Drama is meant to be staged on the field of play, but in the buildup to what is meant to be the final match of the group stage between Japan and Scotland it is taking place in a media conference with Typhoon Hagibis prompting several blasts, not least from the Brave Blossoms coach, Jamie Joseph.

He reacted to suggestions his team would be happy if the match were called off because it would mean Japan would, for the first time, qualify for the knockout stage, by saying that they were as desperate that the game be played as Scotland, but for different reasons: “My team is motivated by achieving something great, not by avoiding embarrassment,” he said.

His Scotland opposite number, Gregor Townsend, would not be drawn into a riposte, mindful that his union has threatened legal action if the match is called off and not rescheduled for the following day. A cancellation would mean Japan topped the group and Scotland went home, unless Ireland fail to muster a point from their game against Samoa in Fukuoka on Saturday.

“We know it would not be an embarrassment to lose to an excellent side,” said Townsend, who dropped his captain, Stuart McInally, for a match his side has to win. The experienced scrum-half Greig Laidlaw, whose box-kicking will be a key ingredient given Japan’s fallibility under the high ball this tournament has been their glaring weakness, will take charge with Fraser Brown, whose only start this tournament was as a flanker against Russia on Wednesday, coming into the front row.

“We know we will have to play very well to win,” said Townsend. “I had a good laugh over his comments. Coaches use media conferences to put out messages and get a response from other coaches, but it was good to see.”

Asked about the prospect of his union taking legal action if the match were cancelled, he replied: “I believe it will go ahead. We have to get through the weather that is coming in but the forecast for Sunday is very good and I have seen how this country responds to big weather events. I am sure we will play the game.”

Scotland go into the match with a four-day turnaround, something Townsend said was rare in the modern game, although it was the same for Japan when they played Scotland in the 2015 World Cup after beating South Africa and ran out of legs in the second half.

Scotland arrived here on Friday and Japan, who have been holed up in a five-star hotel in Tokyo all week, were scheduled to move to the city where the match is being played early on Saturday, before the typhoon was expected to hit land, so that potential transport disruption to the ground would be minimised.

Both teams have been told to stay in their hotels on Saturday, meaning neither side will be able to visit the stadium for the usual captain’s run on the day before a game. Scotland were looking at ways of having a walk-through in their hotel and tagged the ballroom as a location to run through a few moves.

“Japan are one of the best teams in the world at generating quick ball,” said Townsend. “They do things at a ruck to produce it, not always legally, and they have improved other aspects of their game. They are very solid defensively and they hit hard in double tackles. Their set piece is excellent. We will not be going outside on Saturday, taking the advice to stay indoors, and we have to deal with it.”

Michael Leitch has been restored as Japan’s captain after rejoining the ranks in the last two games to allow him to concentrate on his game because Joseph had become concerned, even before the win over Ireland, that he could not leave the hotel for a coffee without being mobbed by fans.

“I have a good coffee machine in my room,” said Leitch. “If the game is called off it would be unfortunate but we would have to look ahead to the quarter-finals. For teams to win games, the captain must be the strongest and I am ready to lead from the front. We have to be brave and prepare ourselves.

“We could lose and still qualify but I am not thinking about that. We must have courage. There are those who get frightened when they near the try line, chickening out under pressure. You have to face up to it. Jamie Joseph has done a fantastic job and his impact on how we perform will be huge.”