Just what we needed
0This was just what the Rugby World Cup needed. There was as much upset action overnight as in the previous seven tournaments combined.
The Georgia win over Tonga was the entrée. Tonga has automatically qualified for the tournament, had beaten France last time around and we know a lot of their players. Georgia is the unknown entity, previously only known for producing Joseph Stalin, that turns up on our screens once every four years. In between times they are pretty much shut out, and are one of the few sides at the cup who are not in regular, established international competitions.
They are also called the Lelos which always raises a smile.
They look like a team of lumberjacks, and their game is built around brute strength. Not many teams out tackle Tonga, but they managed that. They also knew how to celebrate.
Tkhilaishvili is not a name you hear often
But that was nothing compared to what happened next in Brighton. There has never been anything like this at a Rugby World Cup, and has brought
Will finger-mittens catch on?
life to a group that had previously only had Scotland v Samoa providing any interest.
It has also brought to life the concept of the Rugby World Cup being a genuine global competition.
This was South Africa, two time world champions, against Japan who had only one win in all previous World Cups. That was against Zimbabwe in 1991, and Japan entered the match with an 18 game RWC losing streak.
This was no fluke result either based on luck and some intercept tries.
They stuck to the Springboks all match, the lead never exceeded seven points, competed with them in set pieces, and ran in three contrasting tries. They scored their first try from a rolling maul, with 13 (count ‘em) players involved, the second was a set piece move that had Eddie Jones written all over it and the final try came from side-to-side recycling after time was up.
From all accounts Jones has been training them into the ground, and payback came in those last 15 minutes. Unlike Fiji yesterday they just kept on coming and coming
This the kind of result, like USA beating England 1-0 in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, that will be talked about for years.
Bryan: “Is this really happening?”
In true Rugby World Cup style, Japan now has four days before their next game when they face Scotland in what has now become a very important match.
The final stages of the Japan v South Africa game; with an outstanding Japanese commentary.
And how Irish fans, pre-loading in Cardiff, greeted the news.