Kolisi’s rainbow Boks and Australians, except Eddie Jones: winners and losers from Japan’s Rugby World Cup
- Japan hosts the first tournament out of the world’s strongholds for the sport, so how did things turn out for everyone involved?
- There are some clear victors (the South Africans, of course) and some interesting also-rans who came up surprisingly short
Winners
Japan in bloom
It’s no surprise that Japan excelled as host and had a team to build on their 2015 upsets. Some of the Brave Blossoms’ play, however, had to be seen to be believed. The likes of wings Kenki Fukuoka and Kotaro Matsushima made cases for inclusion in a tournament XV, while the showing against Scotland – stuck on fast-forward – was as thrilling as anything you’ll see in a sporting arena. Japan were made to wait for this after the last World Cup was awarded – again – to England, taking place in football stadiums and hitting the profit margins requested by the sport’s rulers. How pointless that now seems.
Kolisi’s rainbow Boks
South Africa’s first world champions had Nelson Mandela behind them in 1995, but were not truly multiracial. Their second winners in 2007 had the iconic Bryan Habana, but years of introspection about quotas followed. To see Siya Kolisi, his country’s first black captain, lift the trophy in 2019 was to witness a moment of arrival. It’s all the more impressive given where the Springboks were two years ago before Rassie Erasmus took over as coach: humbled by Italy, spanked 57-0 by New Zealand and eighth in the world. What a turnaround.
All Blacks still in credit
Losing semi-finalists, but played most of the slickest rugby, won Japanese hearts and were one of three sides to lose once. They played and operated largely as they did in 2011 and 2015, exemplified by Steve Hansen, their outgoing coach. Granted, “Shag” did invite a journalist outside for questioning the All Blacks’ desire – at least the hack was a Kiwi. In 2015, asked for his thoughts after winning a semi-final, Hansen launched into a fairly left-field monologue about sport being about values, character, process – no mention of his team or the outcome. In Japan, he greeted a losing semi much the same, while captain and keen cricket fan Kieran Read took a leaf out of statesmanlike Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson’s book and focused on the All Blacks’ mantra of leaving the jersey in a better place. They succeeded, and bow out double world champs, second best for a day, winners for life.
In-house hairdressers
It’s a feature of World Cups that players stave off boredom with a group trip to a local barber who’ll administer the only cut available. Several England players were identifiable at the bottom of rucks by a sort of “soft Mohawk”. The All Blacks had their hair maintained in camp, and not only centre Jack Goodhue, whose mullet was discussed at press conferences. “To be fair, it is the highlight of the week,” assistant coach Ian Foster said. “They line up about six chairs in the team room – it’s quite a show.” He did not need to name names, with Messrs Mo’unga, Bridge, Williams and Read sighted at training with identically severe backs and sides. “There have been some mis-cuts,” Foster suggested. “George Bridge is hoping for some sunny days to get rid of the white line around his head.”
losers
Northern lights dimmed
Wales punched their weight, but other northern hemisphere countries left with questions to answer. Ireland arrived as world No 1 and departed major flops. France summoned a half of inspiration in their quarter-final before sabotaging themselves.
England seemed to have returned as a world force, only to produce the greatest underperformance by a World Cup finalist. How they fell so far short on the biggest day of their careers will occupy them for some time.
Scotland and Italy went home early at a time when Georgia, who acquitted themselves well, are hitting a glass ceiling kept in place by the refusal to open up the Six Nations.
France’s under-20s have been the world’s best for the past two years, while most of England’s 2019 squad are young enough to try again in 2023, when France host. By then, 20 years will have passed since England became the sole northern hemisphere winners.
Australians, except Eddie Jones
Besieged in the bowels of Yokohama stadium on Saturday by scrutiny of his England players’ nervy display, an indignant Jones felt the need to reiterate: “Listen, we’ve taken a side who couldn’t even get out of their 2015 group to one win from being world champions.”
Jones’ Aussie compatriots could use that sort of return as they rebuild after Michael Cheika’s resignation. Plenty in Australia would welcome him for a second go at leading the Wallabies after a campaign of reckless tactics and scattergun selection.
We always hear that rugby there trails Aussie Rules and rugby league in attracting talent, so could it capture Jones, who in England still lives in a hotel and was not planning to complete another World Cup cycle? He relishes playing the underdog.
Pacific islanders, except Fijian exiles
Fiji’s Semi Radradra shone, but even he paled beside the remarkable Marika Koroibete. The latter, though, is one of several current Fijians to have chosen to play for Australia. That is his right but the ease by which players qualify for nations in which they accept club contracts continues to impede Fiji – who pushed Wales and Australia without some who might have tipped the balance.
Another case in point is Virimi Vakatawa, raised in Fiji but France’s star man. And we wonder why the quarter-finals tend to comprise the same old teams?
Samoa, the next big thing 20 years ago, are in the doldrums. Tonga have stalled, having scared South Africa in 2007 and downed France in 2011.
A less-discussed aspect of the Israel Folau affair was that after being sacked by Australia he tried to play league for Tonga. If Folau feels so attuned to his parents’ Tongan roots, why wasn’t he wearing red in Japan?
Toutai Kefu, Tonga’s coach, said similar things about Billy Vunipola before the No 8 played against them with England. Billy and brother Mako grew up in Wales and Manu Tuilagi in England – not their parents’ native Tonga and Samoa. But mightn’t Tuilagi have considered playing for Samoa like his brothers did if they were challenging to win World Cups?
Kefu did win it, of course – with Australia, fully 20 years ago.
