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Lack of match opportunities raises question about Japan's place in end of year European rugby tournament
By Online Editors
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Fiji and Japan would likely join the Six Nations sides in a four-week rugby tournament to end the year. With little rugby on the horizon for much of the Japanese squad, however, there's concern that the competition could be a bridge too far for the undercooked Brave Blossoms.
The Six Nations sides will naturally be populated from players who play in the Gallagher Premiership, PRO14 and Top 14 competitions. At last year's World Cup, the vast majority of Fiji's squad was also comprised of players involved in those same competitions. Japan's players are primarily contracted to Japanese Top League sides, however.
While the Northern Hemisphere club competitions are set to resume in August and September, the Top League won't return until January of next year.
With the one-off end of year competition set to kick off in mid-November, the European-based players will have two to three months worth of club rugby matches under their belt before they're called upon to play international fixtures.
That puts Japan in a difficult position, however, as there's nothing on the horizon for their players except for a long pre-season.
The Top League staggered to a halt in February, with two rounds of matches suspended before the whole competition was eventually called off due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Unless the Japan Rugby Football Union can schedule some fixtures for their match-starved charges, then the Brave Blossoms will likely enter the Euro competition with zero match fitness to speak and possible zero chance of success.
The Japanese players are used to fronting for big matches without having played many warm-ups, however. Last year, the majority of Jamie Joseph's World Cup squad sat out the majority of the year's Top League and Super Rugby matches, instead spending weeks and weeks in camp together. When the team did play, it was primarily against Super Rugby development squads.
Come the Rugby World Cup, the Japanese side cleaved through their pool unbeaten and made the knock-out stages of the tournament for their first time.
If the end of year competition does go ahead, Japan will play matches against Scotland, Italy and France before playing one of the other four sides in the final week of the tournament.
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Latest Comments
I agree it needs looked it. Most clubs and nations are now identifying talent long before they are capped and directly influencing what country they represent. Not all teams obviously but it's certainly a trend.
It used to be that an electric 22 years old winger would announce himself for the ABs by scoring on debut in the July tests. Announce themselves on the big stage playing for their country. Nowadays if they’re scouted at 14 or 15 and developed elsewhere, you've no idea where they may end up.
Most young talent I see nowadays I have to Google them to get an idea of what international Jersey they might even wear.
The only thing that keeps the discussion on Ice is probably the boks. They don't go overseas for talent and their RWC record speaks for itself. On the flipside most of their talent plays club rugby outside of SA which is another can of worms.
Go to commentsAgreed. Just to add to that the hitherto leaky Crisaders defence was resolute and enabled them to establish an amazing 31 to zip lead at the 60 minute mark. A couple of late lapses allowed the dangerous Drua attack to reduce the final margin somewhat but the game was virtually won by then. Only criticism would be the number of handling mistakes made but the steamy playing conditions probably contributed to that. Not many teams come away from Suva with such a comfortable margin. Pity they were unable to show the same fortitude against Moana.
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