PERHAPS THE MOST impressive aspect of Japan’s win over South Africa on Saturday was the fact that Eddie Jones’ side played a high-tempo, attractive style of rugby.
Japan celebrate an unforgettable win. PA Wire / PA Images
PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images
We’ve almost become used to shock victories being about the underdogs negating the strengths of the favourites, spoiling their attacking plans and then taking chances from the tee and generally keeping things tight.
While there were elements of that in Brighton, the Japanese victory was built on an intelligent, probing game plan that allowed Jones’ players to show off their attacking quality.
The 69th-minute try from fullback Ayumu Goromaru, which he converted himself to bring the game to 29-29, was a particular highlight of the first weekend of the World Cup, a stunning set-piece effort from Japan.
It takes just 20 second from start to finish, but the score highlights several of the best attributes involved in Japan’s excellent performance: a strong set-piece foundation, excellent skills under pressure and an ability to make good decisions on the ball.
The Japanese display at scrum and lineout was nothing short of astonishing. We had been aware that former France hooker Marc dal Maso had improved the scrum immeasurably, but a 100% return against the Boks was exceptional.
Ex-England lock Steve Borthwick, meanwhile, has built a simple, clever and effective lineout platform, one which provided clean ball for the backline in this example.
It’s a straightforward seven-man set-up from Japan, a full lineout, but typically they use a smart bit of movement on the ground pre-throw to give themselves the opportunity to make a clean catch.
As we see above and below, Shinya Makabe (19) is the key man in the dummy movement, as he shifts from a lifting position behind Michael Leitch at the front all the way to the Japan’s pod at the rear of the lineout.
That causes the great Victor Matfield to track the movement initially, following Makabe for two steps before he realises that Amanaki Lelei Mafi is coming towards the front of the lineout with Luke Thompson.
As Makabe steps around Mafi and Thompson on his way to the back of the lineout, Matfield identifies the decoy and immediately turns back to get into the air for Shota Horie’s throw.
Just too late. As we see above, Thompson is already in the air as Matfield plants on the ground, only inches ahead of him but it makes all the difference as the wonderful Horie releases his throw.
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Thompson gets a strong lift from Mafi and Leitch, such an important aspect of the set-piece, and wins the ball just over the despairing left arm of Matfield. Off the top, the ball lands perfectly into the hands of replacement scrum-half Atsushi Hiwasa and the next part of the attacking is launched.
The quality of the pass from Hiwasa is important – himself and man of the match Fumiaki Tanaki were brilliant at scrum-half – and it means first receiver Harumichi Tatekawa doesn’t have to check his run in the slightest.
The shape from Japan in midfield is excellent, with Tatekawa (12) arriving as first receiver with outside centre Male Sau (13) running a hard line on his outside shoulder, and out-half Kōsei Ono (10) fading out the back of Tatekawa.
Left wing Kotaro Matsushima (11) is also showing at the rear of the formation, running a trailing line close to Ono that will becoming hugely important within a split second.
Tatekawa is the passing hub around which the starter play revolves, but his first duty is to actually carry the ball to the line and tie down a defender. We see above how he does so ideally, drawing Handré Pollard into the tackle and then releasing the ball just as the South African out-half initiates the contact.
Outside Pollard is where the real trouble lies for South Africa, as inside centre Jean de Villiers completely loses track of Matsushima trailing inside Ono.
We get a better view of it on the angle below, as de Villiers drifts across onto Ono, completely ignoring the presence of Matsushima and opening a big hole for the left wing to run into.
De Villiers actually does well not to be checked by the decoy run of Sau initially, but once he does get past the Japan 13, that’s where the problem lies.
Outside de Villiers, Jesse Kriel has made a good read of the situation and stepped in on Ono, but that simply means South Africa have two defenders on one player and none on Matsushima.
Most teams will operate under the policy that one defender biting in, as Kriel does here, means all the men inside him do the same, but the pace and accuracy of Japan’s attack means de Villiers has little time to react, his despairing lunge missing Matsushima.
The former Munster man would have hoped and possibly expected defenders inside him to get a scrag tackle in on Matsushima, but again the excellence of the Japanese play means there’s no one in position to do so.
We’ve already mentioned how Tatekawa takes Pollard out of play, but outside centre Sau is just as important.
We’ve highlighted him ahead of the ball above, just after de Villiers has bypassed Sau’s decoy run. The Japan centre is eager to have some effect on the Springbok defence, however, and gets the slightest nudge on Coenie Oosthuizen to do so.
