It’s fitting that Japan got to book knockout spot in some style

LIKE all rugby fans, I spent the weekend with my fingers tightly crossed that Japan versus Scotland in Yokohama would go ahead as planned amid Typhoon Hagibis.

Under the circumstances naturally our first thoughts are always with those who have lost loved ones, their homes or their livelihoods, but in a strictly sporting sense it would have been a real shame to have this World Cup remembered for abandoned games and their effect on the quarter-finals.

Scotland would rightly have been furious had they been knocked out in that manner but, knowing what we do now, imagine if Japan’s historic place in the knockouts was remembered not for their incredible performances but for a postponement.

They deserved to soak up the glory in Yokohama because they’ve been fantastic, not just on Sunday but throughout this entire tournament.

It doesn’t always come across but the difference between a good pass and a bad one can be as little as six inches. In that context, the accuracy with which Japan are playing is quite incredible and it’s been a joy to watch. I expected them to beat Scotland but not to that degree while some of the tries they managed to score were simply breathtaking.

It’s going to be fascinating to see how they go against South Africa, and what a fixture after the events of four years ago in Brighton. The Springboks will no doubt try to impose their own style on a game they won’t want to be fast and loose but Ireland and Scotland both attempted the same with no joy in slowing down the breakdown.

Pull off another shock and I’m sure we’ll see teams exploring all kinds of options to best mirror Japan’s unusual preparation in four years’ time. It was a bold call to pull players from frontline action for so long prior to the tournament but the proof has been in the performances.

Imagine what other tier two nations could do with similar time spent together in training?