Eighty minutes stand between Japan and Samoa and their ticket to next years IRB Junior World Championship.
When these two proud teams take to the pitch for the final of what has already been considered the best IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy to date, winning will not only be about the glory but also what they leave behind for the next generation of Under 20s.
Samoa and Japan are the only two unbeaten teams in the tournament and worthy finalists. The Pacific Islanders made it clear from the moment they arrived in the Georgian capital what their intentions were.
They are not alone in targeting the title, Japan lost last year’s Trophy final to Italy and themselves want to go one step further in 2011 before what is expected to be a full house at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi.
“We have made our preparations and now must wait for kick-off. We are confident we can beat Samoa with our game plan,” said coach Yukio Motoki, whose tactical approach to a must-win match with Georgia last time out was proof of their intent.
“We tackle very low and that is hard for some teams. We are hoping it will work against Samoa.”
Japan's extra motivation
Motoki, a veteran of 79 caps and four Rugby World Cups, knows that a win would be very good for his country that is still coming to terms with the devastation following the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan in March.
“If we can show with courage and hard work what we can achieve, it would be a good message for my country in the aftermath of what has happened to us recently.”
The team not only has that to play for. Team manager Yasuhiro Iijima is living proof of the commitment of the Japanese team to the JWRT cause, his wife having given birth to their first child hours before their game against Georgia.
Captain Keisuke Uchida was a replacement in the 36-7 loss to Italy in Russia last year. With his knee strapped with ice, he smiled to the manager and added: “We are delighted to play for his daughter.
“This is the game we have been working for and want to play. As a player this tournament has been an important step in my career. I want to go on to play for my country at full test level.”
Across the Mtkvari River, the Samoan squad welcomed local Union officials, tournament staff, hotel employees and media to a song and dance reception. The passion with which they shared their culture gave an inkling of how important being Samoan is to them.
Making Samoa proud
“We place a lot of emphasis on youth rugby in our programme,” explained team manager Sami Leota, who has been with the Under 21 and then Under 20 national sides since 2005.
“The core of the Sevens team that won the IRB Sevens Series last year came from that 2005 team and we are hoping that many of these players here in Georgia will continue to make us proud.”
Leota was in Argentina with five of the players that finished bottom of the IRB Junior World Championship standings and were relegated to the Junior World Rugby Trophy. Head Coach John Schuster was also there.
“Last year was very disappointing given our previous results in the tournament. We are still hurting and that will be a major motivating factor. As a team we have certainly worked very hard,” said the former All Black.
With a team comprising 20 players based in Samoa, the future looks bright. Samoa had a full squad available for selection for the title decider, allowing Schuster to focus on the opposition.
Playing for pride
“Japan is a very good team; they are very intelligent and we must focus on our set pieces and then the rest will be OK,” he said.
The Trophy’s last game, which will be refereed by Joaquín Montes of Uruguay, will have the knowledgeable Georgian crowd interested, but it will be the third place play-off that will have them captivated.
Georgia and Uruguay will be another interesting match as both teams are very good from the set-pieces. The key will be how well they can create attacking opportunities from broken play.
Canada and Russia will play for fifth place at the Avchala Stadium. Having finished third a year ago, the Russians will want to ensure their closing match brings them a win. The Canadians finished sixth in 2010 so are aiming to finish one place better.
Zimbabwe finished seventh last year and will tackle USA to defend that position. The last time the Americans competed in the Trophy they lost to Romania in the 2009 final in Kenya. Both teams have showed glimpses of good rugby in their three losses and will hope to finish with victory at the Shevardeni Stadium.
