Japan is hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2, a first for both the country and Asia. But in 2015, the last time the quadrennial tournament was held, the Japanese national team was a rugby world joke, remembered more for its 145-17 wipe-out in 1995 by the New Zealand All Blacks than any on-field heroics.
Then one coach, one team and one game changed all that: Meeting the mighty South African team in Brighton, England in the 2015 World Cup first round, Australian Eddie Jones and his Brave Blossoms squad pulled off a stunning 34-32 upset.
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