RECAP: Japan v South Africa
READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to the World Cup warm-up match between Japan and South Africa in Kumagaya.
Japan is the only country that has a 100 percent success record against South Africa’s Springboks.
Only one other country has a positive success record against the Springboks – New Zealand and that success rate is 59 percent.
But then the All Blacks have played the Springboks 98 times, Japan only once – a historic one.
Previous result
2015: Japan won 34-32, Brighton (World Cup pool match)
Prediction: The Springboks to win by some 20 points and take home the cup for the match – the LipovitanD Challenge Cup.
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Teams
Japan: 15 William Tupou, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Yu Tamura, 9 Kaito Shigeno, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Michael Leitch (captain), 5 Uwe Helu, 4 Luke Thompson, 3 Koo Ji-won, 2 Atsushi Sakate, 1 Keita Inagaki.
Replacements: 16 Takuya Kitade, 17 Isileli Nakajima, 18 Asaeli Ai Valu, 19 James Moore, 20 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 21 Yutaka Nagare, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Ataata Moeakiola.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Rudolph Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel.
Date: Friday, September 6
Venue: Kumagaya Stadium, Saitama, Japan
Kick-off: 19.15 (12.15 SA time)
Expected weather: Partly cloudy and hot with a high of 34°C and a “low” of 24°C with a chance of rain and 40 percent humidity.
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Graham Cooper (Australia)
TMO: Shane McDermott (New Zealand)
