All Blacks must follow lead of hosts
As the All Blacks huddled into their team room on Sunday night in Tokyo to cheer the host nation to the most significant victory in their history, they might also have witnessed the blueprint for their own World Cup success story.
In many ways Japan are the All Blacks Lite and their transition is the reason they have made such a mark on this global tournament. They won all four pool A matches to qualify top for Sunday’s quarterfinal against the Springboks and in the process have captured the hearts and minds of a nation normally besotted by baseball, sumo and football.
Last Sunday at its peak more than half of this vast country of 120 million people tuned in to watch Japan’s epic 28-21 victory over Scotland that clinched a spot among the game’s elite for the first time in their history. They did so because the Brave Blossoms were winning, but also because they were doing it in their own way, with speed, fury, passion and absolute commitment.
It’s a blueprint that should be familiar to New Zealanders because it’s very similar to the way the All Blacks play at their best, with a few tweaks to suit the makeup of this Japanese squad.
That should not come as a surprise as New Zealand is the primary guiding force on Japanese rugby. There’s a reason the All Blacks are the second most popular side at this Rugby World Cup. The Kiwi influence in this country is significant.
The Top League is busy with New Zealand coaches and players (with Steve Hansen, Kieran Read, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Matt Todd and Ryan Crotty all soon to join them) and the Brave Blossoms are coached by a trio of Kiwis in Jamie Joseph, Tony Brown and Scott Hansen and captained by one in Michael Leitch, whose popularity in Japan has reached unprecedented levels.
The All Blacks enjoyed watching the Japanese back up their stunning upset over Ireland with a less unexpected, but no less meritorious, victory over Scotland because of its significance and also its style. It was a big-time result for rugby in this region but it held even more sway with them because it was achieved with some scintillating running code.
Watching the Japanese stun the Scots with their willingness to attack, speed of feet and thought, superb support lines and inclination to search for space must have felt familiar to the watching All Blacks. It’s exactly how they like to play, mixed with a bit more physicality closer to the ruck in the formative stages.
Japan have had the courage to embrace their identity and play to their strengths at this tournament and it has seen them make history, for themselves and their region.
It now remains to be seen if the All Blacks can do likewise as they kick off the sudden-death phase of the tournament with a quarterfinal against Joe Schmidt’s Ireland on Saturday at Tokyo Stadium.
It is an Irish side that has shown in the not too distant past an ability to drag the All Blacks into the trenches and away from the pace and space game they too prefer. With Andy Farrell’s rush defence, a physical pack and two astute kickers in Conor Murray and Jonny Sexton, the men in green feel they have the antidote to the feared New Zealand runand-stun style.