England take on Japan this Sunday, in their second match in Pool D of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The Brave Blossoms are off the mark in the competition, following their impressive 42-12 win over tournament debutants Chile in the opening round.
Jamie Joseph’s side will see this weekend as a golden opportunity to increase their chances for a place in the knock-out stages. Despite England entering the match as favourites, a try-scoring or losing bonus point could be the all-important difference maker for Japan, when it comes to the final round of pool stage action.
Despite recording an impressive 27-10 win over Argentina last weekend, England are in no way guaranteed a victory over the Brave Blossoms. The men from the far East are well versed in the art of a Rugby World Cup upset, with two very memorable matches set to be discussed later in this article.
Japan are amongst one of the most experienced sides at the Rugby World Cup, having competed at all 10 tournaments dating back to 1987. England and Japan met in the second round of the inaugural competition, with England running out an emphatic 60-7 win in Sydney’s Concord Oval, back in Pool A of ’87.
Japan’s first ever win at the Rugby World Cup came in 1991, with a dominant 52-8 triumph over Zimbabwe. This stood as the Blossom’s sole victory at the competition for 24 years, before a trip to Brighton ended in immortality under Eddie Jones. Speaking of England Head Coaches, Steve Borthwick assured in the post Argentina match media, that all of England’s focus is on Japan, as they prepare to take on a side that is more than capable of breaking into the knock-out stage.
So, ahead of England’s upcoming clash against the Brave Blossoms this Sunday, here are the top five moments in Japan Rugby history.
1. The Brighton Miracle
South Africa 32 – 34 Japan: Pool B – 2015 Rugby World Cup
An obvious place to start, in what is amongst the most unbelievable Rugby World Cup upsets of all time. As mentioned in our introduction, Japan were yet to win a Rugby World Cup match in almost a quarter of a century, as they lined up against South Africa at the 2015 tournament in England.
This heroic tale of David vs Goliath has gone down in Japan rugby folklore, whilst the Springboks do all they can to erase this match from recent memory. Ahead of his time as England Head Coach, Eddie Jones took the reigns of Japan for this opening match in Pool B. You would have been forgiven to assume this match was set to end in a Springboks walkover, yet Jones said how this “could be a day to remember for Japanese rugby” in the preluding week’s media.
Jones taught his players the art of the chop tackle, which proved an effective method of halting the giant Springbok carriers. A 12-10 half-time score kept Japan in touching distance, before fullback Ayumu Goromaru slotted five penalties, which counteracted the Bok’s tries from Bismarck du Plessis, Lodewyk de Jager and Jan Strauss. Goromaru’s phenomenal try in the 69th minute then levelled up the scores, and the previously impossible task seemed almost achievable.
Handre Pollard’s 73rd minute penalty never withered the Blossoms, as in the final play of the match, replacement winger Karne Hesketh fought his way into the corner, to wrap up an unbelievable victory for Japan. The Brave Blossoms had toppled the two-time Rugby World Cup winners, in just their second ever win at the competition. An iconic moment that will live forever, the story of ‘The Brighton Miracle’ has since been brought to the big screen in a feature length film.
England will be more than cautious of the possibility of facing the Springbok’s fate, when they meet Japan in Nice on Sunday.
2. Fireworks in Shizuoka
Japan 19 – 12 Ireland: Pool A – 2019 Rugby World Cup
Japan’s second unforgettable Rugby World Cup upset saw lightning strike twice for the Brave Blossoms. Japan put in an astonishing performance against Ireland, as they were willed forward by their host nation support in Shizuoka. A sea of red and white was the ’16th man’, that breathed new life into the fight, as Japan battled back for the 19-12 victory over Ireland.
Despite the iconic heroism of the 2015 Brighton Miracle, this is the match that England fans should pay close attention to ahead of this Sunday’s fixture. Japan’s Head Coach four years ago was Jamie Joseph, and the former All Black remains at the helm for this weekend’s encounter. The architect behind the Irish upset, Joseph was able to orchestrate his side to secure a comeback win against a strong Ireland outfit.
Ireland were only a year removed from their 2018 Six Nations Grand Slam under Joe Schmidt, yet had seemingly peaked too early in form. The 2019 Six Nations saw Ireland sink to a third place finish, and this defeat to Japan swayed the already souring public opinion of the former Head Coach. Ireland took a strong start, with two first half tries from Garry Ringrose and Rob Kearney establishing a healthy lead. However, an ill-disciplined Ireland defence gifted Japan first half penalties, with the score-line depleted to just 12-9 at the break.
Ireland began to feel an eery sense of Deja vu as they emerged for the second half, they had seen this all before with the Springboks. Ireland did not just battle the 15 man team, but had to try fend off the army of red and white striped jerseys that surrounded them in Fukuroi. The heavy home support let out an almighty roar when Kenki Fukuoka scored a try on the hour mark as Japan had etched in front. The neat kicking of Yu Tamura made certain that they would hold out until the full time ‘gong’.