{"id":289219,"date":"2023-09-19T13:36:36","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T13:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=289219"},"modified":"2023-09-19T13:36:36","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T13:36:36","slug":"on-this-day-in-2015-japan-stun-south-africa-at-rugby-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/rugby-union\/on-this-day-in-2015-japan-stun-south-africa-at-rugby-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"On this day in 2015: Japan stun South Africa at Rugby World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Japan pulled off the greatest shock in Rugby World Cup history as they stunned mighty South Africa 34-32 at the Amex Stadium in Brighton on this day in 2015.<\/p>\n

Karne Hesketh\u2019s 84th-minute try sealed a staggering victory from the Brave Blossoms, sinking the two-time world champions and leaving coach Eddie Jones rubbing his eyes in disbelief.<\/p>\n

Jones admitted: \u201cJapan beating South Africa? I had to look at the scoreboard at the end just to see if it was true or not.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe kept hanging in there. It looked at one stage when they got seven points ahead that they would run away with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would have been the normal scenario, like the horror story where the woman goes for a shower after midnight and you know what\u2019s going to happen.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNormally they would score three or four, it ends up 50-20 and everyone says, \u2018well done Japan, you tried hard, you were brave\u2019. But we were more than brave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead it was the South Africans who found themselves starring in their own horror movie.<\/p>\n

They trailed 10-7 midway through the first half thanks to a try from Japan\u2019s New Zealand-born captain Michael Leitch, which cancelled out Francois Louw\u2019s score, but led by two at half-time after Bismarck Du Plessis went over.<\/p>\n

Lood De Jager and Adriaan Strauss scored under the posts in the second half but a try from full-back Ayumu Goromaru, as well as his nerveless kicking, drew Japan level at 29-29 with just 10 minutes to play.<\/p>\n

When Handre Pollard kicked a penalty with five minutes remaining it appeared South Africa would at least avoid a humiliating defeat.<\/p>\n

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But relentless pressure from Japan paid off when rather than take a penalty for a draw, they were rewarded for their bravery when Hesketh scored in the left corner.<\/p>\n

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South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer said: \u201cWe let our country down, we weren\u2019t good enough but all credit to Japan, they played really well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said before, this will be the toughest World Cup ever and I think there will be more shocks. I still believe we can win the World Cup, but I have to press some hard buttons to try to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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