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Jones eyeing a Quarter's spot

Next up for the 'Brave Blossoms' is Scotland on Wednesday, and Jones said the victory over the Springboks would be for nothing if they failed to build on it.

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Their next target is reaching the last eight of the tournament for the first time.

"We're not done yet mate, we've come here with two objectives, beat a top team and also make the quarterfinals.

Then I can retire and I can be like Clive Woodward," said Jones with a broad grin.

The 55-year-old Australian, who will step down after the campaign is finished, said he hoped Saturday's win would make his players sporting heroes back in Japan.

"The other night at our welcome we were shown the 'highlights' of our thrashing by New Zealand in the 1995 World Cup," said Jones.

"Next time they do that in four years [2019 in Japan] you want to see them showing highlights of Japan winning games.

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"There are kids at home who want to play baseball because of Masahiro Tanaka, the New York Yankees pitcher, and football because of [Shinji] Kagawa wherever he plays now.

"Now hopefully they will want to be the next Michael Leitch."

The Japan captain was a star of Saturday's performance, taking the audacious decision to ignore kicking at goal in the last minute to try to go for a winning try.

"This can be a huge game changer for the sport in the country."

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Lock Luke Thompson agreed that it would be frustrating if the Japanese side failed to go on from this extraordinary victory.

"If we don't back it up with other good performances, then it will be a lost opportunity," said Thompson.

"We're proud of what we have done. It hasn't sunk in what we have achieved.

"But just to win this game and not get any more good results would be really disappointing. We have to back it up," added the 34-year-old New Zealand-born lock.

Flyhalf Kosei Ono said the victory should be the launching pad for further unexpected successes.

"This will set the platform for the rest of the tournament but we have got Scotland in four days and anything can happen," said Ono.

"We are a team who have not won at the World Cup in 24 years, to get one is nice, to beat the Boks is unreal.

"We can do anything now."

As for the future of Pool B, Jones thinks the Samoan and South African clash next Saturday should be quite a spectacle – the Springboks too can take some consolation that France suffered a shock defeat to Tonga four years ago – then lost by just one point in the final to the All Blacks.

"This result has probably thrown this pool wide open," said Jones.

"Samoa won't like this result one bit.

"Next week's game will be a massive bash up festival between them [Samoa] and the 'Boks.

"The Springboks will bounce back, they are proud," added Jones, who was an advisor to the South African team that won the 2007 World Cup.

Source: Agence France-Presse

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