KUMAGAYA, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 06: South African players line up for the national anthem prior to the international match between Japan and South Africa at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium on September 6, 2019 in Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan. Source: Springboks (Photo by Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)

Home » South Africa’s Sweet Revenge: Big WIN Against Japan In Rugby World Cup Warm Up

South Africa’s Sweet Revenge: Big WIN Against Japan In Rugby World Cup Warm Up

In a fantastic start to their Rugby World Cup 2019 campaign South Africa’s Springboks today got their revenge for that embarrassing loss against Japan at the last Rugby World Cup (RWC), beating the home team on Friday in the RWC Warm-Up match in a crushing defeat of 41-7. The Springboks said afterwards: “A big thank […]

By SAPeople
06-09-19 14:30
in Fab South African Stuff
KUMAGAYA, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 06: South African players line up for the national anthem prior to the international match between Japan and South Africa at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium on September 6, 2019 in Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan. Source: Springboks (Photo by Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)

In a fantastic start to their Rugby World Cup 2019 campaign South Africa’s Springboks today got their revenge for that embarrassing loss against Japan at the last Rugby World Cup (RWC), beating the home team on Friday in the RWC Warm-Up match in a crushing defeat of 41-7.

South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth in action with Japan’s Michael Leitch REUTERS/Issei Kato

The Springboks said afterwards: “A big thank you to our hosts, Japan, and all the fans that came out this week – great game of rugby! ??”

It was a hat-trick of tries from Makazole Mapimpi that led South Africa to the comfortable victory over Japan in their final World Cup warm-up match in Kumagaya, laying down a tournament marker.

Winger Cheslin Kolbe opened the scoring with a neat finish on seven minutes, before Mapimpi ran in two easy tries from the other flank as the Springboks built a 22-0 lead at halftime in Kumagaya.

Further tries from Mapimpi and Kolbe either side of Kotaro Matsushima’s consolation and a final flourish from Herschel Jantjies secured victory for South Africa and helped soothe the memory of Japan’s famous win at the 2015 World Cup.

South Africa begin their campaign against reigning champions New Zealand on 21 September.

Until today, Japan was the only country that had a 100 percent success record against South Africa’s Springboks.

New Zealand is the only other country in the world with a positive success record against South Africa, with a success rate of 59 percent.

Sources include: Springboks, Reuters and Rugby365