With the 2015 Rugby World Cup only having started recently, few would have expected such drama as has been witnessed in these early stages of the competition. Fiji were beaten by England in the opening fixture of the tournament, but not without putting up a terrific fight first, Georgia defeated Tonga and most recently, Japan overcame South Africa to earn their first win at a Rugby World Cup in over 20 years.
The effort that these underdog sides have put in so far has been heartwarming to see for rugby fans and has certainly set the standard for the rest of the competition. However, the Japanese victory over South Africa, who are one of the favourites to win the trophy, may well be one of the most important events to occur in the tournament.
Those who do not follow Rugby Union would be forgiven for thinking that the sport is dominated by a select few nations, with the smaller countries having very little chance of competing in the major competitions. Yet, Japan’s win over South Africa is a prime example of a smaller nation upsetting one of the big dogs and for this very reason is massively important for the sport as a whole.
Japan came into the World Cup with very little expectation of advancing past their group and because of this, were able to play with a greater sense of freedom and intensity. This was evident from kick off against South Africa who appeared almost stunned by the aggression that Japan put into both attack and defence. The Springboks’ were not able to get into their stride for much of the first half and Japan looked comfortable going toe-to-toe with the South Africans.
A lot of the bigger nations should watch the way that the Japanese defended against South Africa. Every single player was committed to handling their man and throughout the game cannot have missed more than a couple of tackles.
The fact that South Africa were beaten by the Japanese does not necessarily represent a shift in the Rugby Union powers, but it does portray how far the smaller nations have come to catching the giants of the sport. Obviously, Japan has a long way to go to be considered giants themselves, but their victory over the South Africans has done them no harm whatsoever.
For people who are new to the sport and are using the World Cup as a way to get interested in it, the Japanese victory has made the sport far more accessible for people around the world. Many nations such as the United States have the potential to succeed in the sport but have been slow getting into it, part of this is down to the belief that the powerhouses cannot be toppled. However, with Japan having beaten the Springboks, the world has been shown that Rugby Union is a sport where everyone can win and that it isn’t unthinkable for a David and goliath-esque result to occur.
If results like this can occur on a more regular basis, then the popularity of the sport should sky-rocket, and with the popularity comes greater competition from other nations.
