Rugby World Cup 2019: Best player and game, try of the tournament so far and the moments to remember

The pool stage of the Rugby World Cup reached a thrilling climax on Sunday with Japan cementing their place in the quarter-finals for the first time, at the expense of a Scotland side who did not know what had hit them.

It capped 40 breath-taking and dramatic matches that have left eight sides with their World Cup ambitions intact, and 12 not-so-lucky nations packing up and heading for home.

Suddenly the stakes intensify as the knockout stages loom into view, with cut-throat rugby now the order of the day over the final three weeks of the tournament.

But before the drama returns this weekend, we take stock of the pool stage and pick out the highlights of what has been a fantastic festival of rugby union in Japan.

Jack de Menezes and Samuel Lovett have been on hand to watch it all from across the Land of the Rising Sun, and pick out the moments they’ve witnessed that have delighted and disappointed along the way.

Jack de Menezes: Semi Radradra (Fiji)

The wing-cum-centre single-handedly wreaked havoc on Wales and Australia to announce himself as one of the game’s most powerful players. Radradra’s link-up play with Josua Tuisova had Wales at sixes and sevens, and he also obliterated the Georgian defence with his ball-carrying ability. Will have some big contract offers heading his way upon his return to France.

Samuel Lovett: Kotaro Matsushima (Japan)

Tipuric’s first two performances for Wales, against Georgia and Australia, were Herculean in stature. The Welshman led by example as he set about dominating his opponents at the breakdown, stealing possession and bringing a dynamic attacking presence to Wales’ forward play - even picking up a try in the clash with the Georgians.

But for all his contributions, there’s a player who has caught the eye more: Kotaro Matsushima. The wing has been electric for the Japanese so far, having ran in a total of five tries to make him the leading scorer alongside Josh Adams. His injections of pace helped alleviate Japan’s initial nerves against Russia in the tournament opener while his performance in the win over Ireland was sublime, serving as a constant threat throughout.

In the Samoa match, his late, bonus-point try sent Toyota into a frenzy, and he was at it again in Sunday’s pulsating win over Scotland, making sure he was in the right place in the right moment to receive the one-handed offload from Kenki Fukuoka - another star of this tournament. It was Matsushima’s break, too, which sparked one of the tries of the tournament, cutting like a chainsaw through Grant Gilchrist and Blade Thomson, before his teammates whipped away possession to culminate in Keita Inagaki’s score.

An absolute whirlwind of pace and energy in attack, assured in defence and always capable of producing those moments of magic, Matsushima has shone bright in Japan.

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JDM: Australia vs Wales

In terms of two teams playing rugby of the highest order, the Pool D showdown had everything. Fired up fans inside the Tokyo Stadium set the tone from the national anthems, and that energy transferred to the players in what was a thunderous contest that went right down to the wire.

SL: Japan vs Ireland

In terms of the quality on offer, it doesn’t get much better than Sunday's clash between the hosts and Scotland. Jamie Joseph’s men reached new heights under the bright lights of the Yokohama stadium, treating those in attendance to a spectacle of free-flowing, breathless rugby.

And for all the flak the Scots took in the wake of that defeat, they played their part in adding to the drama. They had Japan on the back foot in the second half, with their forwards doing much of the heavy lifting to steal two tries and inject another level of tension into the game. But, with Japan operating on another platform entirely, it wasn’t to be.

Nonetheless, the iconic win over Ireland will always stand out in my memory. It was a match that turned this tournament on its axis while capturing the imagination of those here in Japan, sucking in the attention of a nation that, up until that point, had been largely content to revel in the prestige and honour of hosting a global tournament.

That win had everything: the Japanese speed and incision, the never-say-die resilience, those fine, delicate twists in play which could have maybe salvaged a result for the Irish. It may not have been Japan’s best game but it epitomised what they’re about, while confirming their ascension to the top table.

