RWC 2019: Brave Blossoms can bloom on home soil

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  • Around the stadium in Shizuoka, every centimeter of the old stand reverberated when the final whistle blew to confirm Japan’s famous 19-12 victory over Ireland.

    For all the pre-tournament talk about Ireland topping Pool A with ease, the hosts ripped up the pre-match script and sent the stadium into delirium.

    Finding Ireland vulnerable on the wings, and employing stifling line speed to put them under pressure, Japan produced an even more significant upset than their famous 34-32 triumph over South Africa at the 2015 World Cup.

    But, unlike the Springboks four years ago, Ireland weren’t taking the Japanese lightly in the lead-up to the game.

    They knew exactly what Japan would bring, and ultimately failed to cope with their precision.

    The Brave Blossoms, ranked tenth in the world, were well worth their win, attacking with belief and intent at every opportunity and asking questions of Ireland that had the visitors struggling for answers time and time again.

    This is a testament to the strong work ethic that head coach Jamie Joseph has instilled in his players, and although you’re not likely to find yourself being too physically intimidated by the Japan squad most of the time, they are full of smaller, agile players with buckets of skill and heart.

    Despite clinching just one win and one draw in 33 matches against Tier 1 nations since the 2015 World Cup, game-time and experience have acted as a positive learning curve.

    Against Ireland, Japan’s experience and belief in their game plan came to fruition, trailing by only three points at half-time (12-9), which came as a relief to the Men in Green, considering the pressure they were under just before the break.

    If Ireland were expected to turn things around straight after the resumption, there was no respite.

    When winger Kenki Fukuoka crossed the line on the hour mark after a well-constructed team move, Japan’s lead was richly deserved.

    Yu Tamura converted and added a penalty on 72 minutes to stretch Japan’s advantage, greeted by a raucous roar that was heard 233 kilometres away in the capital Tokyo.

    The victory is another huge result, particularly in Japanese rugby’s quest to inspire new fans across the densely populated country of 126 million people. It was also their first-ever win against Ireland, having lost by an average margin of 31 points in their seven previous clashes.

    There are always heroes on these big days for any nation. Players who step up when the pressure is truly on. Most of the players in red and white stole the limelight in Shizuoka, emptying the tank for the duration that they were on the pitch.

    But if there is one standout player, none stood taller than their influential captain Michael Leitch, who was introduced after 32 minutes for the injured Amanaki Mafi.

    The 30-year-old was electric, making seven carries for 37 metres, one clean break, beating one defender and making an offload. In defence, he made 11 tackles and missed none.

    Physically, he made an enormous impact and Ireland struggled to deal with him.

    The match stats between both sides were largely balanced, apart from the extra 185 metres Japan ran with ball in hand, but the difference was the hosts’ refusal to allow Ireland to generate fast ball off ruck time and their unwillingness to give Joe Schmidt’s side the forward momentum.

    As a result, Ireland didn’t look as comfortable as they normally do and couldn’t produce any late magic when just seven points behind.

    If the result causes shockwaves in the northern hemisphere, it will breathe life and fire into Asia’s first World Cup and puts Scotland in real danger of being eliminated from the pool stage.

    If Japan can repeat the same level of performance against the Dark Blues on October 13, it could well be them who top the pool.

    This would leave Ireland and Scotland battling it out for second place, with the winner facing a possible quarter-final against defending champions New Zealand.

    It may be a different Japan outfit from the one that stole hearts four years ago, but backed by a strong home support, it will be exciting to see if the Brave Blossoms can bloom this autumn.

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