hile Japan might not be replicating the World Cup excitement they generated as hosts four years ago, they are still in contention for a spot in the quarter-finals. This is thanks to their capitalization on Ben Lam's red card and their eventual victory over a resilient Samoa team.

In the process, they extended a helping hand to their former assistant coach, Steve Borthwick, as England is now officially declared as the pool winners. Following tries scored by Michael Leitch, Pieter Labuschange, and Kazuki Himeno, Japan climbed to the second position in the rankings. This sets the stage for what appears to be a decisive battle for a place in the quarter-finals against Argentina next week.

Samoa might rue the fact that Ben Lam's yellow card, issued for a reckless tackle on Labuschagne, was escalated to a red card. Meanwhile, Japan's hooker, Shota Horie, reentered the game after his high tackle on Duncan Paia'aua. However, this is the unpredictable nature of the challenges that teams must face during this tournament.

According to Seilala Mapusua, the coach of Samoa., “With the game as it is now, you’re working with millimetres in terms of getting it right and wrong. Japan can really punish you if you’re not at your full complement.”

Credit goes to Samoa for their determined efforts, keeping the match tense for Japan. However, the inclusion of several former All Blacks in the team did not yield the intended results, and it was Saracens' second-row player, Theo McFarland, who stood out as their top performer. Nevertheless, while England can anticipate a quarter-final match in Marseille, they must first face a highly motivated Samoa team with nothing to lose.

n their previous encounter in July, Samoa secured a narrow 24-22 victory, even though Japan's key player, Leitch, was red-carded. This result serves as proof that while the 2019 World Cup hosts have remained at a consistent level in the four years following, the Pacific Islanders are on an upward trajectory.

Characterizing this match as a showdown between Japan's agile runners and Samoa's powerful hitters tends to rely on stereotypes, as both teams have made efforts to enhance the aspects of their game that were traditionally considered weaker. Nevertheless, Japan's initial try, which resulted from a scrum in a prime attacking position, was undeniably a delight to behold. Labuschagne extended to score in an intricately executed move after just 13 minutes.

Samoa launched another attack. Initially, McFarland and Luatua executed a well-coordinated lineout strategy, but the ball was fumbled as it reached the backs. Furthermore, Lam might have scored on the left had he managed to hold on to Jonathan Taumateine's splendid reverse pass. Perhaps, if he was distracted by the scrum-half's eye-catching bleach-blond mullet, he wasn't the only one.

As Japan struggled to make a clearance, D'Angelo Leuila initiated Samoa's scoring with a penalty from a much closer range. Rikiya Matsuda promptly answered with a penalty of his own, while referee Jaco Peyper became progressively less patient with Samoa's tactics at the breakdown. In fact, they shifted from struggling to legally slow down Japan's ball to not being able to do so at all. In the ensuing open play, Leitch, who often positions himself wide, crossed the try line on the left. To add to the mix, Taumateine received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle during the build-up.

Horie's dangerous tackle evened the numbers on the field, but Samoa managed to secure the crucial try they were seeking just before halftime. Christian Leali'ifano kicked towards the corner, and the try was credited to hooker Seilala Lam, who was at the back of the driving maul.

When Himeno, the Japanese No. 8, scored from the executed lineout drive, it became evident that Samoa was facing a daunting challenge. Just a few minutes later, referee Peyper officially ruled that Ben Lam would not be rejoining the game.

Paia’aua concluded a second try for Samoa, which was a well-deserved reward for their efforts throughout the evening. Leali’ifano's late try added excitement to the final two minutes, setting the stage for a thrilling finish, but they were unable to secure the fourth try needed for a dramatic comeback.