‘Everyone’s a fan now’: Japan brims with pride after hosts exit World Cup | Justin McCurry

Posted on October 20, 2019 by Admin

A captivating run to the quarter-finals could provide an enduring rugby legacy in Japan

The Japanese juggernaut finally came to a halt in the face of a South African roadblock on Sunday. The sequel to the Brighton miracle lacked the drama and romance of four years ago but this, according to their fans, was when the Brave Blossoms truly came of age against the world rugby elite.

“I think South Africa looked down on Japan four years ago but today they knew they had to be at their best, and that’s a huge compliment to Japan,” said Shigeki Takagi, a company worker from Tokyo who had just witnessed his country play in a World Cup quarter-final for the first time. “We’ve beaten Ireland and Scotland and now I think we’re getting really close to the level of the northern hemisphere teams. Who knows what could happen four years from now?”

Japan v South Africa: Rugby World Cup 2019, quarter-final – live!

Posted on October 20, 2019 by Admin

Rugby World Cup updates as hosts tackle Springboks
Read our Japanese language MBM report of the game!
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11.10am BST

The teams are in the tunnel. Japan captain Leitch looks as focused as a hitman with a bag of cement and a map to the river (copyright Sid Waddell).

11.08am BST

So, the pre-match tactical analysis can be summed up thus: Japan will want to speed the game up, move the ball quickly and employ the pace of Matsushima and Fukuoka, among others. While South Africa will want to slow the game down and try to win it with set-piece power. Will it be that simple? I doubt it. Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe will only need an inch to take a mile, for one thing ...

Japan hang on to reach Rugby World Cup last eight and send Scotland out

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Admin

• Hosts dazzle before being made to sweat by Scots’ recovery
• Kenki Fukuoka scores two tries as Japan top Pool A

Some results deserve to be lit up in neon and this historic victory for Japan was one of them. Never before has any team from Asia reached the quarter-finals of a Rugby World Cup, let alone played such an inspirational brand of rugby. This was not just an emotional occasion for the host nation but an electrifying moment for the global game as a whole.

Because this was finally the day when the patronising tier two label still used by some to denote Japan’s status in the sport officially ceased to exist. As was the case against Ireland, the Brave Blossoms were irresistible at times and were more than good value for their four-try success against a Scotland team who, for only the second time, are going home before the knockout stages commence.

Japan stun Ireland to pull off another famous Rugby World Cup upset

Posted on September 28, 2019 by Admin

Japan have done it again, this time against the team ranked No 1 in the world two weeks ago. The World Cup hosts came from nine points down to win after playing with pace, skill and fervour that the humidity and time could not dim.

Such was the thunderous roar when the final whistle sounded it would have caused the nearby Mount Fuji to wobble. There were times when they looked like the All Blacks in red and white jerseys, off-loading, evading tackles and breaking from deep to make one of the tightest defences in world rugby scramble with increasing desperation.