Rugby World Cup 2015: The Offload — Japan do the Wallabies a favour and what made Fiji mad
ROUNDING-UP the Rugby World Cup news and nonsense. Japan help the Wallabies, Richie McCaw binned and why would you annoy Nemani Nadolo?
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Notes from a small Island
JAPAN beating the Springboks may have averted a Fijian ambush on the Wallabies in Cardiff, writes Iain Payten.
The Aussies have been hidden away from the World Cup atmosphere for the best part of a month; first with a two-week camp in the USA and then in tranquil Bath.
Throw in the fact they only shifted to Wales 24 hours before their first game and there grew a sense that the Wallabies may be lacking an edge early on against Fiji.
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That they’d be struck very suddenly by the scale and intensity of the World Cup when a big crowd at Millennium Stadium — all backing Fiji — started making lots of noise.
The events in Brighton on the weekend changed all that. Japan’s upset win over South Africa was a huge shock to tier one players — the days of cruising past minnows at World Cups is over. Minnows are now full-time professionals in both hemispheres; stronger, fitter and smarter then ever before.
The Wallabies were cursing their draw and delayed start last week but now they’re thanking it: they got a good look at Fiji and they got a good look at the power of the minnow on the opening weekend.
They will go to Cardiff with a mindset like they’re playing the All Blacks. Forget scoring tries aplenty and bonus points (although they’d be nice), winning is the first and only goal that matters. South Africa can attest to that.
What you might have missed
Now I’ve seen everything
Just as everyone of a certain vintage knows exactly where they were when John F Kennedy shuffled off this mortal coil, this World Cup has already served up a “remember when” moment to cherish down the years.
Japan, you say? Well, of course. But get this: Richie McCaw was sin-binned. Really.
Sensational, legendary player though he is — and he really, really is — it is staggering to learn that in 142 matches of, shall we say, operating around the margins of the dark arts, McCaw had seen yellow in an All Black shirt only twice ahead of their match with Argentina. That figure duly became three from 143 matches, after he shamelessly tripped Juan Martin Fernandez, at a time when the reigning champions weren’t having things all their own way.
McCaw fessed up to “a dumb mistake”. And the booing from the crowd each time he was involved thereafter was a touch unbecoming towards a man of his standing.
Perhaps we can put it down to the crowd’s collective giddiness at witnessing something about as rare as a full-term Australian Prime Minister.
Twitter, do what you do
These chopsticks are #StrongerThanTheBoks pic.twitter.com/Vc0HBjxANU
— Kenny makenzi (@Kenny_Makenzi) September 19, 2015"Please lord....." #RSAvJPN #StrongerThanTheBoks #RWC2015 #WhosTheBoss Don't worry, I still support you @Springboks pic.twitter.com/K8UuPywi4i
— Nino Hendricks™ (@ninohendricks) September 19, 2015They lit our fire #IrelandVsCanada eh @SportsJOEdotie!? #RWC2015 pic.twitter.com/gRd70iU7UO
— Brian John Spencer (@brianjohnspencr) September 19, 2015What you might have missed
The pipes of peace
More good news for Japanese fans — there will be no bagpipes in the ground when they look to back up their shock win over the Springboks with a win over Scotland.
The aurally objectionable airbags, you see, were specifically named on the list of restricted items that “might compromise or otherwise interfere with the enjoyment or comfort of any person at the venue”.
The party-pooping list also includes “large flags, banners and flag poles, oversized hats, large umbrellas, noisemakers such as vuvuzelas and whistles, horns, air horns, drums, rattles, and musical instruments”.
So incensed were some by the cultural slight, that 17 British members of parliament, clearly boasting more time on their hands that you might imagine of people in such employment, signed an official motion attacking the Rugby World Cup organisers.
It’s been about as effective as a chocolate teapot, mind, with the organisers sticking to their guns, presumably to the massive relief of music lovers everywhere bar Scotland itself.
