LONDON :Several South Africa players lining up against Japan at Wembley Stadium on Saturday carry vivid memories of the ‘Miracle of Brighton’, an upset that shook the Rugby World Cup a decade ago and which still sends shivers down Springbok spines today.
Among them is captain Siya Kolisi, who came off the bench as Japan snatched victory with a last-gasp try to beat the Springboks 34-32 in their 2015 tournament opener in Brighton.
South Africa would go on to finish third in the tournament, but it remains a day that left an indelible mark on the game in the country.
The Springboks have won their two clashes with Japan since, including knocking their hosts out of the 2019 World Cup in the quarter-finals on their way to lifting the trophy.
They will be favourites again and while the wounds of 10 years ago have been healed by two World Cup triumphs since, the Springboks are taking nothing for granted.
“We definitely do give them the respect that they deserve. They are a great team,” Kolisi told reporters on Friday. “You saw what they did last week against Australia (a 19-15 loss in Tokyo). That game was very close.
“We have a lot of players in Japan, and they have been able to tell us about the players who are playing tomorrow and the kind of players that they are. We are very prepared for this game.”
Lock Lood de Jager and centre Jesse Kriel started against Japan in Brighton, with flanker Kolisi coming off the bench.
Others who featured that day but will not be involved at Wembley this weekend are lock Eben Etzebeth, flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and flyhalf Handre Pollard.
“In 2015 it was a completely different group with a different mindset,” Kolisi said. “We have to dominate the game physically, and we also have to control the breakdown because they play fast rugby.
“They don’t go away, they are a very fit and well-structured team. They know their system and who they are, so it’s all about who can impose themselves on the other.
“We can’t try to play like them. We are good at what we do. So what’s really important is who is going to stick to their game plan and enforce it on the other team.”