Oosthuizen has come from the very tail of South Africa’s lineout to cover across, and though it’s really Matsushima’s pace that takes him past the prop, the tiniest bit of contact from Sau slows his stride for a split second and leaves him short of the tackle.
Springbok scrum-half Fourie du Preez might feel he too could have done more to halt Matsushima.
Du Preez is the ‘tailgunner’ for South Africa here, the defender who starts in the defensive receiver position just behind the lineout and is tasked with getting across into the defensive line rapidly.
The power in Hiwasa’s pass means du Preez is realistically not going to get to first receiver Tatekawa, so his job instantly becomes a sweeping one, covering in behind the line in case of breaks.
However, du Preez eases off the pace, failing to identify the threat to South Africa’s midfield defence. Oosthuizen actually bursts past du Preez as he does recognise the threat. Du Preez is nowhere near Matsushima when he powers through after Ono’s brilliant and deft inside pass.
We have to focus on the quality of the attack here, of course. Everything that goes wrong for the Boks is down to the quality of Japan’s play, the sheer pace and accuracy with which they come forward.
The composure of Matsushima when busts the line is impressive, as it was so often generally in the Japanese performance. Getting through the line can be heady stuff in international rugby, but Japan’s wing keeps his cool, scoots around Oosthuizen and draws South Africa fullback Zane Kirchner up to make the tackle.
The pass out in front of Goromaru allows the fullback an easy finish, with a man to spare on the outside in Akihito Yamada.
Kriel’s decision to bite in on Ono draws South Africa left wing Lwazi Mvovo into doing the same on Goromaru, but it also leaves him in a weak position when Matsushima breaks.
Mvovo has to turn, while Goromaru can simply continue his forward run in full stride. The South Africa wing might ask himself if he could have made some sort of interfering move across Goromaru, but thankfully he stays legal and Japan finish with aplomb.
It’s a remarkable score from start to finish from Eddie Jones’ side. Wonderfully planned, clearly trained with rigour and featuring the clever set-piece simplicity, high skill level, intelligent midfield movement and clincial edge that drove Japan’s performance.
Their winning try at the very death contained all those elements too, as well as truly incredible grit and bravery.
Analysis: Japan's shock RWC win included a stunning set-piece try
PERHAPS THE MOST impressive aspect of Japan’s win over South Africa on Saturday was the fact that Eddie Jones’ side played a high-tempo, attractive style of rugby.
We’ve almost become used to shock victories being about the underdogs negating the strengths of the favourites, spoiling their attacking plans and then taking chances from the tee and generally keeping things tight.
While there were elements of that in Brighton, the Japanese victory was built on an intelligent, probing game plan that allowed Jones’ players to show off their attacking quality.
The 69th-minute try from fullback Ayumu Goromaru, which he converted himself to bring the game to 29-29, was a particular highlight of the first weekend of the World Cup, a stunning set-piece effort from Japan.
It takes just 20 second from start to finish, but the score highlights several of the best attributes involved in Japan’s excellent performance: a strong set-piece foundation, excellent skills under pressure and an ability to make good decisions on the ball.
The Japanese display at scrum and lineout was nothing short of astonishing. We had been aware that former France hooker Marc dal Maso had improved the scrum immeasurably, but a 100% return against the Boks was exceptional.
Ex-England lock Steve Borthwick, meanwhile, has built a simple, clever and effective lineout platform, one which provided clean ball for the backline in this example.
It’s a straightforward seven-man set-up from Japan, a full lineout, but typically they use a smart bit of movement on the ground pre-throw to give themselves the opportunity to make a clean catch.
As we see above and below, Shinya Makabe (19) is the key man in the dummy movement, as he shifts from a lifting position behind Michael Leitch at the front all the way to the Japan’s pod at the rear of the lineout.
That causes the great Victor Matfield to track the movement initially, following Makabe for two steps before he realises that Amanaki Lelei Mafi is coming towards the front of the lineout with Luke Thompson.
As Makabe steps around Mafi and Thompson on his way to the back of the lineout, Matfield identifies the decoy and immediately turns back to get into the air for Shota Horie’s throw.
Just too late. As we see above, Thompson is already in the air as Matfield plants on the ground, only inches ahead of him but it makes all the difference as the wonderful Horie releases his throw.
Thompson gets a strong lift from Mafi and Leitch, such an important aspect of the set-piece, and wins the ball just over the despairing left arm of Matfield. Off the top, the ball lands perfectly into the hands of replacement scrum-half Atsushi Hiwasa and the next part of the attacking is launched.
