'It's pointless': Japan to ditch daredevil style for 2023 World Cup
SPOTLIGHT: Japan thrilled fans with their swashbuckling style at the 2019 Rugby World Cup but head coach Jamie Joseph believes it would be “pointless” to play the same way at next year’s tournament.
The Brave Blossoms beat Ireland and Scotland on home soil on their way to a historic first quarterfinal appearance and won plaudits for their free-flowing rugby.
But Joseph says the sport has evolved since then to reward defensive teams and Japan’s daredevil style will need to be adjusted before the World Cup kicks off in France a year from now.
“The teams who won Test matches in June and July are the best defensive sides, not necessarily the best attacking sides,” said the New Zealander, who has been in charge since 2016.
“That’s a trend that has been created by the way the game is refereed now and it’s a trend that we’ve got to adjust to.
“It’s going to be challenging but it’s pointless trying to play the game of rugby that was successful for us in 2019 against stronger defensive teams.”
Japan have been drawn in World Cup Pool D alongside England, Argentina, Chile and Samoa, and Joseph believes they can reach another quarterfinal if they get their preparations right.
But the coach also says that his team are “a little bit behind” because of the pandemic and injuries.
He also cast an envious glance at Argentina’s participation in the Rugby Championship against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
Japan have no tournament to give them regular games against top-level opposition and the country’s Super Rugby franchise, the Sunwolves, folded in 2020.
Joseph has tried to develop new players by picking oversized training squads but he conceded the situation was “not ideal”, as preparations for the World Cup begin in earnest.
“We’re a little bit behind in terms of our preparation but those are the circumstances that have been thrown at me as the head coach and what I have to deal with,” he said.
“I’m pretty positive about the challenge ahead and that’s what my job is.”
‘Build together’
Japan have played only 10 Test matches since the last World Cup, when they were hosts, and have not beaten any of the top nations.
But they ran Six Nations Grand Slam champions France close in a recent Test match in Tokyo.
They led until the 71st minute before losing 15-20 and Joseph believes it marked “a starting point” for his team.
Japan face New Zealand in Tokyo at the end of October before heading to Europe to take on England and France.
Joseph says there is no “magic trick” to building a competitive team and his players “just need more rugby” against the best teams.
“I don’t think it’s something that the coach says or ‘this is what I want you to do’ – you build together,” he said.
“The best way to do that is by playing positive, winning rugby. That’s what we want to do.”
Japan begin their World Cup campaign against Chile and end the pool stage with a potentially decisive clash against Argentina.
The Brave Blossoms will not enjoy home advantage this time and Joseph concedes there was “a lot more energy” surrounding his team’s World Cup preparations four years ago.
But he also says he is “really excited about some of the younger guys breaking through” and is itching to get started when the tournament kicks off.
“It’s not an easy challenge but it’s a challenge that we’ve shown in the past that if we get the preparation right and get the players right, we’re certainly capable of doing it,” said Joseph.
“That’s what we’re working on.”
–Rugby365
Comments on RugbyPass
No question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
95 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
95 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
95 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
147 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
95 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
95 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
95 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
95 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
95 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
95 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
95 Go to commentsHonestly, it doesn’t matter a whole lot. RSA has a ton of experienced talent in its leadership group. I am more interested in who is the new 8 man/8 men and the younger props. The captain may change but the system does not
1 Go to commentsBen, you are one of the most arrogant and self opionated rugby critics I have ever come across (next to Keohane). I hoped that after SA beating the best ranked teams in the world on their way to the WC (something not done before) that you might have the grace to admit that this is a special team that deserved the accolades coming their way. You have no humility and as has been been already pointed out, merely a troll to attract audience numbers. Count me out in the future.
95 Go to comments‘War of independence’. Such a grand name for a few skirmishes. Where were all the great battles of this ‘war’ ? Smith got goosebumps as he was being emotionally manipulated, another mushroom.
1 Go to comments