Four years after beating South Africa, Japan shock Ireland: biggest Rugby World Cup upsets

A look back on underdog victories from previous Rugby World Cups

Japan players celebrate after winning the Rugby World Cup Pool A match against Ireland 19-12 at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Shizuoka. AFP

Hosts Japan pulled off a huge upset on Saturday to defeat Ireland 19-12 at the Rugby World Cup 2019.

Japan, of course, are no strangers when it comes to giving the established sides a bloody nose. Four years after beating South Africa in the Miracle of Brighton they pulled off a Shock in Shizuoka as wing Kenki Fukuoka crossed for a second-half try while Yu Tamura contributed 11 points with the boot.

It ranks alongside some of the greatest underdog victories in Rugby World Cup history.

Here are some others:

Fiji 27-30 Uruguay, 2019

Uruguay registered the first score for the underdog of this Rugby World Cup when they beat a Fiji side nine places above them in the World Rugby rankings with a 30-27 win at the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium.

Japan 34-32 South Africa, 2015

Surely rugby’s most spectacular shock. So much so, a movie has already been made about it, starring Temuera Morrison in the role of Japan’s coaching mastermind Eddie Jones.

Fiji 38-34 Wales, 2007

This could have a case for being the best of all World Cup matches, and not just because the less-fancied side ended as winners. A nine-try classic in Nantes.

Western Samoa 16-13 Wales, 1991

A pool-stage upset in the second World Cup which prompted one of the most oft-quoted jokes attributed to Welsh fans: “Thank goodness we weren’t playing the whole of Samoa.”