So the dream run has ended. Japan – a team that have captured the attention and hearts of rugby fans all over the world – have bowed out of their World Cup.
Meanwhile, the juggernaut that is South Africa has taken another step towards a final place and a third title.
The Springboks coped well with being cast as the villains in this match where anyone playing the loveable hosts was going to be on the wrong side of the crowd.
As you’d expect from a quarter-final, there was a lot to chat about.
Japan keep you guessing
Japan have been a real surprise in this World Cup. While there was plenty of reminiscing about that day in Brighton four years ago, Japan have still struggled against the top teams in between tournaments.
So it was impressive how they dominated all their opposition in the group stages and in the first half of this quarter-final the South Africans struggled to keep up with them.
But to say it’s just down to the relentless pace that the Japanese play at would be to do them a disservice.
Firstly, this pace is combined with an incredible accuracy and skill set that most teams would be jealous of. The Japanese offloading game in the first half was impressive and the Boks couldn’t stop it.
The South Africans were lucky that they scrambled well enough to stop the numerous half breaks turning into points for the home side.
Secondly, they have built up a confidence to back themselves and to try things that unsettle the opposition. This was demonstrated in the opening 30 seconds when they tried a cross-field kick well inside their own 22.
This wasn’t the action of some reckless team but a considered approach that had its risks for sure, but also showed the South Africans that they couldn’t take anything for granted.
Thirdly, the Japanese scrum has really become a threat. The Boks – a team who pride themselves on their forward dominance – struggled a couple of times at scrum time as the Japanese pack used tight organisation to bully the bigger, stronger opposition.
It took one of the best teams in the world to change their game plan to be able to cope with this Japan side and that is a huge compliment to the way the coaches have set them up and the players have executed.
Speaking of changing game plan…
(Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
It is possible to have a plan B!
One of the most frustrating things about some of the top sides is when they fail to be able to adapt to the way the game is turning out – yes Wallabies we’re looking at you, and you too Ireland!
A lack of a plan B has seen many good teams lose crucial games and leave their fans wondering what on earth happened.
South Africa showed against Japan that they have a very effective Plan B up their sleeves and that they know how to engage that plan part way through a game.
In the first half, the Japanese didn’t let the Springboks settle at all and they ran them ragged. When the Boks did get their hands on the ball they too tried to play a high tempo game and looked to spread the ball.
It became clear though that this type of approach was going to be tough to maintain and arguably played to the advantage of Japan.
In the second half, the Springboks came out and played a tight, power game and battered Japan into submission.
It took time for sure but they suffocated the opposition while huge South African forwards just kept crashing into the Japanese defence over and over.
It was brutal and it worked. Japan offloaded 11 times in the first half but only twice in the second half.
That was just one of the results of this game plan shift with the other being the scoreboard. 5-3 at half time became 26-3 come the final gong.
This ability to acknowledge that Plan A isn’t working, to agree to change plans halfway through a game and then actually execute that Plan B successfully is impressive and should worry Wales a lot.
The difference genuine wingers make
One of the long-running debates in rugby selection has been what role utility backs have in a starting line up.
Many teams choose to go for talented all-rounders in positions like full back or wing rather than specialists.
Players like Reece Hodge, Cheika would have argued, can provide a range of skills that are useful to the team and that outranks their lack of wing expertise.
However on Sunday we saw the benefits of true out and out wingers. The men on display for both sides were absolutely electrifying and created opportunities for both their sides thanks to their out and out pace.
Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi were a consistent threat and caused real problems with their out and out pace and finishers sense for an opportunity.
Meanwhile, Kenki Fukuoka was inspirational for Japan and in the 14th minute made Kolbe look like a flat-footed prop in the way he went around him.
Some coaches argue that you need big, tall wingers and that they’d prefer that to pure pace but Kolbe poured cold water on that theory more than once.
The 1.71m, 80kg speedster out jumped taller teammates and opponents several times and is fast becoming a star in the 15-man game as well as the 7-a-side style.
Real wingers are the way to go!
(Photo by Francois Nel – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
That yellow card
It was the ninth minute and Tendai Mtawarira’s blood pressure must have been through the roof of the Tokyo stadium.
He’d just tip tackled Japanese prop Keita Inagaki and he knew he was in trouble. Big trouble.
In the end Wayne Barnes pulled out a yellow card immediately and The Beast almost sprinted off to the sin bin before Barnes could change his mind.
At the time there were many who commended Barnes for his quick, decisive behaviour. Here was a man who didn’t need to wait for some guy in a bunker watching a hundred angles to make his decision for him.
The yellow card came out in seconds and the match continued. That’s how real refs do it!
But the more you watch the replay, the more you start to wonder – was he a bit quick off the mark? Should he have taken just a minute to double check how the prop hit the ground? Was that Inagaki’s shoulder or head that was driven into the turf?
Fans and pundits continue to be divided and obviously things aren’t going to change.
