Heat is on as hosts face Olympian task
JAPAN FEEL OPENING-NIGHT NERVES
FOR rugby union, this is the big one. For Japan it is actually a rehearsal for the big one.
The Rugby World Cup, which kicks off today with the hosts facing Russia at Tokyo Stadium, is the precursor to next year’s Olympic Games which Japan is also staging and is a sort of grand test run.
The opening match was supposed to be played at the new Olympic Stadium, as was the final, but it will not now be ready until after the six-week, 48-match tournament has finished.
Ticket sales have been strong, with 96 per cent of the 1.8m shifted across 12 stadia but what with the baseball season and the autumn grand sumo basho also in full swing, rugby’s global extravaganza is fighting for airspace in Tokyo.
The tournament needs a situp-and-take-notice start from Japan. Russia, the lowest ranked side at the tournament at No20, have been handpicked as Bears to the slaughter but the stress of opening night is threatening to cripple the Brave Blossoms.
Scrum-half Yutaka Nagare said: “We’re playing in the opening match, which is a match that comes with a lot of pressure. There’s the expectations of the team and also of the Japanese people.
“I will be nervous but this is a dream match so I hope we can enjoy it and play with confidence.”
Japan’s mission is to reach the knockout stages for the first time. To achieve that they will need to take down either Scotland or Ireland and make sure they do not fluff their lines against Samoa.
A defeat to Russia would be ruinous and opening nights do not always go to plan for the hosts at the Rugby World Cup. England lost to New Zealand in 1991 and France went down to Argentina in 2007.
Japan are without two of their best players – wing Kenki Fukuoka and back row Amanaki Mafi – who were injured in the 41-7 defeat to South Africa a fortnight ago as the Springboks exacted revenge for the 2015 World Cup defeat which shook rugby.
Japan have eight survivors from the Miracle of Brighton in their 23, including the outstanding Michael Leitch, their captain.
Russia have no one who fits that bill, although they do have an interesting sporting allrounder at prop in Kirill Gotovtsev, who has represented Russia in wrestling and the twoman bobsleigh. Frankly, the standard of this opening match is unlikely to set the world on fire with Japan stressed out of their minds and Russia coming into the tournament off the back of a terrible series of warm-up games that saw the Bears leak 80 points to Italy and lose to Connacht and Jersey.
Russia are only here at all because the three teams above them in their qualifying group all fielded ineligible players.
If that sounds a bit tinpot then such is rugby life below the leading nations.
Expanding and deepening rugby’s reach, particularly in Asia, is part of the thinking behind choosing Japan as hosts. It will certainly make for a different World Cup from the eight that have gone before.
The first tournament to be staged in Asia is a great leap but for it to be a great success the Brave Blossoms need to fly.