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Must-win opening match puts the heat on Japan

By Online Editors
Michael Leitch on the training pitch. (Photo by Behrouz Mehrai/AFP/Getty Images)

The public awareness campaign has gone into overdrive at the Rugby World Cup, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe receiving the red-and-white jersey of the national team from captain Michael Leitch.

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And soon Leitch’s line-up will have their first genuine taste of the expectation which comes with being tournament host when they play Russia in the opening match on Friday.

An upset win over South Africa at the 2015 World Cup swelled Japan’s fan-base at home and abroad and has added to the expectation that they may also be the giant-killers of this year’s tournament.

New Zealand-born Leitch was one of eight players selected in Japan’s match-day 23 who were involved in that boilover against the two-time RWC champions four years ago.

Japan will have to be quickly into stride as they need to beat Russia by a large margin if to have a chance of progressing to the knockout rounds.

Points differential could come into play in deciding the top two teams in what seems to be an even pool.

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After Russia, Japan plays Ireland, then Samoa, making their last pool match against Scotland a possibly decisive contest for second place if Ireland tops the pool as expected.

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“We have prepared well for our goal of making the quarterfinals,” Leitch said after his team’s 41-7 loss to South Africa in their final World Cup warm-up game earlier this month.

The loss to South Africa was not in any way indicative of Japan’s comparative standing with Tier One nations or of any decline in its ability since the last World Cup.

Coach Jamie Joseph used the match for experimentation and to adapt a game plan to those of their pool opponents.

Former All Black Joseph is aware of the pressure that will be on his squad in the opening match and for the remainder of the World Cup, and is sure his team can cope.

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“Everyone understands how important this event is going to be but none more than our staff and the players themselves. We want to make everyone proud,” he said.

Meanwhile, Russia may still be startled to find themselves at the centre of the spectacle after the opening ceremony.

The 20th-ranked Russians were lucky to qualify, doing so only after Romania was disqualified for fielding ineligible players.

Their warm-up form has not been impressive given they have conceded 162 points including 24 tries in their last three matches.

Japan: William Tupou, Kotaro Matsushima, Timothy Lafaele, Ryoto Nakamura, Lomano Lava Lemeki, Yu Tamura, Yutaka Nagare, Kazuki Himeno, Pieter Labuschagne, Michael Leitch (capt), James Moore, Wimpie van der Walt, Asaeli Ai Valu, Shota Horie, Keita Inagaki. Res: Atsushi Sakate, Isileli Nakajima, Jiwon Koo, Luke Thompson, Hendrik Tui, Fumiaki Tanaka, Rikiya Matsuda, Ryohei Yamanaka.

– AAP

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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