Japan took a big step towards reaching the quarterfinals for the second successive World Cup with a 28-22 win over Samoa on Thursday, sending England through to the knockout stage as Pool D winners in the process.
Pieter Labuschagne, Michael Leitch and Kazuki Himeno scored tries and 13 points from the boot of flyhalf Rikiya Matsuda gave the Brave Blossoms enough breathing space to hold off a late fightback from 14-man Samoa.
The Samoans had a try on the board from Seilala Lam before winger Ben Lam sent from the field in the 47th minute and two more from Duncan Paia'aua and Christian Leali'ifano in the final quarter were not quite enough to overhaul Japan.
Samoa show incredible resilience, but Japan's domination proves decisive as they take a big step towards the quarterfinals 🏉 #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/f7oVjWJZbq
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 28, 2023
"It's a big win, that was a really tough game," said Japan coach Jamie Joseph. "We had to work bloody hard to get the win, I take my hat off to the Samoan boys, they really took it to us."
Japan moved out of a tie with Samoa into second place in the pool on nine points with a winner-takes-all showdown against Argentina looming next week if the Pumas, as expected, beat Chile on Saturday.
Samoa coach Seilala Mapusua said the red card had proved decisive as his team's hopes of progressing were reduced to the mathematical.
"Really proud of the guys with the effort they put into the game, I couldn't have asked for more," he said. "But it's tough playing a game against 15 men and to be down a man down."
Both teams came into the match with one win from two games and the early exchanges were even until Japan struck in the 14th minute.
Pure joy 😍
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) September 28, 2023
Japan are running riot in Toulouse!#RWC2023 | #JPNvSAM pic.twitter.com/EML8Xjphil
Fullback Lomano Lemeki, making his first test start for two years, bounced off a couple of tackles down the left wing to drive deep into the Samoa half and flanker Labuschagne barged over the line from close range.
SAMOA SEE RED
Samoa were dominating territory and forcing Japan into a lot of tackles but getting no penetration from their backline and emerged with only a penalty from a long period in the red zone.
Matsuda stroked over a penalty in the 28th minute to continue his flawless performance from the tee at this World Cup and in Japan's next attack around the half-hour mark created a try.
Japan were going through phases close to the Samoa line when Matsuda lofted a looping cutout pass out to Leitch on the left wing, leaving the former captain with a clear canter to the line.
Matsuda nailed the conversion from the wing to give Japan a 17-3 lead and Samoa suffered a second blow when scrumhalf Jonathan Taumateine was sin-binned.
Japan were also reduced to 14 men three minutes before the break when Shota Horie was sent to the sin-bin and Samoa took immediate advantage, rolling hooker Seilala Lam over the line for a try to cut the deficit to 17-8 at halftime.
The yellow card for a high shot by winger Lam early in the second half allowed Japan to reply in kind in the 49th minute, skipper Kazuki Himeno emerging from the pile of bodies to claim the try.
Matsuda missed his first kick of the tournament from the conversion but the news was worse for Samoa with the referee confirming that Lam's yellow card had been upgraded to a red.
Another Matsuda penalty in the 56th minute extended the lead to 25-8 but Samoa hit back six minutes later with a try from fullback Duncan Paia'aua after the Samoan forwards again took a direct approach.
Former Wallabies flyhalf Leali'ifano added the extras and skipped across the line for a converted try of his own two minutes from time but Japan held on for their third successive win over Samoa in the World Cup.