Yokohama (Japan) (AFP)

Present for the first time in its history among the top eight teams on the planet, Japan won the last ticket for the quarterfinals of the World Cup, beating Scotland (28-21) Sunday in Yokohama.

Japan, who finishes first in group A, will face South Africa in Tokyo, while Wales will face France in Oita (south) on Sunday 20th October.

The day before, England will oppose Australia to Oita while Ireland will oppose the All Blacks in Tokyo.

Japan, present for the first time, and England, who missed 2015 at home, are the two "newcomers" in the quarter-finals, to the detriment of Argentina and Scotland, who are disappearing from the World Cup. -2015.

Japan's qualification for the quarter-finals has a strong symbolic character, twenty-four hours after Typhoon Hagibis struck Japan, killing at least 26 people and causing enormous damage.

-Japan is waiting for Springboks-

The meeting, which was confirmed Sunday morning just hours before the kickoff, was preceded by a moment of moving silence in memory of the victims of the typhoon, and the Brave Blossoms seemed transcended by the special atmosphere. who surrounded this match.

Authors of four tries, they win with the offensive bonus at the expense of the Scots who had put pressure on World Rugby to play the game absolutely, because a cancellation, synonymous with draw (0-0), would have caused their elimination without to play.

The chief executive of the federation (SRU) said: "We will not let Scotland be the collateral victim of a hasty decision," leaving the threat of a court appeal in the event of a death penalty. cancellation of the match due to typhoon Hagibis.

In return, the Scots had suffered serious criticism from World Rugby but also from their opponents of the Japanese day.

Their quarter-final against South Africa, ranked among the serious contenders for the title, will be an attraction.

-Advantage or disadvantage of cancellation? -

The other three quarter-finals concern three teams exempted from the match this weekend after the cancellations pronounced by World Rugby for the meetings England-France and New Zealand - Italy scheduled Saturday.

French and English fled to the southern island of Kyushu to escape the effects of the typhoon, rest and train.

On the other hand, their respective opponents played: the Welsh beat Uruguay (35-13) on Sunday to pocket first place in Pool D, while Australia beat Georgia (27-8) on Friday night in Shizuoka .

Ireland easily disposed of Samoa (47-5) on Saturday, before battling the Blacks.

Is this break an advantage or a disadvantage? "Penalized (by the canceled match) or cooler, no one can say it", summarizes the coach of the XV of France Jacques Brunel, who planned to compensate "trainings that are similar in intensity to a match"

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has scheduled intensive training, but without giving details before the match against Ireland. But his captain Kieran Reid set the course for a third straight title.

"If we are not good, we come home," he says. "It's the exciting side, the reason we're here is to give it all, and this week, that's what we're going for."

After four (long) weeks of group stage, another World Cup starts, with the particular flavor of the knockout matches.

© 2019 AFP