The quality of the pass from Hiwasa is important – himself and man of the match Fumiaki Tanaki were brilliant at scrum-half – and it means first receiver Harumichi Tatekawa doesn’t have to check his run in the slightest.
The shape from Japan in midfield is excellent, with Tatekawa (12) arriving as first receiver with outside centre Male Sau (13) running a hard line on his outside shoulder, and out-half Kōsei Ono (10) fading out the back of Tatekawa.
Left wing Kotaro Matsushima (11) is also showing at the rear of the formation, running a trailing line close to Ono that will becoming hugely important within a split second.
Tatekawa is the passing hub around which the starter play revolves, but his first duty is to actually carry the ball to the line and tie down a defender. We see above how he does so ideally, drawing Handré Pollard into the tackle and then releasing the ball just as the South African out-half initiates the contact.
Outside Pollard is where the real trouble lies for South Africa, as inside centre Jean de Villiers completely loses track of Matsushima trailing inside Ono.
We get a better view of it on the angle below, as de Villiers drifts across onto Ono, completely ignoring the presence of Matsushima and opening a big hole for the left wing to run into.
De Villiers actually does well not to be checked by the decoy run of Sau initially, but once he does get past the Japan 13, that’s where the problem lies.
Outside de Villiers, Jesse Kriel has made a good read of the situation and stepped in on Ono, but that simply means South Africa have two defenders on one player and none on Matsushima.
Most teams will operate under the policy that one defender biting in, as Kriel does here, means all the men inside him do the same, but the pace and accuracy of Japan’s attack means de Villiers has little time to react, his despairing lunge missing Matsushima.
The former Munster man would have hoped and possibly expected defenders inside him to get a scrag tackle in on Matsushima, but again the excellence of the Japanese play means there’s no one in position to do so.
We’ve already mentioned how Tatekawa takes Pollard out of play, but outside centre Sau is just as important.
We’ve highlighted him ahead of the ball above, just after de Villiers has bypassed Sau’s decoy run. The Japan centre is eager to have some effect on the Springbok defence, however, and gets the slightest nudge on Coenie Oosthuizen to do so.
Oosthuizen has come from the very tail of South Africa’s lineout to cover across, and though it’s really Matsushima’s pace that takes him past the prop, the tiniest bit of contact from Sau slows his stride for a split second and leaves him short of the tackle.
Springbok scrum-half Fourie du Preez might feel he too could have done more to halt Matsushima.
Du Preez is the ‘tailgunner’ for South Africa here, the defender who starts in the defensive receiver position just behind the lineout and is tasked with getting across into the defensive line rapidly.
Let’s watch his movement again below.
The power in Hiwasa’s pass means du Preez is realistically not going to get to first receiver Tatekawa, so his job instantly becomes a sweeping one, covering in behind the line in case of breaks.
However, du Preez eases off the pace, failing to identify the threat to South Africa’s midfield defence. Oosthuizen actually bursts past du Preez as he does recognise the threat. Du Preez is nowhere near Matsushima when he powers through after Ono’s brilliant and deft inside pass.
We have to focus on the quality of the attack here, of course. Everything that goes wrong for the Boks is down to the quality of Japan’s play, the sheer pace and accuracy with which they come forward.
The composure of Matsushima when busts the line is impressive, as it was so often generally in the Japanese performance. Getting through the line can be heady stuff in international rugby, but Japan’s wing keeps his cool, scoots around Oosthuizen and draws South Africa fullback Zane Kirchner up to make the tackle.
The pass out in front of Goromaru allows the fullback an easy finish, with a man to spare on the outside in Akihito Yamada.
Kriel’s decision to bite in on Ono draws South Africa left wing Lwazi Mvovo into doing the same on Goromaru, but it also leaves him in a weak position when Matsushima breaks.
Mvovo has to turn, while Goromaru can simply continue his forward run in full stride. The South Africa wing might ask himself if he could have made some sort of interfering move across Goromaru, but thankfully he stays legal and Japan finish with aplomb.
It’s a remarkable score from start to finish from Eddie Jones’ side. Wonderfully planned, clearly trained with rigour and featuring the clever set-piece simplicity, high skill level, intelligent midfield movement and clincial edge that drove Japan’s performance.
Their winning try at the very death contained all those elements too, as well as truly incredible grit and bravery.
Here’s to plenty more of the same.
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