Hosts Japan made history on Sunday evening after beating Scotland 28-21 to reach the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup for the first ever time.
Jamie Joseph’s men blew their opponents away with a thrilling, electrifying brand of rugby that has lit up the tournament so far.
Sunday’s win means Japan qualify as winners of Pool A, with the team now looking to recreate the ‘Miracle of Brighton’ when they take on South Africa in the last eight this weekend.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
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Victory over Gregor Townsend’s team sparked jubilant scenes across Japan as fans celebrated another momentous win.
From newspapers to social media, here we take a look at how the country reacted:
‘History-making Japan sheds reputation as easy opponent’
The Japan Times ran the headline on its sports homepage, describing the result, which already looks set to go down as a World Cup classic, as “a remarkable achievement for a side that was regarded until recently as tournament pushovers.”
‘Collective unity behind Japan’s remarkable run’
Kyodo News placed particular focus on Japan’s team spirit, drawing attention to the moment Koo Ji Won was forced from the field with injury in the 21st minute of the match. It was, according to the outlet, a “defining moment” of Sunday’s “enthralling” victory.
“The tighthead prop was in tears, his game done, but the response of the Japan bench was, to a man, to run to the touchline and give the 25-year-old Takushoku University graduate a consoling hug,” it said.
“The Brave Blossoms describe themselves as “One Team” and their amazing run … has been a collective effort, one based on the Japanese work ethic and performed by an eclectic group devoted to playing and coaching for the land they live in.”
‘Japan’s rugby team shows off the changing face of the nation’
Of the 23 players who were named in the match-day squad on Sunday, only 11 were born to Japanese parents. For Japan Today, the Brave Blossoms “offer a diverse and slightly different look for an insular but changing country.”
It added: “There was criticism of the amount of foreigners when the squad was announced in August, and that has died down as the team has gone on an unprecedented winning run through its pool.”
‘Congratulations to Japan the brave’
The Brave Blossoms also drew praise from all levels of the Twittersphere.
Japan’s Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo, congratulated Joseph’s men, tweeting that their ability to forge ahead under pressure “gave courage” to victims of Typhoon Hagibis, which just a day earlier flooded large swathes of the country and left more than 50 dead or missing.
Former England international Brian Moore tweeted: “Congratulations to Japan the brave.
“I’ve enjoyed watching Japan more than any other team so far in this tournament.”
‘The most extraordinary game of rugby’
Scott Hastings, a former Scotland and Lions player, said on Twitter: “The most extraordinary game of rugby #JAPvSCO – the atmosphere, the accuracy and speed that @JRFURugby played at was phenomenal – @Scotlandteam will return home to think again – euphoric despair!”
Even actor Russell Crowe got in the action, but kept things simple. “Japan v Scotland… what a game,” he wrote.
Footage was also shared on the platform of Japan’s fans celebrating the win at Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing, the busiest crossing in the world which, at peak times, sees upwards of 3,000 people scrambling across the intersection.
Safe to say there’ll be a few headaches among that lot this morning.
‘We should be praising Japan instead of bemoaning Scotland’s fate’
And what about the reaction in Scotland?
Allan Massie of The Scotsman wrote: “The Scotland team had reason to be ashamed of their performance against Ireland, and indeed were ashamed. They have no cause to be ashamed today. Japan played as good rugby as any yet seen in this World Cup.”
‘A deflating failure’
The Edinburgh Evening News, however, took a far more critical stance. “For Scotland, who had been described as the fittest and best-prepared squad to represent the country at a World Cup, it is a pool-stage exit for only the second time after 2011 and what can only be described as a deflating failure,” it said.
