Tokyo (AFP)

Opening Ceremony, then first match between the national team and Russia: Japan launches Friday, from 18:30 local (11:30 French), "his" Rugby World Cup, full-scale rehearsal at ten months of the Olympic Games of Tokyo.

Twenty teams, divided into 4 pools, will compete for the William Webb-Ellis Cup, which will be awarded at the end of the final on November 2 in Yokohama.

The first of the 48 games will be against Japan (19:45 local time) Japan to Russia. It will be preceded by an opening ceremony of approximately one hour.

"Evoked in the form of a Japanese festival, the ceremony tells the story of a legendary dawn, the origins of rugby and its arrival in Japan, and the development of rugby in this global celebration," said the organizers.

The various tables will be preceded by an overflight of the stadium of Tokyo (49,970 seats) by fighter planes.

World Rugby did not specify who would be present at the ceremony, nor whether a member of the imperial family would attend the show.

In 2015, Prince Harry attended the opening ceremony of the previous World Cup in England at Twickenham Stadium.

- Popular success assured -

Bursting across twelve stages between the southernmost island (Kyushu) and Sapporo (on the island of Hokkaido in the north), this first World Cup in Asia, far from its roots (Europe, Oceania), offers rugby an opportunity to conquer new territories, before, perhaps, to open one day more towards South America or North.

"After ten years of meticulous preparation, the wait is over and the stage is ready for a new kind of tournament," warned Bill Beaumont, World Rugby president.

For now, no meteorological phenomenon (typhoon) threatens the archipelago broken natural disasters and a tournament that could suffer from the cancellation of stakes matches. "We hope it will not be a problem," said World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper cautiously.

Climate threats are on the decline, economic prospects on the rise: with 260 million pounds (293 M EUR) of expected commercial revenues, Japan should finally do better than England in 2015, so far the World's most profitable (245 million pounds), while World Rugby did not expect so much.

Between 400,000 and 500,000 foreign visitors are expected in the country, a little more than in Britain (350,000).

In a country driven by his passion for baseball and sumo wrestling, the Japanese, who rushed on tickets (96% of seats sold), are ready to get excited about the oval ball, as long as the "Brave Blossoms" "push their adventure far.

Even if they do not seem to be ready to claim the title, the Japanese can dream of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

- All Blacks are not alone -

The circle of favorites, almost confined to the then-hegemonic All Blacks in the previous edition in 2015, expanded four years later.

Certainly, the New Zealanders, crowned at home in 2011 before retaining their title four years later, have some arguments (game, confidence, individuality ...) to claim a third consecutive title.

But some recent counter-performances as well as injuries (the second line Brodie Retallick) or mforms (the winger Rieko Ioane) of some executive players cast doubt on their real potential.

The first part of the answer will be provided on Saturday, in the duel against the Springboks, winners of the last Rugby Championship, with a draw (16-16) in Wellington on July 27.

Another declared contender, England, the only team in the Northern Hemisphere titled (2003) in the first 8 world, skated a game combining power, movement and malice since the inauguration of the coach Eddie Jones on the ashes of the elimination in chickens in 2015.

All Blacks, Springboks and England ... This is the first platoon of favorites to brandish the cup in six weeks.

Behind ? We can logically rank Australia, finalist in 2015 but intermittent performance since, and the two world number 1 of the summer, in order of appearance Wales and Ireland.

© 2019 AFP