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Japan vs Argentina: Samurai time for the Brave Blossoms
By PA
Japan flanker Michael Leitch revealed his side has called on the nation’s Samurai spirit in their bid to reach the World Cup knockout stages.
Sunday’s showdown with Argentina at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes will determine who will join Pool D winners England in the tournament’s last eight.
New Zealand-born Leitch, representing Japan at his fourth World Cup, said the Brave Blossoms are determined not to run out of steam against the Pumas.
He said: “The past games, we had the tendency to be scored against in the last 20 minutes.
“Since the England game, we talked about how to fix it, and we started using the word ‘Samurai time’. It’s about controlling the game’s momentum.
“We obviously wanted to attack, but then we lost our energy, and when the impact members (substitutes) came in excited to get out there, they couldn’t leave a big impact on the game as much as they wanted to.
“So, we talked about it with the coaches, about our mentality and what’s needed in the last 20 minutes.”
Japan are bidding to reach the last eight for the second World Cup running after their 26-3 quarter-final defeat to eventual champions South Africa when the south-east Asian country hosted the tournament in 2019.
Both Japan and Argentina have registered Pool D wins over Chile and Samoa, while losing to England, with the South Americans keeping their hopes alive by beating Chile 59-5 in their last match.
Pumas assistant coach Andres Bordoy believes whoever controls the set pieces in Nantes on Sunday is likely to emerge the winner.
Bordoy said: “Now is the time to take everything we have been working on out on to the field.
“We are going to find ourselves with an opponent that really knows what it wants to do, very well structured and organised, and we have to be strong in what we do, aiming to prevail in the set-pieces, in the short game.
“We did an exhaustive analysis and we know Japan’s strengths. They have a very experienced front row, with many international matches behind them, who have evolved a lot in this formation. It will be imposing our way and not adapting to what they want to do.”
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Latest Comments
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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