Thursday 18 September 2014 12:57, UK
Japan head coach Eddie Jones says not reaching the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup would be a failure of the ‘Japan Way’.
The ‘Brave Blossoms’ reached the World Cup, being held in England in 2015, by beating Hong Kong 49-8 in the Asian Five Nations to win the title.
They will face South Africa, Samoa, Scotland and the United States at the tournament, but Jones is determined to reach the final eight.
He said, “The Japan Way encompasses the style of play, the philosophy, the preparation and selection of players. And rightly or wrongly we will be judged if we are successful by the results at the World Cup.
"The whole point about the Japan Way is not having excuses and finding ways to have a competitive edge. Japanese players are small so we have to find a style of play and a way to prepare that makes that disadvantage an advantage."
Japan, who will host the 2019 World Cup, have never qualified from the pool stage of the tournament and are currently ranked 10th in the IRB world rankings.
