Fearless Japan are relishing Springboks contest, insists Helu
UWE Helu has warned South Africa to write Japan off at their peril in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final in Tokyo.
Tonga-born lock Helu believes no one in the rugby world will even consider the notion of a Japan victory in this weekend’s fascinating last-eight battle.
Japan shocked Ireland 19-12 then beat Scotland 28-21 to top Pool A with four wins from four.
Jamie Joseph’s team handed hope and joy to a nation suffering the after-effects of Typhoon Hagibis with Sunday’s irrepressible victory over the Scots.
And now the 16-cap second row Helu believes the Brave Blossoms can repeat that feat against the Springboks.
“For me, we’ve already made our goal,” said Helu. No one expected us to make the top eight.
“We’ve already proved everyone wrong. No one will even look at us to win this game this week, so it’s another chance to prove people wrong.
“We love to give everything for our fans, knowing they will always support us.
“When you win something, and make something happen like that, you just want to keep going.
“We’re still feeling the crowd excitement and support from the last game.
“Just knowing and finding out how many people were watching the game, that is a huge boost.
“We always know that if we keep winning lots of people will support us. It adds extra motivation.
“It’s such a good feeling. Just the energy that the fans bring. It definitely boosts us, that’s for sure.”
More than 60 million people tuned in to watch Japan see off Scotland and reach the quarter-finals for the first time.
Japan lost 41-7 to South Africa in a World Cup warm-up match in Kumagaya on September 6, but Helu believes that is no indicator of events ahead this weekend.
He believes it will take a herculean effort — but also believes the Brave Blossoms are ready.
“That warm-up game was five weeks ago so a lot’s changed since then,” said Helu.
“They are a physical team, so we need to be smarter in how we attack, stick to our gameplan — we trust our gameplan. We just need to attack at speed.
“We’re trying to identify specific defenders and exploit them. We need to trick this guy to do that, so we can get good ball.
“South Africa are different from other teams, they did more work as a group. They come in twos and threes when they attack.
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve got to make 200, 300 tackles. No matter what’s coming, you’ve got to keep tackling. No matter what’s coming, we’ll take them on any time.”
WHILE we’ve heard plenty about the bond between the front-row union andtheirlong quest to find Japan’s best coffee shop, Ireland’s back-three at this World Cup have been adopting a different approach to their time together as Saturday’s quarter-final with the All Blacks approaches.
Going down a more traditional route, it’s the onsen where they’ve found themselves gathering, the hot spring baths that are so prevalent throughout the country providing a rare chance for relaxation in the middle of a relentless tournament.
“I’d try and keep myself around the younger lads,” said Keith Earls, who in comparison to Jacob Stockdale and Jordan Larmour has, having turned 32 during this tournament, been cast as something of an elder statesman.
“Myself, Jor, Jacob, we’d be down there in the hot baths.
“It’s amazing the kind of chats you would get down there. You’d be chatting about plays or about training, and all of a sudden there’s a load of detail having been spoken inside there.”
While the impromptu study sessions are one thing, Stockdale has already cited the importance of Earls’ advice in helping him deal with the pressure of a first World Cup.
Having struggled in the past, Earls can impart the wisdom of a changed perspective no doubt helped along by fatherhood — his two daughters are now six and four — and the death of a close friend in Anthony Foley, but also simply knowing one’s body and mind as well.
“It’s my third World Cup and that probably all comes with experience,” he said.
“(Before) I probably would have changed something during the week, something CIAN Healy believes Greg Feek’s ability to “unite” Ireland’s forwards into loving the scrum has transformed their set-piece threat.
Former New Zealand prop Feek joined Leinster as scrum coach in 2010 and stepped up to Ireland a year later.
The 44-year-old has helped whip Ireland’s scrum into one of the most threatening and technically proficient weapons in the Test arena, a feat that prop Healy feels deserves great respect. ridiculous like changing my diet or changing my routine or tried to get better.
“It wasn’t panic but maybe because it’s a quarter-final, you think you have to change things.
“I wouldn’t change anything now. I’ve learned the last couple of years that you prepare the same for Russia as you would New Zealand. That’s where you get confidence from.
“Now I have a good routine and I prefer to be way more relaxed. I think that comes from doing all of my homework, looking at our detail, looking at
Feek led the Haka against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in 2001 and will look to help underpin a third Irish win against his homeland New Zealand in three years on Saturday.
Ireland face the back-to-back world champion All Blacks in Tokyo for a place in the World Cup semi-finals this weekend.
Win and boss Joe Schmidt will make Irish history. Lose and Kiwi coaches Schmidt and Feek their plays. The biggest thing is if you prepare as well as you can and can look yourself in a mirror after a game, that’s all you can do. Win, lose or draw, it doesn’t matter if you can do that.
“I’m really enjoying this week, I’m a bit more relaxed. It’s another game, isn’t it? It’s just against the reigning world champions and it’s going to be a massive challenge but if we’re to test ourselves and want to go on to achieve great things, we’re going to have to play them at some stage.”
It was four years ago, even will have presided over their final Ireland encounter.
“Feeky is a good lad, he has a different perspective from others,” said Healy, when asked to appraise the former All Black, who will relinquish his Ireland role after the World Cup.
“I have worked with him for a long time through Leinster and through here, and he has added an awful lot.
“He has a different way of talkbefore this stage of the tournament, that Earls found himself beset with nerves to the point of illness. Now that bit older and wiser, and knowing he likely could have eased his racing mind by talking it through, he ing about it, and how to unite the full scrum into wanting to know about it.
“Usually it’s just the front rows that want to know more about scrummaging. But getting the back-five lads involved in wanting to know how we can get better is important.
“When they know inside-out what we are looking to do, or looking not to do, even then you can feel the changes in their