It’s good to talk – Jamie Joseph’s evolution sparked Japan’s transformation in Rugby World Cup

TOULOUSE – Head coach Jamie Joseph’s evolution in delegating and becoming a better communicator is a major reason the Japanese are just a victory away from reaching the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, forwards coach Shin Hasegawa said on Monday.

The Brave Blossoms will qualify for the last eight for the second successive time under Joseph, if they beat Argentina in Nantes on Sunday in their winner-takes-all final Pool D match.

Both Japan and Argentina are level on nine points, with England already guaranteed of topping the pool on 14 points. Samoa (six) and Chile (zero) are the other two teams in the pool.

Former New Zealand and Japan international Joseph, 53, became head coach in 2016 and Hasegawa said that it took a while for him to settle into the role.

“He has changed a lot in the last eight years,” said Hasegawa at a press conference. “Early on, we had times where he would start training without explaining anything to the coaches and players.

“For the Japanese players, they react well when they are given reasons, but otherwise questions come in first.”

Joseph’s personal journey of discovery has completely altered the dynamics within the squad, Hasegawa feels, adding: “Nowadays, the players make more decisions than the coaches. Jamie still makes the big calls but, in terms of role clarity and spreading responsibilities, I feel that we are becoming better as a team.”

Hasegawa and Joseph go back a long way as they played together in the Japan national team.

“After eight years, I can tell what he is thinking and I think some of the other coaches do too,” said Hasegawa of his former teammate.

“I can also say that whether it’s between me and him or him and the players, we understand each other really well.

“If there are any misunderstandings, we have honest conversations about it. We have relationships that are good and fair amongst all of us.”

On the big clash, Hasegawa believes the Japanese can get the better of the Pumas, despite the South Americans being renowned for their scrummaging.

“They are a completely different team every time we play them. But with the current Japan team, we can eliminate their power, skill and weight,” said the 51-year-old, who played against Argentina in the 1999 World Cup.

“So we get rid of their strength, and play the game in our way which is something we are working on.”

Argentina’s lack of discipline could well be their Achilles’ heel and, if they do lapse, then Japan have a super reliable kicker in Rikiya Matsuda to punish them.

Matsuda has accrued 37 points in this tournament and had converted 13 straight kicks at goal until he missed a conversion for Japan’s third try in the 28-22 win over Samoa last Thursday.

“His kicking is really helpful for us. For example, the difference between when a penalty won by the forwards gets converted into three points or when it doesn’t makes such a big difference,” said Hasegawa.

“Knowing that the work they put in comes out as three points, that gives a lot of relief to the forwards from a mental point of view.”

In the other camp, assistant coach Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe is not taking the Japanese lightly.

“They are a team that has qualified for the quarter-finals in the last Rugby World Cup, a team that we know is going to be very tough,” he said last Sunday, a day after Argentina thrashed Chile 59-5.

“It is a dynamic team, with a clear idea of what they want, a very, very difficult opponent.

“They are a very well-prepared team, with a very good coach.”
AFP, REUTERS