Eddie Jones' Blueprint: How Japan Plans to Combat Springbok Power at Wembley

Eddie Jones’ Blueprint: How Japan Plans to Combat Springbok Power at Wembley

The upcoming clash at Wembley this weekend between Japan and the reigning world champions South Africa is one of the most intriguing fixtures of the Autumn series. Following a heartbreakingly narrow defeat to the Wallabies, Japan’s head coach, Eddie Jones, is not backing down.

He has outlined exactly what the Brave Blossoms must do to stand a chance against the famously physical Springbok side, promising his team will “give it a red-hot go.”

Neutralising the Springbok Trademark

For Jones, the challenge posed by South Africa is not a mystery. Speaking recently, he gave an unvarnished assessment of the Springbok strategy, emphasizing that despite any talk of innovation, Rassie Erasmus’s team relies on tried-and-tested methods of relentless physicality and set-piece dominance.

To stay in the contest, Japan must master two critical areas. First, they must be able to halt the inevitable close-quarters forward assault near the try-line. Jones noted that when the Springboks get within 30 meters of the line, their attack is predictable in its execution—two forwards coming around, ready to power over—but devastatingly effective. Second, Japan must effectively neutralize the Springbok‘s high ball game, which is used to gain territory and put immense pressure on the opposition’s back three. Only by neutralizing these two fundamental parts of the South Africa game, Jones asserts, can any team give itself a chance to win.

Solving the Half-Pitch Defence Puzzle

Shifting his focus to attack, Jones discussed the tactical options available to Japan when facing the staunch Springbok defence. South Africa often utilizes a suffocating ‘half-pitch defence,’ where wingers aggressively push in from the sidelines to close down space at the near post.

Jones suggests that offensive teams have three main ways to try and break this system. They can attempt to play through the defence with direct running and power, or they can attempt to play over it with accurate kicking and aerial threats. Finally, the traditional All Blacks approach of trying to play around the defence is possible, but Jones views this as a high-risk strategy with often “little return,” suggesting the Springbok defence is too well-drilled to be easily outmaneuvered wide. For the Brave Blossoms, selecting the right offensive pressure point will be paramount.

Japan’s Growing Resilience

The match against Australia, a narrow 19-15 loss, offered Jones proof of his team’s defensive maturity. He stated that the team was just “one play away from winning,” but acknowledged the need to play more against top-tier teams to improve control over the game tempo.

The sheer defensive workload against the Wallabies was immense. Japan made around 200 tackles in the game, a figure Jones described as reflecting the team’s growing resilience. Despite this being far more than what a traditionally attacking Japanese side would endure, the team’s success rate was remarkably high. This defensive durability is a massive plus for a team about to face the relentless pressure applied by South Africa. With a young, gelling group of players, Jones believes their growing connection with their public, highlighted by the largest post-2019 World Cup attendance, will fuel their attitude despite travel fatigue and injury concerns ahead of their demanding tour.

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