34-0 win over Samoa, Gregor Townsend's squad have have to put that distraction to one side and focus on the task at hand.

That task is to get a bonus-point win, a maximum five points, preferably with no injuries. They would also be happy if they could score four tries a bit earlier than Japan (68 minutes) or Ireland (61) did against the same opponents, to utilise their bench and keep some players fresh for Japan.

Russia may not have crossed the try-line since they registered the first score of this World Cup in the opening match against the hosts, but they have made life sufficiently hard for all three opponents to suggest Scotland will not have it all their own way in Shizuoka.

"They're physical, hard at the breakdown, they make things niggly and awkward," said flanker John Barclay, who captains Scotland on Wednesday. "When they have the ball they're abrasive and direct. We're under no illusions."

Failure to secure five points would make an already difficult task to reach the knockout stages even tougher for Scotland.

They could still progress to a likely quarter-final with New Zealand if they win without a bonus point. But they would require a maximum five-point haul against Japan – and would have to deny the hosts a bonus point – in front of a home crowd of 72,000 at the International Stadium Yokohama on Sunday, assuming Samoa do not upset Ireland the day before in Fukuoka.

The quest for four tries is not without its perils, though. "I've played enough of these games where if you try to score four tries before you score one, you can get in a bit of trouble," said Barclay, pictured above. "We're not thinking about that early on.

"If it gets to 70 minutes and we've only scored one that might become the case but we need to back our process, our skills, grind them down, and believe our fitness will be superior to theirs."

Form guide

Scotland: WLWWW

Russia: LLLLW

In the spotlight

With a four-day turnaround before they face Japan, coach  Townsend was always going to save his strongest team for Sunday's game against Japan, which is likely to decide their qualification fate.

While playing his second-string has risks, plenty of players will want to prove they should be in the match-day 23 against Japan and beyond if Scotland progress.

The likes of Ben Toolis and Peter Horne have spoken of their frustration at not featuring to date, while big hitters such as Barclay and Ryan Wilson, who both started the opening-game defeat by Ireland, will be keen to prove they are not fading forces in the back row.

"There's five guys who haven't played at all and they're chomping at the bit," Barclay said. "Throughout the squad there's points to prove about selection, but also to themselves."

Team news

Scotland have made 14 changes, their most ever between matches at a World Cup. Darcy Graham, who switches wings, is the only survivor from the win over Samoa.

Hooker Fraser Brown starts at openside flanker for a second time in a test, Barclay returns to captain the side from blindside flanker after being dropped following the Ireland defeat, while Horne, Toolis, Blair Kinghorn and George Turner get their first action at this RWC.

Russia have made nine changes, with captain and full-back Vasily Artemyev, and half-backs Dmitry Persov and Ramil Gaisin, among those retaining their places following the 35-0 loss to Ireland last Thursday.

Stats & trivia

Scotland have won all 21 of their RWC encounters against current Tier 2 sides. They have never played Russia before in a test.

Artemyev is the only player to have started all eight of their RWC matches, including four at RWC 2011. He will lead the side for a record 34th time against Scotland, and his 29 tries are the most ever by a Bears player.

Barclay will captain Scotland for a 15th time, but the first time since the 2018 Six Nations against Italy.

Russia had a 90% tackle completion rate (182 from 203 attempted) in their 35-0 defeat by Ireland.

Russia flanker Tagir Gadzhiev used to compete in mixed martial arts and bobsleigh before he took up rugby.

Quotes:

"It's Russia's last game, so they will throw everything into this. We're expecting as good a performance as they gave against Ireland, maybe another level up." - Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend

"We appreciate how difficult a victory would be but Scottish people are not different from everybody else; they are human beings who are fallible when put under pressure." - Russia head coach Lyn Jones

RNS bp/pr/lm/bp