Japan embraces Brave Blossoms leader Leitch
For Japan’s charismatic Kiwiborn captain Michael Leitch, the weight of his adopted nation comes at a price. In this case it’s severely compromised his ability to indulge his love of a decent cup of coffee.
Leitch has been restored to the official leadership of a bristling Japan team for today’s Pool A decider against Scotland in Yokohama – if it goes ahead in the wake of the typhoon zeroing in on the Tokyo metropolitan area and due to make landfall last night.
At this stage World Rugby has the match playing out, but that will be reassessed once the full impact of the typhoon is clear. The forecast is for it to clear today, but much will depend on the extent of the damage and whether transport infrastructure reopens. Working in its favour, the match is not scheduled to kick off until 7.45pm local time (11.45pm NZ time).
Whatever plays out, Japan coach and former All Blacks loose forward Jamie Joseph and his restored skipper both made it clear their preference is to play the Scots and settle this growing rivalry on the field. Scotland must win and probably deny the Japanese a bonus point to nudge them out of the quarterfinals. Joseph was clearly angered by inferences that the tournament hosts were happy to take the soft route to the quarterfinals and have the match called off.
There has even been talk of the Scots mounting a legal challenge should such an eventuality play out, which had World Rugby reminding the kilted complainers that they had signed a tournament agreement that precluded matches being shifted to another date.
Anyway, back to Leitch and his caffeine issues.
Joseph explained his reasoning for relieving his inspirational 31-year-old loose forward of the leadership mantle for pool victories over Ireland and Samoa at Friday’s team naming press conference in Tokyo. South African Pieter ‘Lappies’ Labuschagne had filled the role temporarily.
‘‘Our change of captain has allowed Michael to get form back into his game and take away the responsibility he has as a leader,’’ Joseph said soon after taking umbrage with reports he said ‘‘undermined’’ Japan’s achievements at this World Cup.
‘‘We can all see and feel how much extra he has to do. In Japan he can’t go outside the hotel without people asking him to sign autographs. [We were] just taking a bit of pressure off him and getting his game right.
‘‘His game has come right, he’s the right leader and this is the right game for him to lead the team.’’ The ‘‘right’’ game just happens to be the biggest in Japanese rugby history, added the straight-talking Joseph who looked like he would be pretty willing to pack down with Leitch himself. You would not want to be in a Scots jersey if that was the case.
Leitch followed his coach into a room packed with international and Japanese media lapping up the success story of the Brave Blossoms. For the second straight tournament they have stunned one of the leading sides in the world (following their Brighton ‘miracle’ of 2015 with the Shizuoka ‘shocker’ to upset Ireland 19-12). But this time they intend to convert it into a historic quarterfinal spot.
The Christchurch-born Leitch, who moved to Japan as a 15-yearold, was asked about Joseph’s reference to what it’s like for him outside the team hotel.
‘‘I go out of the hotel when I want to have coffee,’’ he explained with a smile. ‘‘Because there are pressures I lock myself in to my hotel room . . . so I can have my coffee in my hotel room now.’’
Leitch understands fully what’s at stake. A recent poll named him the second most recognisable person in Japan, behind only the PM. He is the poster boy of this tournament, his image adorning publicity material the length and breadth of this populous country. A historic spot in the top eight would only enhance that.
Not bad for a mixed-race Kiwi kid (his mother is Fijian, dad a New Zealander) who came over from St Bede’s College on a friend’s recommendation.
‘‘We see each game as an opportunity to inspire Japan,’’ he said. ‘‘We don’t talk about the possibility even with a loss we can go to the quarterfinals. I have experienced defeat against Scotland twice and it’s important for us to feel strong to beat a tierone team.
‘‘We need to be brave – we tend to feel nervous because of the pressure. We have to stave off those pressures. Every match is an opportunity for us to prove we’re strong.’’
Japan’s new cult hero has been doing that ever since he pulled on his adopted nation’s jersey. Bravehearts versus the brave of heart. Let’s just hope we get to see it.