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JDM: TJ Perenara (New Zealand vs Namibia)

A real get out of your seat moment came with the 11th and final try for the All Blacks. Rieko Ioane started it off by passing to replacement Brad Weber, whose smart shimmy and delicate offload around his back to Perenara was enough to enjoy alone. But faced with an excellent tackle from Namibian fly-half Helarius Kisting, Perenara was launched into the air yet somehow managed to ground the ball in the corner with a beauty of a finish.

SL: Keita Inagaki (Japan vs Scotland)

A true delight to watch it unfold from the stands. Some people have described it as New Zealand-like, but that overlooks the unique style of rugby that the Brave Blossoms are currently sampling on home soil.

It was another level from the hosts. The initial break. The quick-fire, rolling inter-play between five sets of hands, with offload after offload pulling apart the fraying Scottish defence like string. And then the final, acrobatic spin from William Tupou to set up Inagaki for the simplest of flop-overs from one metre out.

It doesn’t get much better. Watch it below in all it’s mind-blowing, physics-defying, what-did-I-just-see glory.

JDM: Tomas Lavanini’s red card (England vs Argentina)

What was shaping up to be a belting contest ended in the 18th minute in Tokyo when Lavanini’s high shot on Owen Farrell was picked up by the TMO. Having missed the contact, referee Nigel Owens reversed his decision and rightly sent Lavanini off, though from that point on there was only ever going to be one winner.

SL: England.

Eddie Jones’s men headed into tournament amid plenty of hype and with high hopes of setting a precedent in the group stages that would place them in good stead for the knockout stages.

But despite comfortably booking their place in the quarter-finals, England have underwhelmed somewhat. Compared to the likes of Wales or New Zealand and South Africa, the Red Rose have struck a distinctively vanilla tone. The performances have been safe, comfortable, old-school at times, low-key - nothing to suggest they have what it takes to win this tournament.

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In their defence, England not yet faced a hard enough challenge to showcase the full range of their talents, but at the same they’ve not exactly blitzed those weaker sides as some of their rivals have. Jones may have been thanking the “typhoon gods” for cancelling the showdown with France, but that could have been the ideal preparation needed for England ahead of the knockouts.

As such, the quarter-final against Australia will be a true indicator of where this English team stands.

JDM: Japan

Who else? The hosts have shown something special at this World Cup that marks them out as a real danger to the seven teams remaining in the tournament. The speed and skill with which Japan play makes up for any physical deficit they face, as Scotland so brutally found out on Sunday, and with the Springboks up next, who would doubt a repeat of the ‘Miracle of Brighton’.

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SL: Japan

Feel like I’ve already said enough about Japan to get the message across: the Brave Blossoms have what it takes to seriously shake the sport up.

They’ve already muscled their way in among rugby’s elite pack, beating Ireland and Scotland in the process, and now have South Africa in their sights. Japan have beaten the Springboks before - although the current iteration makes for a very different beast - so will believe they can do it again.

Their self-belief and mental fortitude has got them this far, so who knows what comes next. That’s the magic and thrill of knockout sport. Always expect the unexpected. After all, the currency of surprise is something Japan have been dealing with in abundance.

JDM: Argentina national anthem in Hanazono (Argentina vs Tonga)

To be honest, there have been so many great experiences out here that it is difficult to pick out one, but perhaps the combination of the exuberant Puma fans, the energy of the Argentine national anthem and the backdrop of the hillside that surrounds the Hanazono Stadium packs enough unforgettable memories into one hard-to-beat moment.

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SL: Japanese generosity

It’s been a great trip so far, with more than enough tales to bore you senseless with. Watching the sun set from the top of Tokyo’s SkyTree was pretty memorable. As was the visit to Kyoto, the old capital of Japan with more shrines per square metre than people (probably).

But a special mention has got to go to the local who invited me into the Tokyo izakaya (think somewhere in between a pub/bar and a restaurant) he was eating at before later picking up the bill after an hour communicating in broken English/Japanese. After a long day on the road, it was a welcome reminder of what the tournament is about and, for me, summed up the warm hospitality of the hosts.