Japan back-row forward Amanaki Lelei Mafi admits that the absence of injured Rugby World Cup stars including Ayumu Goromaru and Michael Leitch hurt the Brave Blossoms in their two test-match defeats to Scotland.

But the Tonga-born man mountain has backed their youthful replacements to fight for a place in the 2019 World Cup team on home soil after a narrow 21-16 loss to the Scots in front of 34,073 at Ajinomoto Stadium on Saturday night.

¡°We missed them,¡± Mafi said of his absent teammates, who also included scrum half Fumiaki Tanaka and winger Akihito Yamada. ¡°We have a lot of new members. It has been difficult but I think with the new boys coming up it has been a really good experience for them to work hard for their own positions.

¡°I¡¯m very proud to be part of the Japan team. We just came one week before the start of the tournament so it has been hard, but I¡¯m still proud.¡±

Japan looked set to avenge its 26-13 defeat to the Scots at Toyota Stadium the previous week when scrum half Kaito Shigeno scored an earth-scorching try midway through the first half on Saturday to put the Brave Blossoms in control.

But Scotland gradually chipped away at the lead with a series of penalty kicks from scrum half Henry Pyrgos and replacement Greig Laidlaw, eventually overtaking the home side with 10 minutes remaining before closing out the win.

¡°As with the last game, giving away penalties is the thing we have to work on, at the breakdown and so on,¡± said the 25-year-old Shigeno, who filled in for two-time World Cup veteran Tanaka.

¡°It¡¯s up to the players to play in a way that suits the referee.¡±

Leitch and Goromaru, who earlier this month joined French giants Toulon, took part in a pre-game ceremony before watching the match from the stands. But replacement fullback Rikiya Matsuda insisted that the presence of superstar Goromaru added no extra pressure to his performance.

¡°Wearing the No. 15 shirt for Japan is a huge source of pride and I feel that responsibility,¡± said Teikyo University student Matsuda. ¡°I took Goromaru¡¯s place in the team but I didn¡¯t play well and now I have to reflect on why that was and how much I can use it to get better.

¡°I was concentrating only on my own performance. I didn¡¯t feel any nerves just because of Goromaru.¡±

The Scots¡¯ victory preserved their perfect test-match record over Japan, including a 45-10 win at last year¡¯s Rugby World Cup that marked the Brave Blossoms¡¯ only defeat of that tournament.

Ajinomoto Stadium will host the opening game of the 2019 World Cup, and Scotland fullback Stuart Hogg was impressed by the venue and the opposition.

¡°I thought Japan were outstanding,¡± he said. ¡°They came flying out the blocks early doors and chucked everything at us. Obviously we¡¯re very happy to come away with the win. We know we have to improve but credit to Japan, it was a really good test match.

¡°We¡¯ve played at two cracking venues and the crowd has been phenomenal so we¡¯re very much looking forward to being here. We¡¯re very excited to have the World Cup here.¡±

Japan interim head coach Mark Hammett will not make it as far as the 2019 World Cup, however, having completed his three-match brief including a 26-22 win over Canada in Vancouver on June 11.

¡°I feel perhaps the last two tests we¡¯ve just been slightly disrespected as a team and what we can achieve,¡± said Hammett, the regular head coach of Japan¡¯s Super Rugby side, the Sunwolves.

¡°I felt that in the second half we didn¡¯t get the reward. There¡¯s obviously a reason why the ball was being slowed down. We worked really hard for that but probably didn¡¯t get the outcome that we believe we should have had.

¡°Having now been in Japan for six months and understanding how hard these guys work and how smart they are tactically, I¡¯m not sure that the rest of the world understands where this group is getting to.¡±