The formalization is delayed, but the sources converge for a few hours. While the threat of Typhoon Hagibis, expected on the shores of Japan this weekend, is becoming more concrete, the assumption of relocation of two key matches of the Rugby World Cup 2019, England-France and Japan-Scotland, holds the rope.
According to many media, which refer to internal sources including federal, World Rugby is expected to announce the relocation of the "Crunch" to Oita, in the southwest of the country, and the other meeting, crucial for the qualification of the host country in quarts, in Sapporo, in the north. The governing body, which has not yet formalized anything, will hold a press point at noon (5 am Paris time), during which it should remove the last doubts as to the holding of these meetings. As it stands, the tournament rules provide for outright cancellation of matches and the sharing of points (two per team) on a score of 0 to 0.
"Whatever happens, we will be ready"
Three days of this "Crunch" outstanding, the two teams are still 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.
"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.
Winds exceeding 270 km / h
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 1000 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 waves unleashed on the coast. The authorities are ready to evacuate the inhabitants.
With AFP