Pool D of this World Cup is surely the tightest, the most undecided since four teams (England, Samoa, Japan and Argentina) can still claim qualification for the quarter-finals. If the XV de la Rose is almost qualified (but not officially) with 14 points and one last match to play against the Samoans, behind the battle rages and the slightest point will count.
This Thursday, Japan, quarter-finalist of the last edition which it played at home (26-3 defeat against South Africa, future champion) which lost against the English (34-12), n There is no room for error against a direct rival, Samoa, who lost to Argentina (19-10). “This match is very important for us. But we knew what to expect, says captain Kazuki Himeno. It’s going to be hard, but we are prepared and confident. We had time to recover, it did us good.”
The “Brave Blossoms”, the least penalized team in the competition (6), know that their salvation will come through a more airtight defense. “We have a plan to correct the mistakes we made against the English, particularly defensively,” underlines New Zealand coach of Japan, Jamie Joseph. We can’t afford to miss that many tackles against Samoa.” And added: “We had a lot more time to develop a strategy and a lot more time to recover from the match against England which left its mark for a few days because the players were very emotionally invested in this match .”
Opposite, the Pacific players will offer a frenetic physical challenge, their traditional strength. Shocks in stock. “We will try to take the game into our own hands and rely on our physical dimension,” agrees Manu Samoa coach, Seilala Mapusua. We have to do simple things perfectly, absorb the pressure that Japan will put on us and try to press them hard, too.
Before the final shock which awaits them on October 8 against the Argentinians, the Japanese are wary. “The level of Samoa is increasing. They have experience and power and they control the game well, explains Kazuki Himeno. But we have a plan to win this match, we must follow it and implement it. We have to stay connected and communicate in difficult moments and make tackles in pairs to win collisions. Especially since two months ago, the Samoans won against the Japanese (24-22), in a preparation match in Sapporo.
If Manu Samoa remains on 13 successes during the last 17 confrontations, the “Brave Blossoms” have on their side the experience of major meetings: they remain on two victories against these same opponents during the last two editions (26-5 in 2015 and 38-19 four years ago). Japan, if it wants to reach the quarter-finals for the second time in its history, knows full well that each point will be very expensive. In 2015, the team then coached by Eddie Jones became the first nation not to qualify despite three victories in the group stages. The fault lies in offensive bonuses not gleaned, unlike South Africa (4) and Scotland (2).