Rugby World Cup 2023 – John Mitchell (Japan): “Sending a message to our next generation”

You have six forwards on the bench. Is this, for you, a solution to have fresh forwards in the second half against the Samoans, whose strong point is forward play?

We have great respect for the Samoa, more we are focused on ourselves. We have to make sure we score when we have the opportunity. Against Englandthere have been a period when play was unstructuredat the start of the second half. We had the occasionsmore we failed to seize our chance. We will have to correct that against Samoa. The match will go up a notch physically compared to theEngland car the power, cThis is their strength and they are proud of it.

What impressions did Samoa’s attacks leave you with during their first two matches in the competition?

Samoa poses a constant threat. They use the kicking game very little, they prefer to carry the ball and attack the opponent one on one. They have the ability to make the ball live past them, with passes after contact, like all the teams in the Pacific. They also know how to arrive launched to take the ball with speed. In short, the first defensive phase will be very important and will set the tone for our performance.

Since the start of the World Cup, do you think your defense has improved? Do you have any objectives during this meeting against the Samoans?

It’s always difficult to talk about goals rugby, carwhat matters is to have a structure, players who are ready and who understand our game plan. It’s about an attitude to have and working for each other. For now, the players are doing it well. There are situations where they will have to fight together and challenging Samoa is a very good match for that. It will be very important that we show our heart and what this tournament means to us. There is a message to send to our next generation and that is important to take into account.