TOKYO • Japan rugby coach Jamie Joseph is relishing a 2023 World Cup reunion with “Miracle of Brighton” architect Eddie Jones, but warned yesterday that more top-level competition was crucial for his team’s preparations.
Last year’s quarter-finalists have been drawn in Pool D with Argentina and an England side coached by Jones, who led Japan to their titanic upset of South Africa at the 2015 tournament in England.
Jones’ links with Japanese rugby go back decades and he is still director of rugby for Tokyo club Suntory Sungoliath. But Joseph is confident of outwitting the Australian when they meet in three years.
“I hope that he thinks that we’re far too behind England to be worried about at this stage,” the New Zealander told an online press conference.
“He’s got an intimate knowledge of pretty much everything in rugby apart from what we do. We’re adapting all the time.”
Japan stunned Ireland and Scotland and topped their group en route to a first quarter-final appearance at last year’s World Cup on home soil.
But the coronavirus pandemic and a Super Rugby reshuffle have left Asia’s top rugby nation unable to capitalise this year.
The Tokyo-based Sunwolves, who played some home matches in Singapore, were booted out of Super Rugby after winning just eight games over four full seasons, while the national team have not played since the World Cup because of the pandemic.
The domestic Top League has also been out of action since abandoning its season in February after six rounds, and Joseph warned that his players must have regular exposure to top-level rugby if they are to make a mark in 2023.
“The Sunwolves weren’t very successful results-wise but in terms of preparing our players for a major campaign in 2019, it was exactly what we needed,” Joseph said. “Having a competition similar to Super Rugby is going to be crucial to our preparation.
“I don’t believe Top League alone is going to be enough rugby, unless of course we have an extended Test-match season.”
Japan will play the British and Irish Lions in Edinburgh on June 26, and the Japan Rugby Football Union said yesterday it is confident of arranging three top-level Test matches before and after that fixture.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE