Large-slaying Japan turns consideration to England at Rugby World Cup

Japan has made a factor of slaying giants at World Cups.

In 2015, the Courageous Blossoms defied the percentages — so long as 80-1 with some bookmakers — to beat South Africa 34-32 in what was dubbed the “Brighton Miracle.” Even the Japanese gamers had been in disbelief on the remaining whistle, drenching the turf with tears of pleasure and clutching each other with all their may as if to face up to the gravity of their achievement.

Then, 4 years later, Japan bested Eire, the world’s No. 2 workforce on the time, in a effervescent cauldron of emotion at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa. The 19-12 victory was a seismic second within the sport’s historical past, kicking the competitors into fifth gear and justifying the choice at hand Japan, then a Tier 2 nation, the duty of internet hosting rugby’s biggest showpiece.