Japan made a game of it in the first-half, trailing 12-7 at the break.
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For South Africa, steeped in rugby heritage and world champions in 1995 and 2007, it was a bitter blow and coach Heyneke Meyer could only apologise to the nation for his side’s “unacceptable” performance.
“We’re not the strongest team out there but we are definitely one of the toughest”.
Two tries from winger Sofiane Guitoune and further scores from Wesley Fofana, Yannick Nyanga and Gael Fickou ensured a bonus point win, whilst the Romanian’s earned themselves a memorable consolation try from Valentin Ursache.
Off the Ball’s Joe Molloy spoke to Rich Freeman, a rugby reporter for the Kyodo News Agency yesterday to discuss the win and whether Eddie Jones’ side can cause more shocks in the coming weeks. It’s probably to do with television.
“If the players can’t get excited after Saturday I don’t know what’s going to excite them”.
“You need a six-day turnaround (to recover) but that’s not the case (here)”.
But there is still something special within in this squad and so we want to bounce back and install hope again. They come off the back of their scrum really well so there’ rules around that and how the number 8 binds and things like that so we’re aware of that as well. He was stretchered off, with Japan still awaiting an update on his progress on Wednesday night.
But Japan will take heart from its first-half display and may still hold ambitions of advancing to the quarterfinals of a Rugby World Cup for the first time ever, with Samoa next up on October 3.
Following Japan’s heroics over South Africa, Scotland came into the match under enormous pressure – but it proved to be the kind of pressure it was able to deal with. What goes around comes around’.
The last ten minutes were a procession and birthday-boy Russell wrapped up a good display from Scotland who play the U.S. at Elland Road in Leeds on Sunday.
Goromaru went from relative obscurity to a World Cup sensation overnight, and added himself to an elite list of players to have scored 24 or more points against the Springboks – in the company of Stirling Mortlock, Jonny Wilkinson and Dan Carter. “If we can knock Samoa off in 10 days then we have a fantastic chance [of making the last eight]”, he said.
And despite having had just four days’ rest, the former Australia boss insists his team will have the legs on Scotland.
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“We are a fit team”.
