• ‘Next game is critical in terms of us getting to the quarter-finals’
The lives of Japan’s players were transformed after the final whistle sounded on Saturday against Ireland in Shizuoka. Victory against the team ranked No 1 in the world at the start of the World Cup turned virtual unknowns in their own country into celebrities, now mobbed when they appear in public.
“It was an historic win and we have received loads of comments and congratulations,” said Kenki Fukuoka, whose second-half try put Japan ahead and turned the game. “I went into a convenience store and was overwhelmed with support.
Written by Paul Rees in Tokyo
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/30/kenki-fukuoka-japan-rugby-world-cup-ireland-samoa under the title “Kenki Fukuoka urges Japan to use Ireland win as World Cup springboard”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
