Rugby World Cup: Scotland prepare for Ireland opener with shampoo-soaked balls

Scotland have been training with balls soaked in shampoo ahead of Sunday’s World Cup opener.
Gregor Townsend’s team are currently planning with a torrential thunderstorm forecast this weekend, for requirements in Yokohama.
Assistant trainer Mike Blair believes the tactics could help the team take care of the weather but also rising temperatures, which have reached 33 degrees.
“We had the pulp and pulp out within the globe if we had been back in Edinburgh,” said Blair.
“Since arriving to Nagasaki it’s mainly just been water because the sweat is much more of a problem.
“The sweat is hard to take care of. The conditions here in Nagasaki have been tough with heat.
“Yesterday it stated there was a 100 per cent chance of rain [on Sunday] and today it states a 50 to 60 per cent chance, so it was not a 100 percent chance the day before!
“So there will be a fall in temperature but difficult conditions to perform .
“It is good they have been training from the heat , so they’ll have the ability to adapt to this as well.”
Scotland have dropped six of their past seven Tests against Ireland, and a downpour on Sunday could prefer their competitors, but Blair insists that they have a plan to manage the No 1-ranked side in the world.
“In every game we go in using unique strategies depending on who we’re playing and what the terms are,” he added.
“We have a great deal of personnel within our group that are extremely good in [wet] conditions like that too.
“We are known as a team that wish to perform a great deal of rugby and move the ball quickly, and we feel really comfortable doing that.
“But we feel we have got men in the squad who are capable of communicating in different conditions as needed.”
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