Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Japan’s dream run at Rugby World Cup 2019 has come to an end. The brutal power of the South African forwards saw the Springboks through to a 26-3 victory in Tokyo on Sunday. It is perhaps a deceiving scoreline that does not reflect the intensity of the match for the first hour. The score was 5-3 at halftime and it was only the final quarter when the scales tipped irreversibly.
The opening half was as exciting a contest as has been on display at the tournament. Both teams had chances to score but only eight points between them were secured. As predicted it was a complete contrast of styles with the Brave Blossoms throwing everything into their high-flying attack while the Springboks bludgeoned ahead through the pack.
A mistake in the opening moments cost Japan dearly. South Africa were awarded a scrum deep inside home territory and though the ball popped out the back before they could secure a penalty, Faf de Klerk handed Makazole Mapimpi a one-on-one against Yu Tamura, and the South Africa winger evaded Tamura’s poor tackle attempt to score in the corner.
Dramatic moments were plenty and another came at the 10 minute mark when a ferocious tackle from Tendai Mtawarira on Keita Inagaki went slightly over the top. Inagaki landed on his shoulder and the referee immediately sent the Beast to the sin-bin for the indiscretion, with captain Siya Kolisi joining him on the sidelines to make room for Steven Kitshoff.
The Brave Blossoms sent wave after wave at the South African line but the Springbok tacklers repeatedly knocked them back with crunching tackles, epitomized by a Duane Vermeulen hit on Ryohei Yamanaka that reverberated around the stadium. Amazingly it was the scrum that earned Japan a penalty, and Tamura took the three points as Mtawarira and Kolisi re-entered the fray.
There would be no quarter given for the next 20 minutes. Kenki Fukuoka made a searing break down the left side that nearly resulted in a try for Japan, only for Damian de Allende to win a crucial turnover. At the other end, de Allende smashed through a tackle and seemed to score after bouncing back up, but he was judged to have crawled part of the way and instead the tense period came to a close.
It was inevitable that the size and strength of the Springbok forwards would take its toll. Immediately following the restart Japan were put under pressure. Kotaro Matsushima was lucky to escape censure for a challenge in the air on Mapimpi, but it was advantage and Handré Pollard took the easy rewards.
The set piece had now swung heavily in South Africa’s favor and Mtawarira roared as the scrum earned another three points. Replacements started to enter the game and the front row changes only continued the dominance though Pollard would miss his next shot at the posts.
A high tackle from James Moore on de Klerk allowed Pollard to redeem himself soon after, and then came the coup de grâce. The Springbok pack drove Japan back 30 meters in a relentless maul until the space opened de Klerk to take a Malcolm Marx offload over to clinch the result. A second try for Mapimpi came at the end of a counter-attack but the points were academic.
South Africa march into Sunday’s Semi Final at Yokohama with form and confidence, and will face a Wales side fortunate to escape what could have been an embarrassing defeat against France. For Japan it is disappointment but their mark had already been made. The rugby world will celebrate their endeavor long into the Tokyo evening, their achievements among the great stories in the history of the tournament.
SCORING
JAPAN 3
Pens – Y. Tamura 1/1 (20′)
SOUTH AFRICA 26
Tries – M. Mapimpi 2 (4′, 70′), F. de Klerk (65′)
Cons – H. Pollard 1/3 (66′)
Pens – H. Pollard 3/4 (44′, 48′, 63′)
Yellow cards – T. Mtawarira (10′)
TEAMS
JAPAN
1 Keita Inagaki (17 Isileli Nakajima 47′-67′), 2 Shota Horie (16 Atsushi Sakate 72′), 3 Ji-Won Koo (18 Asaeli Valu 64′), 4 Luke Thompson (19 Wimpie van der Walt 53′), 5 James Moore, 6 Michael Leitch (capt.), 7 Lappies Labuschagne (20 Amanaki Mafi 11′-21′), 8 Kazuki Himeno (20 Amanaki Mafi 52′), 9 Yutaka Nagare (21 Fumiaki Tanaka 72′), 10 Yu Tamura (22 Rikiya Matsuda 47′), 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 15 Ryohei Yamanaka (23 Lomano Lemeki 60′)
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Tendai Mtawarira (17 Steven Kitshoff 53′), 2 Bongi Mbonambi (16 Malcolm Marx 37′), 3 Frans Malherbe (18 Vincent Koch 53′), 4 Eben Etzebeth (19 RG Snyman 62′), 5 Lood de Jager (20 Franco Mostert 67′), 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.) (17 Steven Kitshoff 11′-20′), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Duane Vermeulen (21 Francois Louw 67′), 9 Faf de Klerk (22 Herschel Jantjies 74′), 10 Handré Pollard, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 14 Cheslin Kolbe (23 Frans Steyn 72′), 15 Willie le Roux
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistants: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) & Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
