Rassie wary of ‘scary’ Japan
COACH: REALISTIC CONTENDERS FOR QUARTERFINALS
The two countries could yet reprise 2015 World Cup clash.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says Japan are a “scary” proposition after the hosts’ staggering upset of Ireland put them on collision course with the Springboks in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
South Africa famously went down to Japan in the 2015 World Cup’s “Miracle of Brighton”, an upset the Brave Blossoms reprised with their 19-12 win over Ireland – who came into the tournament ranked world No 1.
The Springboks beat Japan 41-7 in a World Cup warm-up but after the seismic shock in Shizuoka, Erasmus said he had always tipped them to get out of Pool A, where they have two wins from two and games to come against Samoa and Scotland.
“I always knew Japan were realistic contenders for the quarterfinals,” Erasmus said, after South Africa ran through minnows Namibia 57-3 in a Pool B stroll.
“Probably if they beat Scotland now they can end top of the pool and if we manage to beat Italy then that’s a realistic option. It’s almost a bit of a scary option.”
South Africa lost 23-13 to defending champions New Zealand in their opener and now face Six Nations side Italy on Friday, ahead of their final Pool B fixture with Canada.
On Saturday, Erasmus changed 13 players from the team that lost to the All Blacks, even deploying hooker Schalk Brits at No 8, but they still managed to run in nine tries against Namibia.
Namibia coach Phil Davies, however, who also fielded a muchchanged line-up after their battling defeat to Italy, said his team was going in the right direction.
Namibia, still winless in 21 World Cup games, lost 142-0 to Australia in 2003 – the biggest score margin in the tournament’s history – and went down 87-0 when they last played the Springboks in 2011.
“The scorelines would suggest we are improving. We played with a lot of courage tonight... overall we are progressing,” Davies said.
“We played Italy last week and we were very competent in certain facets of the game as we were tonight. Our lineout, against arguably one of the best lineouts in the world, coped well.
“There are lots of positives and that’s what we’ve got to take out of it and we’ve got to move forward and take on New Zealand next week.” –
– Samoa coach Steve Jackson (above) hopes Scotland’s words about his side come back to haunt them when the teams meet at the Rugby World Cup today.
The Pacific islanders will be without centre Rey Lee-Lo and hooker Motu Matu’u after the pair were yellow-carded and then banned for three games for shoulder-led hits to the head of Russia’s Vasily Artemyev during Samoa’s opening 34-9 Pool A win.
Scotland vice-captain Greig Laidlaw said this week the Samoa duo deserved to be banned as they were guilty of “two clear head shots – and pretty brutal ones at that”.
Jackson said he was using reports out of the Scotland camp as motivation for his players as they look to cause an upset against the Six Nations side.
“We know there’s been things put to the media by people in the Scottish squad around talking to the referees about tackles and all that sort of stuff,” Jackson told reporters at the Kobe Misaki Stadium yesterday.
“Thanks for doing that because that just motivates our players a lot more.
“The 23 players that are going out there will have the same mindset and the same attitude, same temperament to this group and then we’ll see what happens.”
The Samoa pair’s bans are of the same length as the one given to the USA’s John Quill, even though the flanker received a red card – the first of the tournament – for a late shoulder charge on England captain Owen Farrell during the Eagles’ 45-7 loss in Kobe.
“If you look at the USA tackle and our two tackles, they are completely different, but exactly the same outcome,” Jackson said.
A Samoa win would end Scotland’s quarterfinal hopes after their woeful 27-3 loss to Ireland and Jackson said his side would look to emulate Japan’s example following the World Cup hosts’ stunning 19-12 win over the Irish on Saturday.
“I take my hat off to Japan,” said Jackson. “It was great to watch and, like any other team, we were almost cheering.”
Samoa, despite missing two players through suspension, will be bolstered by the extraordinarily rapid return from injury of both flanker Piula Faasalele, who broke his arm two months ago, and captain Jack Lam.
“We’re talking about two guys with the highest pain tolerance in the world,” said Jackson.
“To have the captain back has just lifted the team and Faasalele back playing has just lifted the guys again.” – AFP