27 Sports Monday, October 14 2019 History-makers Japan floor Scots to reach Rugby World Cup quarters Brave Blossoms will face two-time world champions South Africa in Tokyo YOKOHAMA: Japan’s “Ferraris” hit top gear yesterday fifth try of the tournament. as the hosts beat Scotland 28-21 in a barnstorming Rugby Even better was to come from the hosts with a dazzling World Cup clash to create history by reaching the quar- move straight out of a basketball playbook, quick hands ter-finals. Rampaging wingers Kotaro Matsushima and between Shota Horie and William Tupou releasing loose- Kenki Fukuoka did the damage for Japan, who survived a head prop Keita Inagaki to crash over. late fightback in Yokohama to advance as Pool A winners On the stroke of half-time, Fukuoka plucked a high- along with Ireland. bouncing Timothy Lafaele grubber out of the air to leave The Brave Blossoms will face two-time world champi- Scotland with a mountain to climb. Man of the match ons South Africa in Tokyo next weekend after making it a Fukuoka then produced a moment of magic moments into perfect four wins out of four, roared on by a crowd of the second half, stripping the ball from Chris Harris before 67,000. Fukuoka, scorer of Japan’s try in their 19-12 upset accelerating clear. over Ireland, grabbed two more in Yokohama with Scotland, who bounced back from a 27-3 drubbing by Matsushima notching his fifth of the tournament for the Ireland to smash Samoa 34-0 and Russia 61-0, looked out rampant Japanese. of it. However, when WP Nel and Zander Fagerson bull- After a war of words between the rival coaches in the dozed over in the space of five minutes, suddenly the build-up, the teams observed a moment’s silence for the Japanese were creaking. victims of the violent typhoon that swept through Japan on But they withstood a late barrage to avenge a 45-10 Saturday, killing at least 26 and forcing organisers to scrap defeat by Scotland that cost them a place in the knockout three pool games. stages of the 2015 World Cup. “We’re not coming out next The needle between the sides quickly resurfaced in week to have a good time and lose,” warned Japan captain yesterday’s typhoon-threatened Pool A decider, however, Michael Leitch, looking to the quarter-finals. “We’re com- as both teams put in some monstrous early tackles. “For ing to win.” my team, the whole World Cup, we’ve prepared really, Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw bemoaned “soft tries” really well. They’ve put their bodies on the line every his side had gifted Japan. “We gave it a good crack in the weekend,” said Japan coach Jamie Joseph, who has com- second half but when you leak 28 points, you’re always pared his wide players to Ferraris. going to be chasing the game,” he said. “But tonight they went another level I felt. They gave “You’ve got to give Japan credit. They’ve really everything they possibly could — everyone gave 150 per- improved since four years ago.” That Japan team, led by cent and that’s what it takes to win big Test matches.” Eddie Jones, won three pool matches, including a breath- Scotland needed to win while preventing Japan from less 34-32 victory over South Africa in their opening game. securing a defensive bonus point — and they got off to a Japan’s current vintage thrashed Russia 30-10 and flying start. Samoa 38-19 either side of their massive win over Ireland, Early pressure told as fly-half Finn Russell broke and Joseph will relish the chance to have another crack at through to give them the lead after just seven minutes. But the Springboks next weekend. “This doesn’t happen the Japanese hit back with Matsushima latching onto a overnight,” said the former All Black. “You’ve got to go YOKOHAMA: Japan’s prop Asaeli Ai Valu (C) is tackled during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool A superb, one-handed offload from Fukuoka to score his through a bit of pain.” — AFP match between Japan and Scotland at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama yesterday.—AFP champions “want to put that right (the defeat), as a matter with top soccer stars, and today evening his ambassador Tension ahead of pride because of what happened over there”. France to France and sports minister are due to attend the match. will be missing two key players in Kylian Mbappe and Paul Some 3,800 Turkish fans should be in the 78,000 sell Pogba, who are both injured, and will be hoping Barcelona out crowd today for a match where a win for France would of France-Turkey recruit Antoine Griezmann can refind his sharpest form. signal a spot in the finals while Turkey are still under threat Mancini’s new-look Looming large over the game, however, will be security from Iceland, who they play in November. issues