But it’s interesting to wonder what would have happened if that had been a red and also almost amusing how fans continue to bounce back and forth between wanting refs to make quick decisions themselves, but do make sure that they use the tech available to them at the same time!
What happens next really matters
Japan might be out of the tournament but this cannot be the end of their story. The debate over Tier Two nations has had gasoline poured all over it this World Cup with teams like Japan and Fiji demonstrating that it’s just not appropriate to refer to them as being sub-standard.
The rugby world and especially World Rugby, the Six Nations and SANZAAR cannot sit back and let the momentum from this World Cup drift away. Getting teams like Fiji and Japan more involved can only be a good thing.
Yes the logistics are tough and yes there’s more to it than just the players on the field, but this opportunity must be grabbed and our sport must now evolve into something bigger and better.
World Rugby’s definition of Tier Two was already out of wack before the World Cup with Japan and Fiji being ranked above Argentina and Georgia and the USA being ranked higher than Italy. Now it has to be acknowledged that it’s totally broken.
(WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)
Can the Springboks win the whole thing?
And then there were four. Yes the All Blacks are still the favourites but of the three other teams left the Springboks are the only one to be able to point to times over the past year where they’ve challenged the New Zealanders – beating them in 2018 and then drawing in New Zealand this year.
Yes the All Blacks beat the Boks pretty comfortably in the group stages but this Springboks side has found its rhythm now in this competition and the maturity of the performance against Japan was impressive.
Up front the Kiwis might have a better back row but in the front five the South Africans could claim to be a better outfit.
Yes, Aaron Smith is in great form, but Faf de Klerk is pretty terrifying on his day.
Yes, Richie Mo’unga was the form No.10 of Super Rugby but Andre Pollard is in career-best form too.
George Bridge and Sevu Reece are looking fantastic but just watch Mapimpi and Kolbe and you’ll see scary pace.
If they do meet in the Final then the All Blacks will be favourites but if there’s one side that can cause an upset then it’s the Boks.
Vince
Guest
Seems like everyone is assuming the ABs will automatically be in the final... Small issue of a semi v England to deal with first...???? Whilst the Boks seem to have attracted some pretty heavy criticism for their 1/4 final v Japan how about giving Japan some credit for how well they played Can’t see Wales knocking off the Boks... remember once you make it through to the final you only need to pull out one great performance to be champions - worth remembering that 4 years ago a vastly inferior Boks to the 2019 version nearly beat an AB team that (dare I say it!) was superior to their 2019 version Bring on the semis!
Ex force fan
Guest
How many times did Japan front row stand up when the pressure came on and not get penalised...
Ex force fan
Guest
We got Garces for the sem. How?
darkwingza
Roar Rookie
Frans is slower than a bus...in reverse...with the handbrake on :silly: Yes, he can kick the ball for miles which we are sorely missing in the current squad, but I did not see Frans deliver his young spark from few years back unfortunately. Will needs to be removed from the 31 man squad!!! He cannot even pass properly - flip-flop passes like a 6 year old is unacceptable at this level
Hi Armand, thanks for the post. Handling errors are one thing, but looking at our attack we show no guile or finesse, our forward barges are one pass from the ruck, then bash it up, continuously to the point where it is absolutely predictable. Our backline’s idea of guile is a skip pass, or a cross pass kick. We very seldom have support runners for a quick offload to shift the point of contact, very few support runners coming onto an angle. At times we draw the defender and pass, but mostly not very successfully. Faf telegraphs everything we do, his box kicks are never a surprise, often too deep, which means we lose possession, He does the odd innovative thing but are mostly slow and pedantic, more interested in directing traffic around and behind the ruck than getting quick ball to the runners. When last has Willie had a game where he keeps defences guessing? And then the continuous plan of kicking possession away when we have an opportunity to hit the accelerator? Remember, Wales, England and New Zealand isn’t going to buckle under our physicality, we cannot wait for 40 minutes whilst “breaking down” the energy levels of those teams, they will punish us much harder than an Italy, Namibia or Japan could. They are professionally coached , the top three teams in world rugby, and to beat them our intent to keep defenses guessing will beed to improve. Handling errors are lost opportunities sure, hence you need to create more opportunities against top teams.
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
The point is that our handling was poor, not our attack. Our attack beat Japan's defence relatively easily, meaning that it worked. Our handling, on the other hand, did not. It wasn't that our attack made no progress, otherwise there would be no missed opportunities to bemoan. The fact that we are lamenting a possible 4 tries that were butchered indicates that the problem lies with finishing opportunities, not creating them.
