Japan Rugby Team Reflects on south Africa match
Following the Lipovitan D Tour 2025 match against South Africa on November 1st (November 2nd Japan time), members of the Japan men’s national rugby team shared their assessments of the game. The Japan Rugby Football Union, led by President Masato Tsuchida, released these comments.
head Coach Eddie Jones acknowledged the significant challenge posed by the world’s number one ranked team. “There were areas where we couldn’t compete with the strength of the South African team,” he stated. He specifically identified struggles in the aerial game, lineouts, and mauls, and also turnovers when in possession. Jones emphasized the match as a valuable learning experience, highlighting the need to understand Japan’s current standing in world rugby and to develop strategies to compete against top-tier opponents like South Africa.”We have to get the lineout right, and we have to be able to defend mauls well,” he added.
Lock Warner Deans focused on individual contribution and the team’s overall style. “I believe that I have to do my job as much as possible as a lock and lead with my body,” he said, adding that he aims to play a simple, effective style of rugby characteristic of the Japanese team. He also pointed to the need for improvement in set-pieces and line-outs.
Yutaka Yazaki expressed disappointment at not achieving a more impactful result against the top-ranked team. While acknowledging the team’s commitment to a fast-paced style of play, he noted the impact of South Africa’s physicality. “We were under pressure from South Africa’s extremely strong physical form and couldn’t play the rugby we wanted to play for the 80 minutes,” Yazaki explained. He views the experience as crucial readiness for the World Cup, emphasizing the importance of learning from the loss.
Player Ben Gunter highlighted the progress japan has made in competing with leading rugby nations. “Japan is now able to compete with the world’s strongest teams,” he said, stressing the necessity of continued growth through challenging matches. He expressed confidence in the team’s growth and their ambition to reach the top four.
Shuhei Takeuchi emphasized the need to elevate the team’s overall standard. He cited a poor start in the scrum and difficulties combining effectively as areas for improvement. “We need to stabilize our set-pieces, including mauls,” he stated, outlining plans for adjustments in preparation for the next match.
Player Li Chengxin described feeling the gap in quality when facing the world’s number one team. He identified breakdowns and maintaining possession as key areas where Japan was outmatched. “We felt the gap between us and No. 1 in the world,” he said, adding that improved breakdown work and support for ball carriers are crucial. He also noted the importance of kicking accuracy and learning from the strengths of their opponents.
