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The stunning ploy to use an 'undercover' rugby team to prepare Japan for the World Cup

By Ben Smith
Japan's ploy to use an undercover international team worked to prepare them for the World Cup. (Photos/Gettys Images)

Japan is just one win away from a ‘Triple Crown’ after beating Scotland to top Pool A and qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time ever.

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Although they probably won’t play another Home Nations team in this World Cup, beating two of them has been no mean feat. It has been a remarkable World Cup for Jamie Joseph’s side so far.

When you look deeper below the surface at how they pulled this off, it becomes even more astounding. Joseph and his staff took a massive gamble over 2019, undertaking a high-risk ploy that defied conventional wisdom.

Continue reading below…

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The team that beat Ireland and Scotland has largely been playing amateurs and up-and-coming stars of the future, as part of an undercover international team operating in the shadows.

A Sunwolves ‘B’ team, called the Wolfpack or Japan A, formed the backbone of Japan’s preparations which held back stars from Super Rugby in order to play together against lesser competition.

The Wolfpack’s opposition this year were: Hurricanes B (twice), Highlanders B, Western Force and Melbourne Rising (the Rebels’ second team comprised of many Victorian club rugby players).

Stars of this World Cup, like prolific try-scorer Kotaro Matsushima were trotted out against guys graduating from under-20’s, provincial-level stalwarts and even local club rugby battlers.

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Instead of testing themselves against former Wallaby pair Will Genia and Quade Cooper of the Rebels, flyhalf Yu Tamura and halfback Yutaka Nagare played the curtain-raiser against Harrison Goddard and Dan England.

Hooker Shota Horie, Australian-born lock James Moore, speedster Kenki Fukuoka, fan favourite Kazuki Himeno and serial offloader Will Tupou were all Wolfpack regulars this year, which kicked off their shadow season around April mid-way through Super Rugby.

It is hardly the type of rugby that would be ideal to take down two tier one nations. It was an extremely bold call to gut the Sunwolves of most of the top tier Japanese talent and ignore Super Rugby for their World Cup preparation.

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Even coaches were moved towards the Wolfpack as a priority, with super-mind Tony Brown spending significant time with them after handing the reins of the Sunwolves to assistant Scott Hansen.

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Steve Hansen’s All Black mini-camps that upset Super Rugby teams looks like child’s play compared to this operation. The Wolfpack’s ‘shadow’ season was used to prepare Japan for the Pacific Nations Cup which then led into this tournament.

This ploy in hindsight looks like a masterstroke but is still a head-scratcher.

How is playing a lower level of competition better for a team trying to take on internationals, including the recently-ranked number one side? Is it possible that the JRFU were right in claiming that ‘Super Rugby no longer remains the best pathway for the development of players for the national side’?

Japan’s stellar results have proved so, at least this year. The answer could lie in not the quality of opposition but the timing, which has always been a gripe for the Sunwolves and Super Rugby, which rolls straight off the back of the Top League season.

“We have to ensure (the national players) can play at the right time of the year,” Jamie Joseph explained to the Japan Times when asked why certain players were being held back from the tougher Super Rugby competition.

A lighter schedule has probably protected the Japan side from incurring injuries that would have been part and parcel of a physical Super Rugby season, whilst managing the load over the middle part of the year to build and peak at the Rugby World Cup. That still doesn’t explain the ‘doing’ part of the equation as everyone wants to ‘build and peak’ in November.

If Japan does claim another tier one scalp, the implications could be far-reaching with how those teams treat their domestic club competitions in a World Cup year. It may already have.

It is rather fitting that their quarterfinal opponent is South Africa, a country that vehemently opposed their inclusion in SANZAAR’s club competition and ultimately pushed for their axing. A competition that Japan then snubbed to prove they could improve in their own right, which they have.

It won’t be lost that a win over South Africa in a knockout game would be the ultimate poetic justice given the bad blood between the two nations. However, Japan’s performance should be a shock to both Hemispheres given how they have done it, regardless of whether they beat the Springboks or not.

Rugby World Cup city guide – Fukuoka:

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Adrian 54 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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