Page 28 - Irish Examiner USA

sportsexaminer
28

2019 Japan Keep Rolling With Bonus Ireland Tie Against

9th, Point Win Against Samoa
October Samoa Should Survive

| Typhoon Hagibis
EXAMINER

IRISH

Kotaro Matsushima crossed with the final action of
the match to earn Japan a bonus point as they climbed
to the top of Pool A with a battling 38-19 win against
Samoa on Saturday.
The World Cup hosts claimed a shock victory over
Pool A favorites Ireland last time out, but Samoa put
up a good fight in Toyota City and looked like denying
the Brave Blossoms the maximum haul until
Matsushima touched down with the clock having
passed 80 minutes.
Timothy Lafaele, Kazuki Himeno and Kenki
Fukuoka also scored for Japan, while Henry Taefu
accounted for all of Samoa’s points.
The result sends Japan three points clear of Joe
Schmidt’s men at the summit and ends their oppo-
nents’ slim hopes of a place in the last eight.
The boot of Yu Tamura fired Japan into a 6-0 lead
before Taefu got Samoa on the board from the tee
after 10 minutes.
Taefu and Tamura exchanged a further kick apiece
before TJ Ioane was sin-binned for a late tackle, reduc- uper Typhoon Hagibis tropical cyclone since records strong winds, we are expecting
ing Samoa to 14 men for 10 minutes – a fifth yellow remains on course to affect began. very heavy rain along its path.
card of the tournament for Steve Jackson’s side. SEngland’s Rugby World It is many times the dimen- “Obviously with those very
Japan capitalized on their numerical advantage as Cup meeting with France in sions of Typhoon Faxai, which strong and severe winds, with
Lafaele touched down following a fantastic run from Tokyo on Saturday, but to brought Tokyo to a standstill for heavy rain, there is likelihood of
Matsushima, Tamura adding the extras. what extent remains uncertain. the day of England’s arrival for significant impact from the dam-
Taefu’s third three-pointer saw Samoa go in 16-9 The 170mph storm was the World Cup, delaying their aging winds and also from storm
down at the break and he split the posts again early in around 900 miles south of Tokyo exit from Narita Airport by six surge.
the second to further reduce the deficit, before on Wednesday, and is expected hours, killing three people and “With the winds and large
Tamura atoned for his first miss of the match by to make landfall in southern leaving a million homes without waves, there is the risk of flash
reestablishing Japan’s seven-point lead. Japan by Saturday, which could power. flooding as well in the Tokyo
Jamie Joseph’s men finally gave themselves breath- impact on the Pool C fixture in What strength those wind region.”
ing space with Himeno’s try from a driving maul, but Yokohama. speeds will be once it makes land- The Met Office spokesperson
Taefu added a converted try to his personal points haul Scotland are set to play hosts fall this weekend and the impact added: “While the location and
six minutes from time to give his side hope of clinch- Japan, also at Yokohama’s of any flooding or tidal surge extent of impact are still rather
ing at least a losing bonus point. International Stadium, in Pool A remains to be seen. uncertain, there is an increasing
However, Japan pulled clear in the closing minutes, on Sunday. A Met Office spokesperson likelihood Hagibis will affect
as Fukuoka and Matsushima went over in opposite Ireland’s Pool A game against said: “The overall story remains southern Japan.”
corners to earn Japan an important bonus point of Samoa on Saturday and Wales’ the same. Typhoon Hagibis in Any World Cup matches can-
their own. C Pool D clash with Uruguay on the western North Pacific is on celled due to weather problems
Sunday are on the other side of track towards Japan this week- are registered as scoreless draws
Scotland Earn Bonus Point Against Russia, Japan – in Fukuoka and end. and would have no impact on the
Set Up Showdown With Japan Kumamoto, respectively – so “As of Wednesday morning, it final standings for England and
Scotland hammered Russia 61-0 as they claimed the most likely out of the storm’s was located around 900 miles France as both have already qual-
crucial World Cup bonus-point win that tees up a do- main path. south of Tokyo with estimated ified for the knockout stage.
or-die showdown with Japan on Sunday. The Japanese Grand Prix at wind speeds of around 120mph However, should the match in
Gregor Townsend’s team needed to take maxi- Suzuka, however, could be affect- and gusts of 170mph. Yokohama be called off, it would
mum points from their clash with the Bears in ed. Formula One’s ruling body “Obviously as Hagibis moves leave England heading into the
Shizuoka to give themselves the best possible chance the FIA is monitoring the situa- towards Japan it is going to weak- quarter-finals without having
of making the quarter-finals, and they did just that tion. en and those wind speeds will fall. played for a fortnight.
thanks to a stunning nine-try demolition job. World Rugby is expected to “We are expecting that England defense coach John
George Horne became the first Scottish scrum-half announce on Thursday whether Hagibis is likely to make landfall Mitchell said: “One thing we real-
to score a hat-trick after Adam Hastings put the Dark any matches must be cancelled on Saturday, not too far from ly pride ourselves on is being
Blues ahead with a quick-fire early double. due to the storm. Tokyo. adaptable and flexible for any-
George Turner, Tommy Seymour, John Barclay Hagibis has escalated from a “By that stage it will have thing that may throw us off.
and Stuart McInally also scored in a resounding win tropical storm into a Category 5 weakened significantly, but with “If there are other factors that
that now leaves Scotland needing victory over the super typhoon, with winds reach- sustained wind strengths still of are outside our control, then
hosts in Yokohama in four days’ time to seal their place ing 180mph in one of the most around 90mph and with gusts of we’ll find another way to prepare
in the last eight. C dramatic intensification of any up to 135mph. Along with the very well.” C