The day the Boks killed Bambi
Japan crushed by South Africa’s power but their stylish, engaging style of play will live long in the memory
HANdRE POllARd turned to his left and hoofed the ball into the crowd. He did not let the narrative breathe one second longer than was necessary.
like his South African teammates, he executed the job that had been demanded. He killed Bambi. What else were the Springboks meant to do?
Japan have been the great entertainers, the great gamechangers, the great romantics of this tournament, but no more. From here, it is about the big boys, and their big boys.
That’s what South Africa had in abundance yesterday. Giants of men who imposed their game on Japan so that even when it seemed as if the hosts might win they were, by degrees, losing. At the half hour mark they had enjoyed 81 per cent possession, but South Africa still led, as they had from the fourth minute when Japanese fly-half Ya Tamura missed his tackle, and Makazole Mapimpi got over for the first of his two tries.
Japan’s reaction to that is what has made them the superstars of the tournament until now. They played their game; their wonderful, slick, complex, improvised game, all outrageous off-loads and hand movements so fast they should be accompanied by the playing of Sweet Georgia Brown, like the Harlem Globetrotters.
Yet, while it looked wonderful and those who have grown used to modern rugby’s gigantism continued to thrill to it, the impact in terms of points, was minimal. Even when South Africa lost prop Tendai Mtawarira to the sin bin for a tip tackle on Keita Inagaki — and some believe referee Wayne Barnes’ yellow card rather lenient — they could only chip three points off the Springboks’ lead.
They had chances, they played their game deep in South Africa’s half — and perilously deep in their own, when it was demanded — but mostly they ended up losing ground. The Springboks defensive line speed was excellent and their brute physicality did the rest, their slighter opponents beaten back or smothered, their growing exhaustion showing as the game wore on.
Just two points separated the teams at half-time, yet after that South Africa took it away from Japan. There was never a point in the second half when it looked as if the underdogs might spring a shock as Pollard kicked penalty after penalty. Warren Gatland, the Wales coach, will have known the identity of next Sunday’s semi-final opponents from very early in the evening.
Yet unless South Africa surprise and go on to win the tournament, the irony is that the losing quarter-finalists here will remain longer in the memory. Japan are the nation that has captured hearts and minds these last weeks and may end up influencing rugby across future generations.
Not just by giving their country a new sporting passion, although they have done that; but by demonstrating that might isn’t always right. It may have won the day here — as most expected — but it is Japan’s methods that will have coaches everywhere inspired, or at least intrigued.
Japan’s players whose moves, whose techniques will be imitated by the young. Japan who have challenged the conventional wisdom of the sport. South Africa are the better XV, obviously. They are a very, very good rugby team. But that’s all they are. A good rugby team. And we’ve seen plenty of those over the decades. Japan are different. Japan are playing the game in a way that looks and feels unique.
And yes, the All Blacks have been delivering beautiful rugby pretty much forever. At their best they are Japan upgraded, a refined version of that carousel of offloads and invention, minus the poor decisions and the gambles, the misjudgements and blind alleys. Yet at their best, Japan seemed even faster than that. Crazy fast. Crazy new.
One-hand passes round the back, not once, but again and again. It was like watching a high-wire act without the safety net. And, as South Africa grew into their game in the second half and Japan’s energy was sapped, the wobbles grew more dramatic and they fell.
Yet, at times, when South Africa were demonstrating their skills, through Willie le Roux or Mapimpi or the brilliant Faf de Klerk, it was possible to wonder:
what if those players were in Japan shirts. Imagine them with the shackles off, playing it as they see it — sevens in a 15-man game, as it was described last week.
The counter-argument is that a fine team can have the best of both worlds as South Africa did in the 66th minute. A fabulous rolling maul pushed its way through Japan’s defences, before Malcolm Marx offloaded the ball sweetly to De Klerk for a clear run to the posts.
It was a lovely try, the epitome of good rugby, but built on the physicality that was always likely to make the difference here. Yet while the end justified the means, will it live as long in the memory as some of the patterns Japan have weaved at this World Cup? Will we still be talking about it in four years time when we wonder whether this nation will have stayed true to what is almost a distinctive brand?
Their colours are distinctive, too, yet Japan do not need such obvious definition. They could play shirtless and observers would know: that’s Japan, the way Barcelona’s footballers have a recognisable style, or any team coached by Jurgen Klopp.
That is what Japan have brought to their tournament — beside excellent hospitality and patience with foreign visitors. They have brought new sights, new ideas, a new way of thinking and of playing.
And it came a distant second to conventional methods yesterday, let’s not forget. South Africa left plenty of points out there, too, with poor handling at times. Yet the kernel of fresh thought remains. At the end, as Japan went on a deserved lap around the ground, thanking all sides, the feeling was mutual.
‘Stand up for the Japanese,’ sang a collection of mainly Irish neutrals. We should for they have made this tournament. They have made it feel different, special.
Their team has departed it now but, even in their absence, this remains Japan’s World Cup.