You could list any number of other reasons to watch France v Japan this evening: the long-awaited return of Les Bleus to their Stade de France fortress; head coach Fabien Galthié's tactical choices (relegating lynchpin Gaël Fickou to the bench and leaving out other key players entirely) ... But if we needed to land on just five good ones for follow the France v Japan match on Saturday night, here they are.
Seeing what 'cho-soku' is all about
Fabien Galthié analysed the Japanese team's game in a press conference: "When we dissect their game and their matches, the first thing that stands out is the speed of their game [...] They are a team that loves to carry the ball, and that plays a lot in front of the defence." Eddie Jones has theorised about the game he wants to develop: 'cho-soku' rugby, a super-fast game that he wants to make his trademark, compensating for his troops' lack of experience. In October in Yokohama, he spoke openly about the subject: "We want to play rugby that keeps people on the edge of their seats, which is what Japan can do. No other country can play like Japan, but there are risks in this style; however, the rewards can be huge if we succeed, as we saw in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
"We want to be the best 'cho-soku' rugby team in the world, playing faster than any other team so that we scare teams with our speed. We can do it for 20 or 30 minutes now, but by the 2027 World Cup we want to be able to do it for 80 minutes." The Brave Blossoms have had mixed results so far this season, but have at times demonstrated the style Jones wants to impose.
Jones went further in explaining the principle to the JRFU website earlier this year: “Playing fast means not only moving fast, but also thinking fast. If you watch League One, we have three of the best players in the world in Cheslin Kolbe, Richie Mo’unga and Kwagga Smith playing in the league. All three have similar body types to Japanese players. These guys are really strong, move quickly and make decisions faster than other players. We want to identify players with the potential to develop these qualities throughout Japanese rugby.”
Seeing double
With a bit of luck, we will have two players named Tevita Tatafu on the field at the same time on the same pitch for at least 20 minutes. Tevita Tatafu, the Bayonne tighthead prop, is in the starting line-up for France. This will be his Test debut (and a highly anticipated one it will be too), although whether the lasts the full 80 is another matter. In the opposing pack, Tevita Tatafu, the second row from Bordeaux who is on the Japan bench.
It is then that for a few minutes you will have to listen carefully to the comments to know which Tevita Tatafu we are talking about. This is the first time (to our knowledge) that two perfect namesakes - who are cousins! - play against each other at international level.
The big return of Antoine Dupont
We've been waiting for him for so long, and chances are we'll get our money's worth. Yes, captain Antoine Dupont is back for Les Bleus XVs after a medal- and trophy-laden season in the Olympics and with Toulouse. Is it too presumptuous to say he's a favourite for for the World Rugby Player of the Year at the end of the month? The amazing thing about this guy is that even though people keep praising his talents, he doesn't let it faze him. He knows how to stay level-headed, while at the same time elevating his game to a level rarely seen. His form for Toulouse this season would suggest that Dupont will continue to wow us with his talents this November.
Damian Penaud might finally beat Serge Blanco's try record
A little over a year ago, in the middle of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Serge Blanco, the French team's record try-scorer with 38 in 93 appearances (1980-1991) exclaimed: "Records are made to be broken and I think mine will be broken by Damian. He has excellent vision of the game, he is always well placed. He can score from anywhere; sometimes he is in a fullback position, sometimes on the other wing."
Except that Penaud didn't break the record during the World Cup - he stayed at 35, although broke Vincent Clerc's record. So he was expected to break it during the 2024 Guinness Men's Six Nations. Again, he didn't: his tally remained stuck at 36 in 53 caps (he made his debut in 2017).He would therefore only need a double against Japan to equal the record and a third to double it. Doable?
A princess in the stands of the Stade de France
Dublin last night saw acting royalty in attendance, but at the Stade de France tonight there will be actual royalty: Princess Akiko from Mikasa. She has been the Honorary President of the Japan Rugby Federation since 2019 and in this capacity she attends all the Brave Blossoms matches. She was in Toulouse during the 2023 Rugby World Cup where she watched Japan's first match against Chile. She was even present during the match against the All Blacks in Yokohama at the end of October. Rugby, a sport favoured by the Japanese imperial family, is closely associated with the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, named after Prince Yasuhito Chichibu, a fervent fan and promoter of the sport in Japan. The stadium also served as the base camp for the Wales team during the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
France v Japan, Saturday 9th November, 20:10 GMT, Stade de France. Live on TNT Sports.
