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They lacked ideas and there’s a lot to work on! And their back-line offered very little in the way of creative attacking play. They scored some fairly easy tries through Lood de Jager and Adriaan Strauss, bursting through the line, and it looked like they would take control in the second half, but they were unable to assert their traditional physical dominance. South Africa – It may seem harsh to put the whole team in here but they were significantly under par in this match. And Ayuma Goromaru was so accurate with the boot. It was his sparky approach that allowed Japan to play such a fast-paced game and continually put South Africa on the back foot, which led to them conceding penalties. Photo: Getty Imagesīonus time – It will be of small consolation to South Africa but the fact they collected two bonus points – one for scoring four tries and one for finishing within seven points – could prove crucial come the end of the pool stages.įumiaki Tanaka – He was the smallest man on the pitch but he dictated the game with huge authority.
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Main man: Ayumu Goromaru scores a well-worked try in the second half. And they maintained that intensity until the final whistle, the reward being two well-worked back-line tries. Yes, they were found wanting a couple of times in one-on-one situations, but on the whole their line held firm and they were not overwhelmed by their bigger opponents. Most impressive, though, was their defence. Their scrum was solid and their lineout creative – they even scored a try from a driving maul against the famously physical Springboks. Japan’s organisation – The influence of Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick was clear from the structure and organisation this Japanese side showed. There was an incredible atmosphere throughout. There were a fair number of Japanese fans in the crowd anyway and the way the Brave Blossoms played from the kick-off, keeping the ball in hand and showing great ambition, drew in the neutrals as well. Seaside delights – Brighton embraced this game and, in particular, Japan. This after Japan turned down the opportunity to kick a penalty that would have leveled the scores. It was their first RWC win since 1991 and only their second in history, the famous triumph secured when Karne Hesketh scored a try in the last minute. Japan caused the biggest upset in World Cup history when beating South Africa in Brighton.