Japan

The Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.   UP Australia If there was any doubt that the Wallabies were up for it, there is none now. A magnificent 10-plus …

It took a long time for my colleagues and I here at Americas Rugby News to compile the list of foreign-born players involved in the ongoing Rugby World Cup. This was due to there simply being so many players picked for the tournament who are playing for countries other than …

Japan finished off their record Rugby World Cup with a 28-18 win over the USA at Kingsholm. The victory gives the Brave Blossoms a 3-1 record in pool play. Unfortunately for the side, Scotland’s narrow win over Samoa means that Japan becomes the first team in World Cup history to …

Last weekend of the pool stages and there’s some very contentious match-ups all across the board. Who will top Pool D? Can Romania upset Italy to qualify for 2019? Will Japan find a way into the quarters? Here we go! Chris and Victor appear to be lost in the barrens, but we’ve …

After suffering a serious beating at the hands of South Africa on Wednesday, head coach Mike Tolkin has returned to his first choice side for his team’s final Pool B match in Gloucester. Whether the game will have any importance beyond being an advert for two rising nations will be …

Eddie Jones has made four changes to the team that dominated Samoa in Milton Keynes for their final pool match against the USA on Sunday. The Brave Blossoms will need a little help from Samoa on Saturday to make the game meaningful. If Scotland win, Japan are out. Hiroshi Yamashita …

Japan kept their World Cup quarterfinal hopes alive with a clinical 26-5 win over an ill-disciplined Samoa. Expected to be a much closer affair, Samoa had three players sent to the sin bin and were penalized 17 times in a sloppy performance. Japan dimnated possession and territory in the match …

Into the big weekend with some games doubling as extra knock-outs. Can Japan pick themselves up again after the tough match against Scotland? Does Samoa have another gear? Will England dig themselves out of the abyss with the Wallabies ready to trample on their dreams? Paul is our token ‘South American’ with …

The teams have been named for the crucial Pool B match between Samoa and Japan. Both sides have one win thus far, and must earn a second of they are to progress to the quarter-finals. After a stunning upset over South Africa, the Brave Blossoms will be seen as favorites, …

As a fan of the global game I take greater pleasure out of watching the pool phase of Rugby World Cups than many people certainly do but now this appears to have changed, and for the better. So good have the group matches been that we have been treated to more …