Wellington, May 4 (BNA): Michael Leach led Japan to important victories in two editions of the Rugby World Cup Finals. The next World Cup is in 2023 in France, and Leach has a message: Don’t lose sight of Japan.
In 2015, Japan defeated South Africa in the English port city of Brighton, which is known as the “Brighton Miracle”. The Associated Press (AP) reported that in 2019, group-stage wins over Ireland and Scotland led to the quarter-finals and brought rugby to broad daylight in Japan.
Leach is no longer the captain but is still a key player and member of the team. He is looking forward to the tournament where Japan will play in Group D with England, Argentina, Samoa and another qualifying match.
The sign of the underdog does not irritate Leach – and he does not see fit.
“I think Japan is unique because I think we are everyone’s second favorite team,” Leach told reporters this week, speaking from Tokyo. “We are still considered an underdog despite having two successful campaigns in the World Cup. It is hard to ignore.”
“Subconsciously when you think of Japan, your spontaneous thought process is not a big physical aspect that will dominate teams,” he added.
It is difficult to judge Japan’s position in World Cup preparations compared to preparations for 2019, said Leech. Then, with Japan preparing to host the World Championships on its soil for the first time, a sense of urgency and purpose fueled the campaign.
The years that have passed since then have not worked for Japan in the same way. COVID-19 closed international borders and Japan went 18 months without a test match. His ability to bring in new players was weak but Leach believes things are now on track.
“In 2019, we had an advantage at home and everyone counted on us to grow Japanese rugby, we had a lot of access to resources and time away from the clubs,” he said. “The clubs were not hesitant to release anyone.”
“This time it’s a little different with COVID,” he added. “It’s really hard to gauge how far we’ve come with our preparations, but with the time we’ve spent together, we’ve made amazing progress.”
Leitch said Japan could trust the players it would likely play in the World Cup with. Many of them already have World Cup experience while younger players have had the opportunity to play alongside or against some of the world’s best players in the rapidly improving J-League.
“I would say we have a good group of players who have been in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, the majority in 2019,” said Leach. “I think the knowledge and experience we have will be crucial in 2023.”
“We have some great up-and-coming players who have a real X factor,” he added.
Japan’s image is that it is based on speed rather than fitness, but Leach said that is changing.
“Everyone paints a picture of Japan as not having that physical advantage, but we have proven in the past that we can surpass our weight,” he said. “It is not about being faster or more physical than the opponent. For us, it is about being smarter, choosing our moments and finding the right zone.”
“One of our advantages that the Japanese team has is that we are very flexible tactically. There is no doubt that the tactics will change against each opponent. I will not worry about our physical fitness or the lack of fighting in any of those games.”
M