By Nick Mulvenney
PARIS (Reuters) – Jamie Joseph took Japan to unprecedented heights during his seven years as coach but his reign ended on Sunday with the Brave Blossoms back where they were just before he started, exiting the World Cup in the pool stage.
The New Zealander said he took pride in the performance of his players in Sunday’s loss to Argentina in the winner-takes-all final pool match but felt that a lack of top quality rugby meant they were only now hitting their full stride.
“Any rugby player, they need to be playing tough footy. This year we played 10 tough games of rugby and now we’re starting to play to our potential,” he told reporters.
“I felt that we were ready to play a big game of rugby today. Everyone was fit and available mentally and physically ready to play. I thought our players played very well. Probably played the best in the last four years.”
The four years since Japan made a fairytale run to the World Cup quarter-finals on home soil has been tricky with the game shutting down during the COVID pandemic and the Sunwolves Super Rugby team folding.
“My job over the last seven years was not only to coach the national team but also to develop the game. The first four years was about performing and selling a home Rugby World Cup and I got a tick for that,” Joseph added.
“The last four years have been more difficult, but I’m proud of the team and I’m proud of my coaching team.”
Japan kicked off their World Cup campaign with a 42-12 win against debutants Chile before a 34-12 loss to eventual pool winners England left them with do-or-die matches against Samoa, which they won 28-22, and Argentina.
Joseph said he had no opinion over who should succeed him as coach, only warning them that it was a role that required great cultural sensitivity, but thought reviving something akin to the Sunwolves was essential for Japanese rugby to progress.
“There’s only a certain amount of Japanese rugby players coming through so those players need experience of playing certain levels of footy,” he said.
“In most cases, our second and third-best players in Japan are not getting any rugby. Something needs to be done about that.
“On top of that, we need a level of rugby with professional intensity training, touring, getting used to different countries that play different styles of rugby.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Christian Radnedge)
