Tokyo (AFP)

The two teams remain focused on their preparation: France and England say they do not watch the weather reports announcing the arrival in Tokyo of Typhoon Hagibis, which coincide with their meeting of the Rugby World Cup Saturday in Yokohama.

Japanese weather warned on Wednesday that Typhoon Hagibis is expected to hit a large part of the country this weekend, threatening to disrupt the Rugby World Cup, but also the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Suzuka.

World Rugby has issued an alert but is waiting to see the evolution of the weather phenomenon to make a decision, which can range from the relocation of the match to the outright cancellation of the match. And both teams are trying not to be dispelled.

"We have no more information than that," says French opener Camille Lopez. "We follow the trick necessarily because we hear about it but no, for the moment, we have not mentioned (a cancellation or relocation). We stay on the preparation of the game and we will see what happens."

Same story on the side of the XV of the Rose. "If there are factors that we do not control, then we will find another way to prepare ourselves better, but in the end, we want to face France and we focus on this," said John Mitchell, coach of the defense.

- Winds at 270 km / h -

"Whatever happens, we will be ready," said the technician, whose team had had to wait six hours on arrival at Narita airport in early September, due to the disruption caused by the previous typhoon, Faxai , which caused the death of several people in the Tokyo area. "There is one thing we are proud of throughout our preparation is our ability to adapt and our flexibility with anything that could destabilize us," said Mitchell.

Because if the "Crunch" takes place in Yokohama, in the southern suburbs of the Japanese capital, the weather will most likely be complicated, with rain and strong winds expected. "We will adapt to that," said Lopez.

Wednesday early evening (Japanese time), Hagibis was moving in the Pacific about 1,000 km south of Tokyo, giving gusts of wind up to 270 km / h, according to the Japanese Weather Agency (JMA).

According to JMA, the current power of Hagibis is similar to that of four of the largest typhoons in Japan in recent decades, including Faxai last month. The forecast for Saturday in the Tokyo area, therefore, winds of 160 km / h, heavy torrential rains and unbridled waves on the coast. The authorities are ready to evacuate the inhabitants.

- Keep the pace -

In these conditions, two solutions: the relocation of the match in a less threatened region and / or a stadium that has a roof, or even outright cancellation of the match.

A solution that would not really arrange the two teams, already qualified for the quarter-finals and looking for pace for the knockout match.

"It would be better to play because France-England are always apart, plus it's the World Cup, which would allow us to work to prepare for the quarter-finals" on 19 or 20 October in Oita, without doubt against Wales or Australia, says Lopez.

The English, promised to the other opponent among these two, will not "turn the thumbs in the hotel room" if the match is canceled, assured the pillar Dan Cole. "We will work to make sure we keep our edge over the tournament."

© 2019 AFP