Mad in Japan
The Brave Blossoms could be en route to meet the Springboks
● Uruguay’s win over Fiji was the first tremor at this Rugby World Cup (RWC), but yesterday hosts Japan rocked the tournament to its foundations with their wildly popular win over Ireland.
Japan’s 19-12 win over last week’s top ranked team in the game reverberated around the rugby world and has served to rip the tournament wide open with pool A suddenly becoming a three-horse race.
The result also means Japan could potentially play the Springboks in the quarterfinals, providing of course Rassie Erasmus’s side can negotiate safe passage to the next round.
“I watched that game right to the end before I went to our warm-up,” said Erasmus with a broad smile.
“After we beat Japan in that RWC warmup game I said if we manage to get through to the quarterfinal we might play Japan in the quarterfinal,” said Erasmus.
The Boks of course were desperate to avoid the calamity that befell Ireland when they ran out here against Namibia.
They made a good enough start but the humidity and resultant greasy ball hamstrung their efforts in the second half.
“It is difficult to explain how difficult it is to handle the ball.
“In the first 15, 20 minutes it is easier, but then it gets more difficult. It isn’t just the ball, your hands, arms and your jersey get wet. Just transferring the ball in the maul is difficult. It is tough for everybody,” explained the coach.
Erasmus is happy to take the points without further mishap and move on to Shizuoka where the Boks play Italy on Friday. “It wasn’t a wonderful performance, but it was a solid performance. I think it was the first 50-pointer in the RWC.
“To get the five log points was important. It was awful to look at the points table to see us on zero. We are realistic about where we are and what we need to do,” said Erasmus.
As for the quality of the opposition, the coach was clear Namibia is a team improving and they presented the Boks a stern enough physical challenge. Their results against the Boks at the RWC suggest they are a rugby nation that has improved. The Boks hammered them 105-13 in 2007, before beating them 87-0 four years later.
Phil Davies, the Namibia coach, said the scores suggest they are improving. “The boys were under a lot of pressure at the breakdown. We are progressing. We coped well in the lineouts. There are some positives we can take out.”
Still, there was nothing neighbourly about the way in which the Springbok pack manhandled Namibia. They were in the ascendancy from the opening minute.
The Boks didn’t have to move too far from their marauding pack to make inroads. They played with cohesion and precision but it was against a pack that offered little by way of resistance.
Captain on the day Schalk Brits grew more conspicuous as the match wore on. Locks Lood de Jager and RG Snyman proved willing and able ball carriers often driving into the heart of the Namibian defence. De Jager deservedly scooped the man of the match award.
Herschel Jantjies and namesake Elton operated well in concert in the first half, but lost some fluidity after the break. With such a surfeit of front-foot ball even Frans Steyn could lengthen his stride occasionally. He delivered one telling cover tackle in his first start in seven years in the Bok jersey.
Left wing Makazole Mapimpi looked for work and often found it, while fullback Warrick Gelant’s handling was at times poor. He, however, remains devilishly good at ghosting into space.
Erasmus will be relieved this match is behind him. The match against Italy however is the one the Boks need to negotiate carefully.
He admitted he will be faced with a few tough selections for that game.
To get five points was important. It was awful to look at the points table to see us on zero
Rassie Erasmus
Springbok coach