USA vs Japan

Don't want to let the last pool game go unremarked, especially since Japan have produced some fine performances.

Japan leading 8-20 a the 46 minute mark.

Good game, showing how much progress Japan have made. Playing well again

Big hit from manoa

USA have come back into the game, to make it 18-28, but there are only a couple of minutes left.

Tough on Japan to win three games but not get a quarter final spot.

Japan have really taken this Rugby World Cup by storm. Beating SA in the first game was the most unexpected thing to happen. Know one saw that coming at all.

It is a bit of a shame really to win 3 games and not go through to the quarter finals.

It give us some thong to look forward too in 4 years time when they host the Rugby World  Cup.

Well played Japan a well deserved win tonight.

Japan have been the highlight of this WC so far - unbelievable they came from no wins for years to this - and that they now have the unfortunate record of being the first team to win 3 games but not qualify. Given how the gap is closing, I think there may well be more teams suffering this fate from now on. But Japan were just a pleasure to watch this year, and as Eddie Jones said - "rugby as it should be played" - marvelous.

We can be as pretentious about this as we want, but if any of your teams leaked 5 tries to Scotland you would all be furious. Japan played well but are not as good as many on the interweb seem to think. They have come a long way and their tournament in 4 years will be good.

However facing up to reality, Japan caught South Africa napping or worse the Springboks were criminally complacent. Japan finished 3rd and it's what they deserved. They were NOT good enough to make the quarter finals. Scotland were though

Were Scotland helped by the short amount of rest Japan had before their game?

Usually sport is fairly simple, and in this case Scotland got more points so deserve to go through - not sure they were good enough to warrant your smugness though.

LondonTiger wrote:Were Scotland helped by the short amount of rest Japan had before their game?

Usually sport is fairly simple, and in this case Scotland got more points so deserve to go through - not sure they were good enough to warrant your smugness though.

I seriously wish people would stop throwing this in as an excuse. Scotland had 3 games in 10 days (one of the hardest schedules in the tournament), finishing with a match against arguably the most physical team in the tournament (South Africa).

We made it through and made no excuses about 4 day turnarounds despite having one ourselves...

Not an excuse just a valid comment that for one specific gamne, one team had an advantage.

i woudl say that Wales struggles with Fiji were largely down to short rest too.

I have no intention of belittling Scotland - they are QFs and did well. Just wonder why you keep choosing to belittle the Japanese efforts.

I'm not belittling anyone.

My quote exactly:

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:They have come a long way and their tournament in 4 years will be good.

However the fact that South Africa tore every other team in our group a new ersehole (including us) suggests that indeed :

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:
Japan caught South Africa napping or worse the Springboks were criminally complacent.

I'm not belittling Japan's efforts at all I'm using facts to back up my opinions.

In fact I think Japan should be commended on their efforts in the RWC, and they are having the honor of hosting the RWC in 4 years time which is brilliant for the game in Japan.

However Japan are not even consistently as good in their domestic competition (the Pacific Islands Cup), where they finished bottom of their pool.

People got a wee bit carried away with their shock win over South Africa. Hence the title shock win...