South Africa to face Wales in semi-final after grinding down Japan
South Africa trampled all over a dream to leave many of Japan’s supporters in tears at the final whistle but the home side had already achieved a victory that even five weeks ago looked unlikely: acceptance that a place should be found for an inspired, innovative team who bring a refreshing vibrancy to a game that at the top level was becoming stereotyped and stale.
It is up to those running the game to ensure the interest in rugby sparked by Japan’s achievement in reaching the knockout stage for the first time is not dissipated by inaction. That Japan asked more searching questions of South Africa than Italy, who have been in the Six Nations since 2000, did in the group stage, said everything about the need to involve them in the Rugby Championship without delay.
It took South Africa, who won the Championship last summer, an hour to subdue the side who had defeated Ireland and Scotland to finish unbeaten at the head of their pool. After conceding an early try when their attempt to hide their fly-half, Yu Tamura, on the blindside of a Springboks scrum was detected by the scrum-half, Faf de Klerk, who wasted no time in firing a pass to Makazole Mapimpi on the left wing, they rallied. The host country applied such concerted pressure that lesser teams would have wilted, but the try Japan desperately needed was denied by a dark green wall that would not fracture.
For all the cleverness of their play and their ability to keep the ball alive, South Africa were ready for what hit them, having prepared assiduously. Japan’s inability to improvise cost them and for all that South Africa’s might and power consumed them after the interval to the point where they were scrummaged and mauled into submission, it was De Klerk, a player small even by Japanese standards, who most thwarted their ambition.
As well as creating the opening try for Mapimpi, De Klerk smothered a number of attacks. After 30 minutes South Africa had attempted 90 tackles to their opponents’ 16, a reflection of how the hosts were dominating possession, but their line was rarely cut, and they survived the loss of the prop Tendai Mtawarira to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle on his opposite number Keita Inagaki. He sustained a suspected broken rib but played on until the second half and came back on with 13 minutes to go after his replacement, Isileli Nakajima, pulled a hamstring.
Mtawarira was fortunate Inagaki broke his fall with his left elbow otherwise he would have landed on his head and the card would have been red. He may be cited before Sunday’s semifinal against Wales but his departure gave Japan an advantage they needed to take because the South Africa coach, Rassie Erasmus, had filled his bench with six forwards, including a fresh tight five. This would give his side the legs they would need in the final quarter, when the pace Japan play at takes its toll.
All Japan mustered in Mtawarira’s absence was a Tamura penalty, won at a scrum that earned a roar from the crowd who did everything to keep their team going. South Africa absorbed the blows and should have gone into the interval with a healthier lead than two points: Lukhanyo Am wasted Damian de Allende’s break by throwing a pass out of the back of his hand at Mapimpi’s legs rather than his hands before De Allende was denied a try, a tad harshly, for not releasing after the prop Jiwon Koo fell on him.
Erasmus admitted he was nervous at half-time because of his side’s failure to establish a decent lead, but it was Japan who made mistakes at the start of the second half. South Africa tightened up, De Klerk kicking for position after Japan’s back three had comfortably dealt with high kicks unlike Willie le Roux, who was spooked after being clattered early on by Michael Leitch and made multiple errors.
The game started to be played at South Africa’s pace. Scrums and mauls turned into penalties, three of which Handre Pollard converted into points. Japan had to chase the game, but it was no longer being played on their terms and De Klerk made the game safe when, after barking orders at his forwards as they rumbled a maul 15 metres, he scored under the posts to seal his manof-the-match performance.
Japan kept coming, their spirit unbroken even though their tournament was over, but South Africa in this mood are the cruellest of opponents. For all their ability to move the ball in contact and seek space Japan were undone at set pieces. South Africa took four of their lineouts, the last of which was five metres from their own line when Pieter-Steph du Toit stole the ball at the front and 30 seconds later Mapimpi had his second try.
“South Africa were just too physical,” said the Japan full-back, Lomano Lemeki. “We had our chances but did not take them. This World Cup has been crazy: before it you could walk down the street and do whatever you wanted. Now, everyone knows who you are which shows how popular rugby has become in Japan. We have to be able to build on this because the sky is the limit.”