and international diplomatic relations as France At any event at the Stade de France security is always Euro showdown decried Turkish military interventions in Syria this week impressively tight. On Turkey’s last visit to France in 2009 Italy roar into and blocked arms sales to them. their famously passionate fans threw flares onto the pitch SAINT-DENIS: France host Turkey in a crunch Euro European soccer chiefs UEFA are already looking into in Lyon. The government has qualified the event as high Euro 2020 after 2020 qualifier today with the teams vying for top spot in reports that Turkey footballers performed a military salute risk and orderd the police to ramp up security measures Group H and diplomatic tension simmering between the in celebration of Cenk Tosun’s last-gasp winning goal over ahead of and following the game. On November 13, 2015 - two nations after Turkey’s bombardment of Syrian Kurds Albania in Istanbul on Friday. the night of a series of terror attacks which killed 130 peo- WCup flop this week. With three games to go in the Euro 2020 quali- After the match, a photo was also posted on the official ple - security prevented a suicide bomber from entering fying campaign the sides have 18 points each ahead of Twitter account with players making a military salute and the Stade de France during a France v Germany match MILAN: Roberto Mancini has succeeded with stage Monday’s showdown at the Stade de France but Turkey a text saying the players “have dedicated their victory to which was being watched by French President Francois one of his mission to bounce back from failing to top the group on the head-to-head rule after their 2-0 our brave soldiers and fellow martyrs”. Hollande. The bomber and two other suicide bombers set qualify for the last World Cup by sealing Italy’s place defeat of Les Blues in Konya in June. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan can often be off their bombs outside the ground, killing themselves and at Euro 2020 with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Greece French striker Olivier Giroud says the 2018 world seen at football matches and has taken many photo calls one bystander. —AFP that pushed their perfect qualifying run to seven matches. In November 2017, headlines spoke of an ‘Apocalypse’ after the four-time world champions missed out on a World Cup for the first time since from Iraq, Jordan, the United Arab 1958 following playoff defeat to Sweden. Saudi football Emirates and Bahrain have all visited. However on Sunday the Gazzetta Dello Sport gave Others, including Egypt and Lebanon, the national side “Green light” after they qualified for still refuse. Saudi Arabia does not have next summer’s tournament in front of 60,000 fans at team makes first official diplomatic relations with the Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, wearing green for just the Jewish state but the two countries are second time since 1954. West Bank visit widely believed to have discreet con- “Dear Europe, here we are!” added Turin daily tacts over Iran, their common enemy. Tuttosport. Previous coach Gian Piero Ventura, The team visit had been seen by some largely seen as an uninspiring replacement for RAMALLAH: Saudi Arabia’s national as breaching a decades-long Arab boy- Antonio Conte who dragged Italy to the quarter- football team arrived in the Israeli-occu- cott of the Jewish state over its treat- finals of Euro 2016, took the brunt of the blame for pied West Bank yesterday, on a ground- ment of the Palestinians. the failure almost two years ago. breaking visit to play against Palestine Palestinian public opinion is divided, But the problems ran deeper, with the 2006 World tomorrow. with some seeing it as a boost for Cup winners also exiting in the group stages of the The game will be played in the West Palestinian football while others interpret South Africa and Brazil tournaments. Bank town of Al-Ram, between Ramallah it as signs of an unwelcome thaw Former Italy international Mancini took over in and Jerusalem, and marks a change in between Saudi Arabia and Israel. May 2018 with the task of rebuilding a demoralised policy for the Gulf state, which has pre- Nada Hussein, coordinator of the team around a new generation, with the ageing viously only played against Palestine in Palestinian National Committee for the heroes of Berlin bowing out. And in front of a 60,000-crowd in the Stadio third countries. Boycott of Israel, said however it was RAMALLAH: Palestinian women welcome Saudi Arabia’s national football players Olimpico on Saturday night Italy advanced with three Four years ago a similar game was with flowers in Ramallah yesterday upon the team’s arrival in the occupied within the rules.