Giving everyone a lift
Wallabies legend and Fox Sports commentator John Eales showed his enduring leadership skills when he was trapped in a lift at Twickenham, along with 14 others, while trying to get to the opening ceremony.
“One elderly man got pretty panicked and was feeling really unwell, others were desperately trying to open the doors using their keys,” said Dax Aiken, one of the trapped fans.
“[Eales] just calmed everybody down. He was fantastic. It was like a sauna in there. People were getting pretty panicked when we couldn’t open the doors and he just told us all not to worry.”
To help pass the time before help arrived, Eales’ fellow detainees sought the great man’s views on the tournament. And that was where he let himself down — predicting an All Blacks vs. England final.
Firefighters eventually freed them all in time for the opening ceremony and Eales boxed on with his commentary duties.
Angering the natives
A gathering of disparate sporting nations just wouldn’t be the same without some good old fashioned racial stereotyping in the name of jokey banter now, would it?
Step forward match commentator Nick Mullins, working for host broadcasters ITV in the UK. Given the honour of calling England’s opening match with Fiji, he found himself retreating to the safe rock of offensive racism when after a cheap laugh. What’s he like, eh? The wag.
“They will be back in Fiji around one television hoping the generator doesn’t fail them,” said Mullins during the broadcast as viewers struggled to keep their sides from splitting.
The Fijians, as you might imagine, were none too pleased, with man mountain Nemani Nadolo speaking for a nation when branding the comments a ‘muppet call’.
It is to be hoped Mullins has the pleasure of meeting Nadolo to explain his slight, preferably down a dark, narrow alleyway, sometime soon.
Video of the day
What you might have missed
Don’t shoot the messenger
It was the miracle that very nearly didn’t happen. With Japan trailing the Springboks by three points in the dying moments of their epic contest in Brighton, everyone’s new second team had the opportunity to kick a game-tying penalty.
Heroically — and as it turns out, correctly — Japan captain Michael Leitch decided more was on offer and kicked instead to the corner, a move that set up the matchwinning try. It was a good job he acted so quickly and decisively, mind, as his coach wanted him to take the safety first route as it turns out.
“We’d spoken before the game about not having anything to lose and taking every opportunity to go for glory but when we had that chance to level the game I tried to get the message down to take the kick at goal,” Eddie Jones told the Daily Mail newspaper.
“Luckily by the time the message got to the players the decision to kick for touch had already been taken! I thought to myself, ‘fair enough, here we go!’
Japan sell out
Anyone taking a stroll down London’s Oxford Street on Monday might have been forgiven for doing a double take and checking their calendar to see if the Christmas sales had come early (and not just because of England’s slate grey wintry skies).
A large group of foreign tourists were queuing round the block outside one particular store, demand so high that the proprietor had to bring down the shutters for a time to alleviate the scrum.
A flash sale at a department store? A new Apple product hitting the shelves? No, this was the official Rugby World Cup merchandise shop, overrun with gleeful Japanese fans wanting to stock up on Brave Blossoms gear, causing Brett Gosper, CEO of World Rugby, to halt trading. History-making shock wins are clearly as good for business as they are for the sporting soul.
We had to close #RWC2015 official merchandise store on Oxford St yesterday due to overwhelming merchandise demand from the Japanese public.
— Brett Gosper (@brettgosper) September 21, 2015Picture of the day
What you might have missed
A cycle of failure
And, still on the theme of *that* upset, spare a thought for Ron Rutland.
Ron chose to cycle his way from South Africa to England, a journey of 43,000km taking in close to every African country in the process and taking something approaching two years.
The trip, a fund-raising effort for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, was timed for him to arrive, presumably knackered and in need of a good sit down, just in time to watch his team’s processional win over lowly Japan.
It didn’t turn out that way, of course. And he’s decided to take a plane for the return journey.
In numbers
1,013
The combined number of All Blacks caps taking to the field for their match with Argentina. Experience told … in the end.
Originally published as Rugby World Cup 2015: The Offload — Japan do the Wallabies a favour and what made Fiji mad
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