THE ZEN OF
RUGBY
JAPAN ABOUNDS IN ICONIC IMAGERY – AND NONE IS MORE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNISABLE THAN THE BEAUTIFUL SYMMETRY OF MOUNT FUJI. FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM COMPETING AT THE 2019 STAGING OF THE RUGBY WORLD CUP HOWEVER, THERE IS A SCORE TO SETTLE WITH THE JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOMS AFTER THE OPENING ROUND HUMBLING IN 2015. BY CRAIG RAY.
TOP: Precision, preparation and simple beauty are concepts prized by the Japanese. While art and poetry were appreciated by the samurai, the field of battle was their natural habitat... and in 2019 the fighting will be over territory, points and possession of an oval rugby ball!
R
ugby fans will be pleased to hear that Japan’s most popular alcoholic beverage is beer. Considering rugby and beer are as synonymous as New Zealanders and champion rugby teams, that is good news. For the players participating at Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan from September to November this year though, beer and any other alcohol will be in rationed supply as
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they all push (tackle, kick, run and scrum...) to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. The ninth staging of RWC is perhaps the most interesting of them all because the tournament is not being held in a traditional rugby stronghold. In the previous eight editions, the home team was always among the pretournament favourites. Japan, despite their historic win over the Springboks in Brighton
at RWC 2015, are clearly not among the game’s elite. Despite home ground advantage, they are unlikely to be in the running for glory at the business end. But for previous RWC winners New Zealand, England, Australia and South Africa, and top ranked teams such as Ireland and Wales, playing in Japan neutralises the balance of power slightly. No team will feel entirely comfortable in the foreign surroundings. Picking a winner is less obvious but one thread binds the world’s top four ranked teams – New Zealand, Wales, Ireland and England – and that’s an experienced and settled coaching staff. All Black mentor Steve Hansen is heading to his fourth World Cup and second as head coach of the team, Warren Gatland is taking Wales to a third RWC in his 11th year in charge and Ireland’s Joe Schmidt is in his sixth year in charge. “You can’t underestimate how important coaches are in the modern game and it’s no coincidence that the best four teams in the world have four of the best coaches,” 1987 World Cupwinner and former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick said. “Modern players like to be coached. Hansen, Gatland, Schmidt
