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'I feel this will be their World Cup final' - Jamie Joseph

By PA
Japan's New Zealand-born Japanese head coach Jamie Joseph attends a press conference for the team announcement at the Ernest-Wallon stadium in Toulouse, southwestern France, on September 8, 2023, ahead of the France 2023 Rugby World Cup. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Japan head coach Jamie Joseph has warned his team that World Cup debutants Chile will approach Sunday’s pool fixture in Toulouse as their final.

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Chile qualified for their maiden World Cup with a sensational 52-51 triumph on aggregate over the United States last summer, winning the second leg 31-29 in Colorado.

While Japan have served up shock aplenty during the last two tournaments and made the quarter-finals as hosts in 2019, this time they will be the nation trying to avoid an upset.

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Head coach Joseph told a press conference: “The key for us is to really focus on how we play the game of rugby and ensure we go out and start well.

“That has been a big focus of the last two weeks, the second week in Italy and then the first week in France.

“Chile are new to the World Cup but I feel this will be their World Cup final.

“It will be a game they have targeted as being the first game where their players are all available and very motivated to have a very good performance to put us under pressure.

“They will have confidence because in recent times against Italy we’ve been put under pressure in the first 20 minutes, so I am sure it will be a big focus for them. What we’ve been focusing on is ensuring that doesn’t happen.”

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After defeat to Italy last month, Joseph has shuffled his pack with Kanji Shimokawa and Amato Fakatava – who were only called into Japan’s World Cup squad last week – handed starts for Sunday’s Pool D fixture.

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