Russia captain Vasily Artemyev says 'pressure is on' Japan in opener
Russia captain Vasily Artemyev has warned Japan that unless it brings its "A" game in Friday's Rugby World Cup opener, the Brave Blossoms could face a mauling. Japan goes into the Pool A clash in Tokyo as a strong favorite, but Artemyev insisted that Russia's ...
Brave Blossoms admit nervousness, excitement before RWC opener against Russia
Japan national team players on Thursday confessed to feeling nervous ahead of Friday's opening game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but are confident the excitement of the occasion will sweep away the butterflies when the host nation faces Russia at Tokyo Stadium. "I'm sure ...
Brave Blossoms name team for Russia clash
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph on Wednesday urged his entire squad to be ready to play their part at the Rugby World Cup after naming his team to face Russia in Friday's tournament opener. "It's really exciting now that we're a few days away from ...
Brave Blossoms taking different approaches to preparation, playing ahead of World Cup
Japan heads into their opening game of the Rugby World Cup knowing its strategy off the field in terms of preparation needs to be the exact opposite of how the team plays its Pool A matches. "This week the focus is on Russia. It's important ...
Brave Blossoms insist loss to Springboks was great preparation for RWC
Japan will head into the Rugby World Cup on the back of a big loss to South Africa, but the Brave Blossoms insisted Sunday that their 41-7 Sept. 6 defeat was the ideal way to prepare for the journey ahead. "The media may have had ...
Japan was officially welcomed to the Rugby World Cup at a ceremony at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office on Friday that saw all 31 playing team members presented with their Rugby World Cup 2019 cap, and the entire team, including coaches and management, receive ...
Octopuses predict Japan will fail to reach knockout stage at Rugby World Cup
Two octopuses predicted Friday that Japan will not advance to the knockout stage of the Rugby World Cup, which opens next week. Octopuses selected the outcomes of the the Brave Blossoms' pool matches by moving in a plastic children's pool divided into sections representing Japan, ...
Japan fails aerial test against Springboks in Rugby World Cup warmup
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph has warned his players they must stand tall if they want to survive at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, after wilting under South Africa's aerial bombardment in a defeat on Friday. The Brave Blossoms went down 41-7 to the Springboks ...
South Africa jumps out to early lead, manhandles Japan in pre-RWC match
Japan failed to claim another famous win over South Africa on Friday as the 2019 Rugby World Cup host lost 41-7 to the Springboks in its final warmup match before the tournament begins later this month. Japan pulled off an historic upset by beating two-time ...
Japan, South Africa ready for rematch of 2015 Rugby World Cup epic
Much has been said about Japan looking to prove miracles can happen twice when it takes on South Africa on Friday night at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium. But the message from the Brave Blossoms is that at the end of the day there are far bigger ...
Jamie Joseph names side to take on Springboks in final RWC tuneup
Japan coach Jamie Joseph named his side Wednesday for what he described as a "must perform" rather than "must win" game against South Africa later this week, the Brave Blossoms' final warm-up before the Rugby World Cup kicks off this month. Dismissing comparisons with the ...
Brave Blossoms seeking proper balance on attack, defense to top Springboks
Japan heads into Friday's match against two-time world champion South Africa at Saitama Prefecture's Kumagaya Rugby Stadium knowing it must find the right balance between attack and defense if it is to repeat its heroics of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. And defense coach ...
