First Springboks, now Scotland: Eddie Jones and Japan out to prove they’re no fluke

Japan take on Scotland aiming to prove win over South Africa was no fluke, writes Geoffrey Riddle.

Japan players go through the paces at training ahead of their showdown with Scotland. Rebecca Naden / Reuters

How do you follow up the greatest World Cup shock in history?

Japan are adamant that if they do not back up last week’s astonishing victory over South Africa against Scotland in Gloucester on Wednesday then their effort at dethroning the dual world champions will have been for nothing.

Coach Eddie Jones has made six changes for the Pool B clash to the side that downed the Springboks on Saturday in an attempt to keep his side fresh against Scotland, who have yet to play a match.

And there is no doubt who the local Gloucester diehard rugby fans will be supporting, either.

Earlier this month, Japan beat Georgia 13-10 in front of Gloucester’s Shed, a famous terrace boasting standing room only used by the most zealous local fans.

No matter that cultural diversity is hardly a strong point in the West Country rugby stronghold, or that there is only one real Japanese restaurant in the whole town.

What counts is that in Brighton the Japanese squad showed the sort of courage and spirit that the Shed supporters admire. It helps that the Cherry and White strip of the team is the same as Premiership side Gloucester Rugby too.

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“We beat Georgia at Kingsholm a couple of weeks ago, so we should have a little fan base down there,” Japan captain Michael Leitch said. “Plus Gloucester wear the same tops as us.”

It was Leitch’s decision to shun an attempt at goal with a minute to go against he Springboks that led to Karne Hesketh’s winning try. Jones had sent on a physiotherapist to deliver the message that he wanted to secure the three points that would have delivered a draw. Leitch discussed with his leadership group what to do, and although there were those who agreed with Jones it was the captain who elected to go for glory.

“It’s up there with the biggest calls of my career, but we’d drawn two World Cup matches before and we wanted a win,” Leitch said.

“When it got to the 60th minute and we were drawing, I looked up at the big screen and there was this old man in tears. So when we finally won, yes, there were a few tears.”

And the signs are there that the stunning effort has had a tangible effect not only in the Land Of the Rising Sun, where rugby made rare headlines, but here in London, too.

On Monday night at the Oxford Street outlet of the World Cup merchandise shop there was a huge queue of Japanese desperate to get their hands on a team jersey. The demand was so high that the tournament organisers were forced to shut the shop. It would be no surprise if the No 6 jersey of Leitch would have been top seller.

“There will be little kids at home now who wanted to be the next (Masahiro) Tanaka at the New York Yankees or (Shinji) Kagawa in Germany or (Keisuke) Honda at AC Milan who now want to be the next Michael Leitch,” Jones, whose mother and wife are both Japanese, said.

“We will have changed the sport in Japan, that win will have an amazing effect in the sport.”

Scotland have named a very inexperienced squad, with 12 World Cup debutants and four of the starting line-up have 10 caps or fewer.

With little form to show this year, Scotland could well be caught cold despite beating Japan comfortably in both previous World Cup encounters, in 2003 and 1991.

Jones said of his charges: “They are used to training three of four hours a day at high school, four or five hours a day at university, so we’re not done yet.”

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