Joseph Hoping for Entertaining Game for Kumamoto Rugby Fans

KUMAMOTO (June 9) – Japan head coach Jamie Joseph said he wanted his side to play “a hi-tempo game” when they take on Romania on Saturday at Egao Kenko Stadium.

“But we can’t play silly rugby, otherwise we will tire,” he said following his side’s captain’s run Friday at the match venue.

“We want to create pressure and put them under pressure and one of the keys to doing that is make sure we don’t spend a long time at set piece. Fans didn’t come to watch two to three minutes of scrums being reset.”

“We want the game to flow and we want it to be fast. When they have the ball and try to exert pressure at the set piece we need to rise to the challenge.”

Romania, for their part are trying to move away from simply playing tight in the forwards with head coach Lynn Howells adding some Pacific islanders to the backline.

“They make a big difference,” Howells said. “Not just because of their rugby ability but because they influence the Romanian players who learn a style of rugby that is not normal for them.”

Joseph is hoping the two contrasting styles of rugby will produce an entertaining game for rugby fans in Kumamoto and give them something to cheer about.

“They have had some hard times that put rugby in perspective,” he said of the April 2016 earthquakes.

“This is a chance for the players to show what the jersey means to them and hopefully give some inspiration to the people here.”