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The unlikely heroes behind Japan's dream run to the World Cup quarter-finals

By Alex McLeod
Japan celebrate their 28-21 win over Scotland in Yokohama. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

They may have been the easy-beats of Super Rugby since their induction into the competition in 2016, but the soon-to-be-omitted Sunwolves have played a key role in Japan’s unprecedented World Cup success.

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That’s the belief of Brave Blossoms head coach Jamie Joseph, who helped steer the Japanese national side to a first-ever win over Scotland in Yokohama last night.

The 28-21 victory not only eliminated the Six Nations heavyweights from the tournament at the pool stage, but it also solidified Japan’s place in the knockout stages for the first time in their history after blitzing Pool A with four wins from four outings – including an historic 19-12 win over Ireland in Shizuoka.

Prior to this tournament, Japan had only won four of their previous 28 World Cup matches, with three of those wins coming during their stunning 2015 campaign, where they were cruelly denied entry into the quarter-finals after Scotland defeated them to cancel out their shock 34-32 win over South Africa.

Four years later, and Japan will once again face the Springboks at another World Cup after turning the table on Gregor Townsend’s men, but this time it will be different.

Continue reading below…

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The 2019 edition of the World Cup fixture will take place at Tokyo Stadium in the quarter-final stage rather than the pool stage, and Joseph iterated that without the involvement of the Sunwolves in Super Rugby, the Japanese may not be preparing for this upcoming clash.

Widely considered the whipping boys of the southern hemisphere’s premier club competition, the Sunwolves have endured a torrid time results-wise in their first four seasons against the best franchises from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina.

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The Tokyo-based club have won just eight games from 62 matches and have been tasked with the tricky balancing act of blooding homegrown talent to develop Japanese rugby while also recruiting a plethora of offshore talent to help maintain competitiveness.

The difficulty that the Sunwolves have encountered of upholding both ends of the spectrum has proven to be troublesome for the side, coached by Japan assistant coach Tony Brown, as they have finished no higher than 15th since their debut season.

Although their enterprising and fearless brand of rugby – which has been replicated at international level by the Brave Blossoms – captured the imaginations of fans around the league, their track record was enough for SANZAAR to deem them unworthy of playing in Super Rugby beyond 2020 as the competition diminishes from 15 teams to 14.

Beyond that, they will cease to exist, but Japan’s efforts in their home World Cup looks to be an indication that the southern hemisphere’s governing body have made the wrong decision.

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“There have been a lot of things happened the last three years, and a big one of those is the Super Rugby competition has allowed our players to get some exposure to all the athletes you see and recognise at this tournament, particularly in the southern hemisphere,” Joseph said in the wake of his side’s success against Scotland.

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“We struggled in that tournament for lots of reasons but we got exposed to the level of rugby that we would face at the World Cup and it’s been a real winner for us.

“It’s quite a hard thing to explain, but when you’re losing every weekend you’re still getting experience, still getting an understanding of the travelling and playing and what being a professional is like. That’s what our players did.

“This year we were able to control that a little bit and we’ve used the Super Rugby competition to our benefit. That benefit is now paying off at the World Cup.”

It’s hard to envisage SANZAAR overturning their choice to expel the Sunwolves from Super Rugby given that upholding their lucrative broadcasting deals, which effectively spelled the end of the Japanese club’s stint in the competition, is of paramount importance.

However, given the trajectory at which Japanese rugby is heading in and the integral role that the Sunwolves played in getting them to this point, a re-think may be in order.

Perhaps that re-think could see the Sunwolves re-admitted into Super Rugby, or maybe it means the Brave Blossoms will become the fifth member of the Rugby Championship.

Either way, it would be criminal for Japan to be snubbed moving forward after their dazzling spectacle at this World Cup, and any future rewards that they reap from their efforts at this tournament can be largely attributed to one the unlikeliest of heroes of the past four years in the form of the Sunwolves.

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Jon 1 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 4 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.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours 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

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 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.

21 Go to comments
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