In Toulouse tonight, Japan gave their hopes of making the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals for a second successive tournament a major boost by defeating fourteen-man Samoa.

In an encounter not lacking in incident, Pieter Labuschagne, Michael Leitch, and captain Kazuki Himeno all crossed for the Brave Blossoms.  Whilst Sheilala Lam, Duncan Paia’aua and Christian Leali’ifano got over for Samoa with two yellow and one red cards also dished out in a feisty affair.

Within two minutes, Samoa went straight for the sticks, centre, Alai D’Angelo Leuila walloping a penalty attempt in from inside his own half, the audacious attempt falling just short.

Trying to maintain hopes of quarterfinal qualification, early attacks on both sides were skittish, laced with potential but undone by a botched pass at the last, both Japan and Samoa going full throttle from the first whistle in Toulouse.

Japan were beginning to set the pace though and were rewarded with the opening score, Pieter Labuschagne the man to finish in the corner from relentless carrying, Lomano Lemeki brilliantly weaving an overlap, Rikiya Matsuda maintaining his fine form off the tee for a 7-0 lead.

Samoan scrum dominance eventually earned some scoreboard pressure midway through the half, Leuila striking a penalty over, having replaced Christian Leali’ifano on kicking duties.

The four-point deficit was wiped out immediately though, Matsuda making it 10-3 just before the half hour with another crisply struck strike.

In a match where momentum swung either way, Japan capitalised on another lightning Lemeki break, from where Samoa were stretched chaotically, defensive deficiencies fully exploited as Michael Leitch was found wide left in space and the flanker cantered in.

Salt rubbed in Samoan wounds by a masterful Matsuda conversion and a yellow card dished out to scrum half, Jonathan Taumateine by referee, Jaco Peyper.

Quickly, it became fourteen v fourteen as Japan hooker, Shota Horie was sin binned for an ill-timed head-to-head collision.

That gave Samoa an almighty gasp of fresh air, mauling rampantly to reduce the gap as their hooker, Sheilala Lam burst free to dot down, making it 17-8 as the conversion drifted wide.

Just as both sides were restored to their full complement, shortly into the second half, did Samoa find themselves a man down once again, Ben Lam yellow carded for a high tackle.

Sensing their opportunity, Japan swiftly scored their third, Horie throwing in an accurate lineout from which a maul rumbled menacingly, captain Kazuki Himeno awarded the try as they went 22-8 ahead.

More woe followed for Samoa with Lam’s yellow card upgraded to red by the TMO bunker.

Matsuda gave his team a seventeen-point buffer with his second penalty before the hour, Samoa again paying the price for ill-discipline in the face of Japan’s attacking intensity.

Winger Kotaro Matsushima was denied the bonus-point try due to an earlier knock on, the speedy back again a thorn in the side of Samoa, having scored against them in this fixture four years ago.

Though Samoa weren’t going quietly and got their second try fifteen minutes from time, Theo McFarland muscling up near the line and full-back Duncan Paia’aua diving over for his second try of the tournament, Leali’ifano’s extra two points bringing the score to 25-15.

Matsuda took his tally to thirteen with his third penalty as Japan took the sting from Samoa’s comeback efforts entering the closing minutes.

However, Leali’ifano thundered over and converted with a minute remaining meaning that if Samoa recovered a miraculous fourth converted try, they would snatch victory and with it, their chance of reaching the last eight as a dramatic finale engineered itself in Toulouse.

Playing from deep, a hard-won penalty propelled Samoa up field, but Japan stole the lineout and lashed the ball out to seal a potential winner-takes-all tie with Argentina next weekend.

Samoa steely but left with too much to do, third place and the automatic 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification slot that goes with it, the prize they will have to settle to try and reach.

With plenty still to play for, both sides encounter their final, and decisive, group games next weekend.  Samoa face pool leaders, England, in Lille (4:45pm KO) whilst Japan play Argentina the day after, a straight shootout for the quarterfinals should the Pumas defeat Chile this Saturday (12pm KO).