Namibia v Canada match ‘cancelled’ after typhoon

Samoa bow out with regrets

TOKYO, Oct 13, (RTRS): The Rugby World Cup Pool B match between Namibia and Canada which was scheduled to be contested later on Sunday in Kamaishi has been cancelled because of the destruction caused by Typhoon Hagibis, World Rugby said.

“Owing to the level 5 evacuation order remaining operational following Typhoon Hagibis, World Rugby and the Japan 2019 Organising Committee have cancelled today’s Rugby World Cup 2019 Pool B match between Namibia and Canada in Kamaishi on safety grounds,” organisers said in statement.

“There have been landslides and flooding in the vicinity of the stadium and along access roads to the venue following torrential rain throughout the night.

“The safety of all involved in Rugby World Cup 2019 is our primary consideration and fans are advised not to travel to Kamaishi or the venue, which will be closed.” The Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium was built on the site of schools destroyed by the deadly 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The organising committee’s CEO Akira Shimazu added: “We considered every possibility to make this game happen, in the end we had no option but to cancel the match to ensure the safety of the fans, team, volunteers, and all others involved.

“It was both a difficult and emotional decision to make, however, I feel it’s the right decision.” Typhoon Hagibis, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones to ever hit central Japan, left millions confined indoors and streets deserted as record rains and fierce winds flooded rivers and threatened widespread damage. The Namibia-Canada match, which had no bearing on the rest of the tournament with both sides out of contention for the quarterfinals, will be recorded as a draw. It is only the third World Cup match to have been cancelled.

Two of Saturday’s matches, the Pool C decider between England and France and the Pool B match between world champions New Zealand and Italy, were scratched on Thursday when it became clear the typhoon would make landfall in central Honshu.

Organisers later confirmed the Pool C match between the United States and Tonga in Osaka and Wales’s final Pool D match against Uruguay in Kumamoto would go ahead as scheduled on Sunday.

There will be an inspection of conditions at Yokohama International Stadium on Sunday morning before a call is made on whether or not to play the final match of the day, organisers said.

Japan’s Pool A clash with Scotland will decide which of the two teams reaches the quarter-finals. If it is cancelled, the host nation will progress.

Ticket holders to all cancelled matches will be entitled to a full face-value refund.

Crippled by administrative chaos and a coaching merrygo-round through the World Cup cycle, Samoa arrived in Japan with an ambitious goal of reaching the knockout rounds.

After a poor campaign in Pool A featuring only one win over emerging nation Russia, they depart with familiar regrets and a host of seemingly intractable problems.

While Pacific neighbours Fiji and Tonga improved as their campaigns went on, Samoa went backwards after beating Russia, losing 38-19 to hosts Japan and bowing out on Saturday with a 47-5 thrashing by an Ireland team with 14 men for most of the match.

With New Zealander Steve Jackson as their third coach in as many years and a host of top players choosing club over country, Samoa were always going to be up against it.

Recruitment has long been a battle and the island nation is increasingly stuck on the losing side.

While boasting players of the calibre of captain Jack Lam and Bristol lock-loose forward Chris Vui, Jackson would have been thrilled to have had Worcester pair Michael Fatialofa and Melani Nanai and Leicester’s Jordan Taufua at his disposal.

Instead, they chose to eschew playing for a national team that can offer little more than pride in the jersey and the coverage of basic expenses.

“We’ve just got to make sure players want to play for Samoa and we get a group of guys who want to come here,” said Jackson after the Ireland defeat in Fukuoka.

“They put the jersey before a piece of paper.” Jackson, whose contract expires in November, put his hand up for an extension but may not get one after an underwhelming tournament in which his team lost 34-0 to Scotland, their first scoreless result in 30 World Cup matches.

While lacking resources and depth, much of Samoa’s travails in Japan were self-inflicted as they racked up the penalties and six yellow cards, twice that of the next most offending teams.

Jackson complained vociferously about the referees’ lack of consistency, yet could not fix his team’s propensity for going high in the tackle despite the clear hard line set early by administrators.

Team spirit and an underdog heart may have endeared them to local fans, but their defence and set pieces were often a shambles and much too easily exploited by the tier one teams.

Shimazu