Japan in Rugby World Cup quarters? It’s possible. The Japanese in any case disposed of Samoa (28-22) this Thursday, in Toulouse, in a match with the flavor of the round of 16. However, there was still hope at the break for the Samoans, who came back to 17-8 when they returned to the locker room. More disciplined, more efficient, Japan logically made the difference after the break… before letting itself get drunk, and being pushed to its limits by a Samoan team reduced to 14. In the ranking of this group D, Japan takes , alone, second place behind England, already in the quarters. Despite the defensive bonus point, Samoa, third ahead of Argentina (one game in hand), are already eliminated from the race for the quarter-finals.
We expected a big fight. It happened. Determined to hurt their opponents, the Samoa players first attacked the Japanese camp, but center Leuila missed the first penalty of the game (2nd). The Brave Blossoms, shaken and orphaned by their scrum-half Nagare, a last minute withdrawal, bowed down before diving on their first real foray into the 22 meters. After a superb breakthrough from Naikabula, Labushgane scored the try (14th), then enhanced by kicks from Matsuda (15th, 28th). A successful penalty this time from Leuila (25th) allowed Samoa to limit the damage until the jewel of the evening. A textbook action concluded by Japan veteran Michael Leitch, found at the end of the line by a skipped pass from Matsuda (32nd).
Stunned, Samoa finished the first period at 14 (yellow card for Taumateine) just like the Japanese (Horie at fault), who could have achieved the perfect shot without Lam’s reduction in the gap following a carried ball (38th) . Dominated territorially and in possession (40% in the 1st half), Jamie Joseph’s players nevertheless led 17-8 at the break.
Returning from the locker room, the first quarter of an hour was fatal for Samoa, definitively at 14 due to a tackle to the head of Ben Lam, first punished with a yellow card changed to red by the bunker (51st ). Just before, captain Himeno had scored the third Japanese try following a carried ball (50th), perfectly concluding his team’s coup. She who could always count on the impeccable flyhalf Matsuda, author of two new penalties without trembling (56th, 74th). We then thought that Japan was capable of winning largely with the precious offensive bonus in its pocket. But the Samoans never gave up, even when numerically inferior, crossing the line twice through Paia’aua (66th) then Leali’ifano (78th). Coming back to six points at the siren, they even had the match point, on a final touch… ultimately poorly negotiated. Beaten 28-22, they will be satisfied with one point, undoubtedly insufficient to hope to continue the adventure in the quarter-final.
Next meeting for both teams? Samoa will challenge England – who are officially assured of their place in the quarter-finals and even first place in Group D – on Saturday October 7 (5:45 p.m.), in Villeneuve d’Ascq, while Japan will face Argentina the next day (1 p.m.), in Nantes, in a match that promises to be decisive. In the (very probable) event of victory against Chile (September 30 at 3 p.m.), the Pumas would even offer themselves an authentic round of 16 against the Japanese… Note that England-Samoa will have no stake in the point of English view. Not for Samoans. “We don’t often have the opportunity to play against England and what’s more, we are aiming for this third qualifying place for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, which is one of our objectives. We now want to end on a positive note,” said Seilala Mapusua, the coach.
