Tries from Fran McGhie, Alex Stewart and Rhona Lloyd saw Scotland home, but it was a nervy finale and as captain Rachel Malcolm acknowledged in her post-match TV interview,  there will be much to improve upon before the concluding fixture against Australia next Saturday.

Coach Bryan Easson, pleased with the win, expressed his disappointment at elements of the performance. “It’s not the standard we set ourselves,” he noted, perhaps thinking about the missing try bonus point from both wins thus far?

Scotland returned to the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, scene of their opening 19-0 win against Italy in miserably wet conditions last weekend.

Today it was an energy-sapping 29 degrees with hardly a breath of wind.

From the kick-off, Sarah Bonar caught, and Scotland were soon probing. Off lineout possession, Helen Nelson had to tidy stray ball but then having dabbled on the left, Scotland switched right and from a pass, generously declared flat from Leah Bartlett to Lana Skeldon, Nelson dispatched Fran McGhie for the opening try.  Nelson converted (0-7, 3 mins).  It was the winger’s eighth try for her country.

Nelson had started in sprightly fashion, and a 50:22 maintained the early territorial domination. But as the first quarter developed, Japan began to gain a foot-hold and it required a fine saving tackle by Rhona Lloyd to deny Rinka Matsuda and a “going to deck” penalty enabled Scotland to breathe a little easier.

After the game’s first water break, Scotland again worked diligently in defence and Meryl Smith and Lisa Thomson’s combination earned a penalty.  But a misfiring lineout denied the Scots a chance to build.

It was a bit frantic at this juncture and on the half-hour Japan opened their account. Lloyd sought to keep a kick, from Ayasa Otsuka, alive, but Japan reacted sharply and secured possession for No 8 Seina Saito to plough over for the try. Otsuka missed the conversion (5-7, 30 mins).

Chloe Rollie’s miscued kick had alarm bells ringing as Matsuda loomed large, but the full-back did brilliantly to hare back to save.  Then Lloyd also put her body on the line to make a timely tackle as Japan were ultimately held up on the Scotland try line.

From defence to stunning attack. Off a lineout take on half-way by Louise McMillan at the tail, Scotland eventually shaped left. Nelson fed Skeldon, Smith thumped on, found McGhie and Alex Stewart supported for a cracking try, her first for Scotland. Nelson missed the conversion. (5-12, 40 mins).

Half-time: Japan 5 Scotland 12

A high tackle penalty against Malcolm saw Otsuka fire Japan into the Scotland 22, but Scotland then successfully thwarted their opponents attempts at a driving maul.

Mana Furuta menaced as Scotland were struggling to escape their 22. No surprise they went early to their bench with six changes being made after 50 minutes.

Smith was pinged for a deliberate knock-on in a tackle which saw Otsuka cut the deficit with her first penalty (8-12, 57 mins).

Into the final quarter, and Smith found touch inside the Japan 22, off a high tackle penalty. From the lineout Scotland made inroads with Louise McMillan twice thundering on. Thomson took play to within five metres and from Leia Brebner-Holden’s sharp service, Smith and Emma Orr handled for Lloyd to cross the whitewash for her 25th try for Scotland. Smith converted majestically from the touchline. (8-19, 63 mins).

Japan hit back almost at once, however, and from a driving maul, captain Iroha Nagata was credited with the drive-over score. Sub Minori Yamamoto missed the conversion (13-19, 67 mins).

With six minutes remaining, Evie Gallagher made a blazing run for Scotland who were patient thereafter but a penalty for a neck roll enabled Japan to hold firm.

Then a lineout pinch from Gallagher as Japan sought to stage a grandstand finish was a vital component to Scotland seeing out the victory.

Full-time: Japan 13 Scotland 19

Scotland: Chloe Rollie (Ealing Trailfinders; Rhona Lloyd (Les Lionnes du Stade Bordelais), Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears), Lisa Thomson (Ealing Trailfinders), Francesca McGhie (Leicester Tigers); Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning), Caity Mattinson (Ealing Trailfinders); Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers), Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears), Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning), Louise McMillan (Saracens), Sarah Bonar (Harlequins), Rachel Malcolm, captain (Loughborough Lightning), Alex Stewart (Corstorphine Cougars), Jade Konkel (Harlequins).

Subs: Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning) for Skeldon ( 51mins) Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning) for Bartlett (51 mins), Lisa Cockburn (Gloucester-Hartpury) for Belisle (50 mins), Eva Donaldson (Leicester Tigers), for Bonar (51 mins) Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears) for Konkel (51 mins0, Leia Brebner-Holden (Gloucester-Hartpury) for Mattinson (61 mins), Emma Orr (Bristol Bears) for Nelson (51 mins), Lucia Scott (Gloucester University/Gloucester-Hartpury).

Japan: Sora Nishimura, Rinka Matsuda, Mana Furuta, Haruka Hirotsu, Komachi Imakugi; Ayasa Otsuka, Moe Tsukui; Sachiko Kato, Asuka Kuge, Wako Kitano, Yuna Sato, Otoka Yoshimura, Masami Kawamura, Iroha Nagata, captain, Seina Saito.

Subs: Kotomi Taniguchi for Kuge (56 mins), Manami Mine, Yuka Sadaka for Kitano (64 mins), Sakurako Korai, Jennifer Nduka for Saito (56 mins), Megumi Abe for Tsukui (64 mins), Minori Yamamoto, for Otsuka (64 mins), Kanako Kobayashi for Hirotsu (75 mins).

Referee: Zoe Naude (South Africa). Assistant referees: Clara Munarini (FIR) and Siyanda Pikoli (South Africa).

TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Mastercard Player of the Match: Meryl Smith (Scotland).