This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
Published on October 2, 2019, Japan's Rugby World Cup campaign is gaining momentum after their momentous victory over Ireland. The team is now eyeing a quarter-final spot, and their next target is Samoa in Toyota City on Saturday.
Japan's head coach, Jamie Joseph, has been preparing his team for this moment for three years. Although the team may not have been focusing on Samoa for as long, they are not coming under-prepared. In fact, they are well aware of the challenges each Pool A opponent presents.
Stand-in skipper Pieter Labuschagne emphasized the importance of being prepared, saying, "We knew straight away what we were up against, who we were going to face, and that’s all part of being prepared."
The Samoan pack is one of the heaviest at the tournament, and Japan knows that fronting up in the scrum will be key to giving their dynamic backs the chance to cause problems. Japanese prop Jiwoon Koo said, "They are really big and strong, so we are getting ready to push with eight of us together."
With Pool A so finely poised, bonus points could be key. However, the Japanese are focusing on the win above all else. Winger Kotaro Matsushima, who scored a hat-trick against Russia in the opening match, said, "We’ve got the abilities to score tries, so first we’ll concentrate on winning games and then we’ll go for it if things are going well."
Samoa are still a strong team, and Japan doesn’t want to make mistakes. The team is concentrating on their scrum and is ready to face the challenge.
