Hamilton: Japan plan to put a stake in the ground at the rugby World Cup and banish memories of their 145-17 humiliation at the hands of New Zealand in 1995, the teams' only previous clash at the global tournament.
The ‘Brave Blossoms' have already won plaudits for their spirited 47-21 loss to France in their first pool match but face the ultimate credibility test when they take on the All Blacks in Hamilton Friday.
"I think the game's completely changed since 1995," Japan coach John Kirwan, a former All Black winger, said Thursday. "Tomorrow evening is about being competitive.
"We've got a goal to be the most improved country at the World Cup and so that means competing last week against France, competing tomorrow night and then winning our last two games." Kirwan said a repeat of the 1995 result was unfathomable given the improvement in the structure of Japanese rugby since 1995.
"You can't see that improvement without things happening in the background. So better high performance, good competition and a good domestic competition, those things are in place," said Kirwan.