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
Hey Corne I'm going to have to disagree with our attack being nowhere :P I was surprised by how easily we beat the Japanese defence on multiple occasions, finding overlaps seemingly at will. Throughout the game I counted about 5 opportunities, 3 of which were easy tries were it not for horrendous handling errors. And here I'm not even counting de Allende's (correctly) overruled crossing. The stats pretty much backed it up. In the first half Japan made only 40 meters more than we did for about the same number of defenders beaten. Difference being that they only had about one real opportunity to score where I counted 5 for us. In my view our attack wasn't the problem. Our handling was. Had Etzebeth not knocked on 5 meters from their line, we had a 4 on 2 overlap. Had de Allende released the ball, we would've had a try. Had Am given a proper pass to Mapimpi we would've had a try. Had Willie caught the ball and given it to Mapimpi we would've had a try. Had Willie's pass to Pieter-Steph du Toit not been forward we would've had a try. Had our handling been sufficient the general consensus would've been that our attack was good. I don't subscribe to the belief that butchering try-scoring opportunties equals bad attack. Our attacking structure beat Japan easily. Attack was not the problem. Our handling was the problem. Had we not created all those unfinished opportunities at all then I would agree that we showed nothing. The problem is that we showed enough without cashing in on it.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
I think he does. Willie might not be playing great, but not is he terrible. He exits well and he has the pace to offer support. Sure be great to have him in form and his confidence up, but I think alternatives like FS are a poorer option. As mentioned above I think the failure of the Bok centres to penetrate, offload or set up their outsides is a bigger issue. And you are right the Bok centres are by no means average. They are good, just not in my view up their with the best. Maybe we have been spoilt with players like Gerber, Jaapie Mulder and co. that it is surprising that this is currently a relatively weak spot for the Bok. I don’t think it is the individual skills of these players. As you say DeA should have scored except for a rookie mistake, but I guess that is the point. You don’t expect to see that from centres at this level. The fact the wings aren’t seeing enough pill also points to a lack of cohesion and combination.. Once again not something you expect to see at this level. ALB is a young centre for the AB’s as is Goodhue. Both I rate superior to the Bok pair. I know it’s a high bar, but we are talking about the best players and teams in the world and it is these rather small differences that currently set them apart. Of course the Bok make up for weaknesses with strengths of their own, like the pack.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
How many scrums against the feed. How many times did the Japanese fail to clear the ball because of a backward running scrum. You and I have a very different understanding of what a team on roller skates looks like. Have a look at the Eden park test against the Wallabies. That’s what a team looks like going backwards continuously. What you see as the Japanese on roller skates is just the overactive imagination of a typical Bok fan… bit like tries not scored.
Bluffboy, lets hope there is more to show.
Bluffboy
Roar Rookie
Sorry about double message. It didn't look like the first one went through. :crying:
Harry Jones
Expert
He will. So, I’m just gonna send Willie and Faf great vibes. Really happy about our 57/57 lineout throws, and 11 lineout steals. And DdeA-Am. Not confident about our wings defending kick-passes to the huge Welsh wings.
jaysper
Roar Guru
The Boks will beat Wales but will lose to which ever team they meet in the finals IMO. Russia has made the Boks much better at doing what they have done for the last however many years. However he has NOT changed what they do - it is still the same old one dimensional game. This makes what Shag has done with the ABs even more impressive. He has overhauled how they play. Is it enough to beat England? I think so, but it will be an absolute ding dong of a battle either way.
:laughing:
Hi Harry, agree with you, the question is does Rassie persist with Faf and Willie?
Harry Jones
Expert
Just got a very hard tackle a bit wrong and couldn't believe how light the prop felt!
Harry Jones
Expert
BB, when we started this tournament, I think both of us had 3 big concerns: LO throwing, midfield, and fringe defence. I feel better about all of those. The biggest problems are Willie's bad form (because he is the second playmaker and probably our first choice in the red zone to make plays) and Faf's poor kicking. I suppose my optimism is because both are quality players, really tough, and could come right.
Ragnar
Roar Rookie
Can we just face up to the elephant in the room please? The ref was poor and intimidated by the situation. He was more concerned to show he was in charge than ensure he made the right decisions. This is why I like this Bok team. They have excellent attitudes and don't moan or waste their time on revenge play no matter how frustrating they find the ref. Japan got away with numerous forward passes, two serious round the neck tackles(neither penalised in any way), plus a player taken out in the air and only a penalty given! Barnes made the scrums an irritating and pitiful spectacle to watch. Endless coaching of the Japanese scrum destroying the momentum of the Boks and showing why many people just can't stand Rugby Union. Not to mention two disallowed tries which were based purely on the ego of the ref who wanted to show that he was in charge and did not need to review any decision. On both occasions he was clearly in error. Japan have enormous potential but have to play to the same rules as everyone else. They don't need help from sympathetic refs who are actually being condescending to them. This Japanese team is good enough to hold their own against the best but their game will deteriorate if they are forever leniently reffed. Level playing field please.
Ragnar
Roar Rookie
Mr Barnes stopped 2.
Germán
Roar Rookie
That said, I agree that Japan, and to a lesser extent Fiji, need to play more often with the rest of the Tier One nations, and might be a good idea to have a one round, 6 nations, Rugby Championship. The problems are, as usual, money. Having a guaranteed, yearly, home game against the ABs matters for ARG and for SA. I guess OZ would still be on board because there would still be room for 2 extra Bledisloe matches and still keep it being 7 games in the Sept/October window.