Japan keep cards close ahead of Bok battle

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Jamie Joseph says that Japan may spring a surprise or two when they host a ‘frightening and physical’ Springbok pack in the World Cup quarter-final on Sunday. JON CARDINELLI in Tokyo reports.

It wasn’t surprising to hear the Japan coaches and players talking up the Boks’ forwards and all-round physicality at a press conference staged in central Tokyo on Friday. What did raise an eyebrow or two, however, was the statement that brought an end to Jamie Joseph’s time at the top table.

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‘It’s clear what they are going to do,’ the Japan coach said after the final question had been asked. ‘They’ve picked six forwards on the bench and that’s a sign of their physical intent.

‘They’ve consistently given the opposition the ball over the past few matches. They like to use their defence and their big forwards to apply the pressure on your attack. That’s what we’ve prepared for.

‘What’s not clear is what we’re going to do in response. That’s what I’m looking forward to this Sunday,’ he added, before dropping the mic.

The story about Japan’s success in recent years is one that transcends rugby and many neutrals are hoping that the fairy tale doesn’t come to an end via a loss to the Boks. On Friday, the press conference room was packed with journalists from across the globe.

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Joseph and captain Michael Leitch spoke at length about managing the expectations of the local fans and media. At the same time, they assured all and sundry that the Brave Blossoms have the ability and the belief to slay one of the biggest teams in world rugby.

‘Our mentality was very different going into this World Cup,’ Leitch explained. ‘In 2015, we hadn’t won a World Cup game in 20 years, so it was a big thing when we beat South Africa in Brighton. This time round, we set ourselves the goal of making it to the playoffs.

‘We treated every game like a final. Now that we’re here in the knockouts, the goal posts will move again.

‘We’re not satisfied,’ he said. ‘This is not the end of the story. This time we are one of the best eight teams in the tournament. We can take a lot of confidence out of that.’

Like Joseph, Leitch highlighted the threat of competing against a South African side that relishes the physical contest at the set pieces, collisions and breakdowns. Japan will need to match the Boks in these areas in order to implement their own expansive style of play.

‘South Africa seemed a rather frightening prospect when we started analysing them earlier this week,’ Leitch said with a chuckle. ‘But the more we talked about our own achievements and about how far we have come as a group, the more we started to believe that we can do this.

‘Now that we have a better understanding of what they will bring to the contest their threat has diminished. Our own confidence and excitement regarding the challenge has increased.’

Joseph, who was on the bench when the All Blacks faced the Boks in the 1995 World Cup final, spoke about his own experiences of South African rugby.

‘South Africa was the team I respected most as a player. As a kid growing up in New Zealand, you’re brought up to appreciate that rivalry.

‘I got a chance to face them three or four times. It was always a tough challenge yet one I immensely enjoyed.

‘You expected a physical contest. Back then, “physical” meant a lot more off-the-ball incidents. We were always mates after such a tough contest, though. There was a lot of mutual respect.’

Joseph said that his charges would reflect on the recent meeting between the two teams rather than the famous World Cup fixture in Brighton four years ago. The Boks beat Japan 41-7 in a warm-up game staged two weeks before the 2019 tournament.

‘We’re in a unique position,’ he said. ‘We’re the only team [bar the Boks] who played our quarter-final opponents right before the start of the World Cup.

‘The players should have a good idea about what to expect from the South Africans in the coming game.’

Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

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Jon Cardinelli