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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Kirwan regrets Japan's near miss at World Cup

Sports Sep. 28, 2011 - 06:06AM JST ( 16 )

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16 Comments

0

calm downSep. 28, 2011 - 07:12AM JST

Well,if this is the way you want to go John,get BETTER foreigners.Hire the top scouts in the tri nations countries to throw cheque books at the prized talent,keep them developing in their own top leagues bringing them over long enough to qualify and play the big games..will never win it with similar quality to what we have now.
2

nec123aSep. 28, 2011 - 08:05AM JST

England have 8 foreign players, Samoa have 15. There are 40 players from NZ playing for other countries. NZ have 4 (all raised in NZ since childhood mind). You'd be struggling to find a team with out at least one technical advisor from NZ.

Romania, Georgia and Argentina have all home grown players. But only Argentina have all Argentinian staff ( to my knowledge.

Those are the rules... changes to the rules all have their draw backs too. Japan needs change i n structure and more competent refs.
-2

soldaveSep. 28, 2011 - 08:36AM JST

There was a wonderful Freudian slip regarding this last issue during a game. The commentator was talking about one player on the Aussie team, referring to him as the "Big Tongan on the Australian bench". Made me chuckle.

They either need to make stringent rules for qualifying for a nation, or just let a country choose whoever will play for them (i.e. usually whoever pays the most). Go one way or the other but being in the middle like this is a bit of a farce (in many sports).
0

smithinjapanSep. 28, 2011 - 09:07AM JST

"Although two of the losses were perhaps expected, Kirwan came into the tournament confident that two wins and third place in the pool were realistic."

That's part of the problem, isn't it? Expecting wins when not deserved isn't really strategy so much as folly. That point is proven with the results.
2

ratpackSep. 28, 2011 - 09:32AM JST

“I think we need to learn how to cope with pressure better individually, so we don’t make as many individual errors.” “It’s World Cup pressure, with that intensity we were coming up with mistakes at the wrong time,” Kirwan said. “At this level, I think that’s the type of pressure we need to get used to.”

Totally agree with his comments. He has hit the nail on the head. The only way Japanese players can improve with pressure individually is by playing top class sides on a consistent basis and not consistently playing the one sided floggings against asian minnows. By beating Taiwan or Hong Kong by cricket scores teaches the players nothing. If you make a mistake against these teams nothing will happen. Go and sought out the top countries or even the top club teams from other countries. Make a mistake against these teams and they will punish you by piling up points on the board.
0

ExportExpertSep. 28, 2011 - 09:35AM JST

The world cup is a farce anyway, NZ is threatening to pull out of the next one, bare in mind NZ is responsible for starting the world cup of rugby too.

But with staring down the sharp end of a $13 million loss whats the point, the IRB has it's head in its old english gents club ass.

Without NZ In the world cup it would just be a joke, the best rugby team in the world doesnt play the world cup would make it what it is a FARCE.
0

multitaskerSep. 28, 2011 - 10:40AM JST

the IRB has it's head in its old english gents club ass. Nice one!! Why are NZ threatening to not play? Dare I guess money?
0

smithinjapanSep. 28, 2011 - 11:02AM JST

"Without NZ In the world cup it would just be a joke, the best rugby team in the world doesnt play the world cup would make it what it is a FARCE."

Sounds like an excuse in the making... and just before they might not win the whole shebang.
0

2020hindsightsSep. 28, 2011 - 11:13AM JST

Well,if this is the way you want to go John,get BETTER foreigners.

After this world cup a lot of quality Kiwis will be coming to Japan. However, they will never be eligible to play for Japan because they have played for NZ before.

That's part of the problem, isn't it? Expecting wins when not deserved isn't really strategy so much as folly. That point is proven with the results.

Except that Japan could have beaten those teams - they have beaten them many times before. I think that it comes down to pressure. They need to deal with that.
0

2020hindsightsSep. 28, 2011 - 11:15AM JST

England have 8 foreign players, Samoa have 15. There are 40 players from NZ playing for other countries. NZ have 4 (all raised in NZ since childhood mind).

Actually NZ have only two foreigners in their world cup squad.
0

multitaskerSep. 28, 2011 - 11:41AM JST

From JT "the expected end of the Kirwan era." The expected end....
0

RossBardJapanSep. 28, 2011 - 12:37PM JST

More proof I'm afraid that the haka is overused, and has lost its mystical,magical power.
1

calm downSep. 28, 2011 - 01:20PM JST

I just think it's so disappointing that by saying 'put the lid......'the coach seems to be giving up on Japanese players ever being good enough.
1

ExportExpertSep. 28, 2011 - 02:57PM JST

RossBarstadJapan

More proof I'm afraid that the haka is overused, and has lost its mystical,magical power.

The haka has nothing to do with it, why bring that into this discussion? idjit
0

smithinjapanSep. 28, 2011 - 03:16PM JST

2020hindsight: "Except that Japan could have beaten those teams - they have beaten them many times before. I think that it comes down to pressure. They need to deal with that."

Japanese teams/athletes are generally pretty good at performing under pressure at critical moments, which is why I thought they would beat Canada after the first half. I think it may have been overconfidence that lost them the last match.
0

multitaskerSep. 28, 2011 - 10:16PM JST

Smith, also Japan had a pretty good wind advantage in the first half, according to commentators. And to be fair, they had a much shorter break between their games than Canada. Anyway, good on Canada for coming back, something that was their weakness in the past!