South Africa vs. Japan: Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for Rugby World Cup Game
The search for South Africa's third World Cup crown kicks off this Saturday, with Heyneke Meyer's men taking on the threat of Japan at Brighton Community Stadium.
The Cherry Blossoms may be seen as an underdog in a Pool B lineup that also contains Scotland, Samoa and the United States, but the Springboks are taking no chances after naming a starting XV that boasts 880 caps between them.
Eddie Jones knows the task facing his Asian representatives is a steep one, but an early encounter against South Africa may just put Japan in good stead for the remainder of their Pool B campaign.
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Jean de Villiers has recovered from the broken jaw he sustained against Argentina last month to make Meyer's XV, starting alongside the talented Jesse Kriel in the centre.
Japan's lineup is nowhere near as loaded with superstar-grade talent, but the Springboks are under immense pressure to ensure their tournament gets off to a victorious start.
Read on as we provide full viewing and schedule information for Saturday's Pool B tie, along with a match preview and prediction.
Date: Saturday, September 19
Time: 4:45 p.m. BST/11:45 a.m. ET/(Sunday, Sept. 20)1:45 a.m. AEST/3:45 a.m. NZST
Venue: Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton
Live Stream: ITV Player (UK), Universal Sports (US), Fox Sports (AUS), Sky Go (NZ), SuperSport (SA)
TV Info: ITV (UK), Fox Sports 2 (AUS), Sky Sport 1 (NZ), SuperSport 1 (SA)
| August 15, 2015 | Argentina 12-26 South Africa |
| August 8, 2015 | South Africa 25-37 |
| July 25, 2015 | Australia 24-20 South Africa |
| July 18, 2015 | South Africa 20-27 New Zealand |
| November 29, 2014 | Wales 12-6 South Africa |
| September 5, 2015 | Georgia 10-13 Japan |
| August 29, 2015 | Japan 40-0 Uruguay |
| August 22, 2015 | Japan 30-8 Uruguay |
| August 3, 2015 | Japan 20-31 Tonga |
| July 29, 2015 | Fiji 27-22 Japan |
Team Lineups
South Africa: 15. Zane Kirchner, 14. Bryan Habana, 13. Jesse Kriel, 12. Jean de Villiers (C), 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Pat Lambie, 9. Ruan Pienaar, 8. Schalk Burger, 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Francois Louw, 5. Victor Matfield, 4. Lood de Jager, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Japan: 15. Ayumu Goromaru, 14. Akihito Yamada, 13. Male Sau, 12. Craig Wing, 11. Kotaro Matsushima, 10. Kosei Ono, 9. Fumiaki Tanaka, 8. Hendrik Tui, 7. Michael Broadhurst, 6. Michael Leitch, 5. Hitoshi Ono, 4. Luke Thompson, 3. Kensuke Hatakeyama, 2. Shota Horie, 1. Masataka Mikami
Players to Watch
Jesse Kriel
He lit up the 2015 Rugby Championship, and now Bulls starlet Jesse Kriel is on a warpath to leave his mark on a more global scale in his Rugby World Cup debut.
For all the experience in this South Africa XV, Kriel stands out as an anomaly, having racked up only four caps since making his Test debut against Australia in July—where he scored the first of his two international tries to date.
The 21-year-old promises to do damage paired alongside the wisdom of De Villiers at inside centre, a figure who's sure to provide his electric midfield partner with a stream of reliable ammunition.
Ultimate Rugby posted footage of precisely how proficient Kriel is at breaking down enemy lines, sizzling through the New Zealand defence in August and showing the kind of hard running Japan will be pressed to silence:
Points difference can be a big factor at any World Cup, and so South Africa will hope Kriel is capable of piling on the pain this Saturday to give the Springboks an early table advantage.
Fumiaki Tanaka
One of the few members in the Japan squad with existing experience playing in Super Rugby, Highlanders scrum-half Fumiaki Tanaka stands out as a leading figure for Jones' side.
That status is in no small part thanks to the 30-year-old's seven-year involvement in the national team's fold, with Sky Sport NZ attesting to his useful experience earlier this year—his tally now at 49 caps:
Tanaka's marshalling from the base of the ruck will be crucial to any hope the Japanese have in mounting a challenge on Saturday as the Springboks are almost certain to account for a majority of the possession.
The playmaker became the first Japanese player ever to win a Super Rugby title this year after playing his part in the Highlanders' success.
Tanaka featured in every single match of the Super Rugby season, although 17 of his 19 appearances came from the bench as he played deputy to New Zealand No. 9 Aaron Smith.
| South Africa Win | 1-500 |
| Draw | 66-1 |
| Japan Win | 80-1 |
| First Tryscorer: Jesse Kriel | 17-2 |
Prediction: South Africa to win by 25.
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