WORLD CUP RUGBY

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!

Rugby 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 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

The two rugby giants clash in Yokohama on September 21 in the biggest match of the Pool stage. But with Italy, Canada and Namibia joining the two former winners in Pool B, losing that match is unlikely to hinder progress to the next round.

The negative of losing is that the Pool runner-up is likely to meet Ireland in the quarterfi nals. It’s not an insurmountable challenge but as far as last eight matches go, it would be tough.

Conversely, Ireland won’t be relishing the prospect of meeting the and Eddie Jones at England understand the modern game, they understand players and they are always brilliantly prepared.

“If you look at the teams that are struggling around the world, it starts with the coaching set-up.”

The All Blacks are naturally the favourites after winning the last two tournaments while Ireland, Wales and England pose huge threats. The Springboks have shown positive signs recently, most famously with their sensational win over the All Blacks in Wellington last year, but inconsistency and lack of time under current coach Rassie Erasmus are barriers to overcome. “Both NZ and Ireland are frontrunners at the moment in terms of the way their structures are geared towards success,” 2007 World Cup winner and leading Springbok tryscorer Bryan Habana said.

“For the 18 months up until the end of 2018, from when they beat the All Blacks in Chicago, to winning the Six Nations Grand Slam and beating New Zealand in Dublin, Ireland were the form team in the world under Schmidt.

“Teams that have won RWC in the past are teams that have had good momentum and structure leading into the tournament. That is an area where the Boks are perhaps challenged.”

The Springboks and All Blacks are drawn together in Pool play for the fi rst time ever at a World Cup, thanks to the Boks’ lowly world ranking in early 2017 when the draw was done.

TOP RIGHT: Springbok captain Jean de Villiers wrestled with an opposing player in the opening match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

BOTTOM: Ireland have humbled the mighty All Blacks. Could they be the dark horses of the tournament? Former New Zealand hooker and captain Sean Fitzpatrick believes Wales, a settled unit under coach Warren Gatland (pictured) are in with a chance of victory.

All Blacks or the Boks in the last eight either. A meeting with one of those two southern hemisphere powers is inevitable though.

“What’s to say the Boks won’t beat the All Blacks in the opening game, so maybe we’ll be trying to lose to Scotland to avoid New Zealand,” Ireland legend Brian Driscoll said, tongue only slightly in cheek.

“There is a lot of rugby to be played and a lot of permutations but one thing is guaranteed, there will be no easy passage through the quarterfi nals.”

Fitzpatrick has no doubt that the All Black’s hold on the tournament faces diff erent threats in 2019.

“I back the All Blacks to win, but the biggest challengers will come from the northern hemisphere,” Fitzpatrick said.

“Ireland have worked out a winning formula against the All Blacks. Ireland played New Zealand at their own game, comfortable without the ball and using defence to put the All Blacks under pressure. A couple of mistakes led to Ireland tries in Dublin last year.

“They will have to play very well, but in saying that, the teams that play against them will have to be at their best to beat New Zealand.”

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