Rugby World Cup 2019: Stuttering Japan eventually find rhythm to see off Russia in tournament opener

Jamie Joseph’s men were forced to ride out a nervy opening spell against the 20th-ranked team in the world, before eventually securing a comfortable 30-10 win

They took their time, but eventually Japan got there. After a summer of success and encouraging progress, the hosts were tipped to steamroll this Russian side – one that had ignominiously succumbed to defeat at the hands of Championship club Jersey Reds just 24 days earlier.

Instead, Jamie Joseph’s men were forced to ride out a nervy opening spell against the 20th-ranked team in the world, before eventually finding their rhythm to secure a comfortable 30-10 win.

It was far from flawless, and raises questions of how far Japan can realistically go. Perhaps daunted by the scale of the occasion – Japan is the first Asian and Tier-Two nation to host the tournament – the home side looked nervous in those opening encounters here at the Tokyo Stadium.

The early warning signs were there. Japan’s fly-half Yu Tamura was charged down attempting to clear his lines after just three minutes, the ball rolling just out of reach before a Russian hand could get to it. Sixty seconds later, though, and Lyn Jones’ men had the lead.

It left Japan’s fervent fanbase stunned. After a mistake from full-back William Tupou for what should have been a routine gather, Kirill Golosnitskiy pounced to break free and touch down for the opening score of the open tournament.

Japan hit back seven minutes later, with Kotaro Matsushima diving over after some impressive build-up play and one particularly exquisite offload from Timothy Lafaele, but there was still a sense that things were not quite right. The hosts lacked confidence in their handling and struggled to match their opponents’ physicality. There was little shape and order, with the occasional moment of brilliance offset by a careless mistake or lapse in concentration.

Still, Japan pushed on and, after seeing what looked to be his second try chalked off by Nigel Owens, Matsushima was soon back at it, using his speed to surge over the white line down near the right-hand corner.

Pieter Labuschagne added the third after the break, with Japan finally stamping their authority on the match. After wrestling the ball out of Andrey Ostrikov’s hands, the flanker put the burners on to charge down the narrow corridor that had opened up behind Russia’s defence and finish behind the posts.

This was the beginning of the end for Russia. Struggling for fitness against their better drilled opponents, the Bears had little to offer – Yury Kushnarev’s 61st-minute penalty kick aside.

Matsushima added the finishing touches with a sublime solo effort 11 minutes before time, slicing open the Russian defence with a slaloming run from the 22-metre line that had the crowd on his feet. It was just one of the many moments in which the South African-born winger had the audience enthralled in rapture. Every time he found himself with possession, always kicking away in explosive fashion, the Tokyo Stadium felt charged with electricity.

The overall performance itself may not have raised hopes of a romantic World Cup run, but with individuals such as Matsushima among their ranks, Japan will know that a moment of magic is never far away – and, with it, the promise of the unexpected.