The third match of the Rugby World Cup France Tournament against Samoa will be held at 29 a.m. on Japan time 4 at Japan. Lee Sung-shin, who was included in the squad for the first time in this match, appeared at the press conference and expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I want to show my strengths to the fullest."
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World No. 13 Japan have a 1-1 record in the first round of the World Cup, and will face world No. 1 Samoa with a 29-4 record in their third match starting at 3 a.m. on 1 Japan time. For Japan, it will be a match they cannot afford to lose, as it will greatly affect their progress through the first round.
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Prior to this match, stand-off Lee and scrum-half SAITO Naoto attended a press conference in Toulouse on 27th.
The 22-year-old Lee has been active in pre-tournament test matches with his sharp runs and accurate kicks, but this is the first time he has been included in the 23-man squad for the tournament.
Lee: "I want to play to my strengths"
Lee said, "I was disappointed that I was not included in the squad so far, but not being able to play in the match made me want to show the people who have supported me that I can play an active role."
Ahead of the match against Samoa, he said, "I'm really looking forward to playing with confidence, and there is pressure to win, but if I play in the match, it will be my first appearance in the World Cup, so I want to show my strengths to the fullest."
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SAITO Naoto: "Just believe in the match plan and execute it"
SAITO Naoto, who joined the reserve squad at scrum-half, said, "We all know that if we lose the match against Samoa, it will be difficult to get through the first round, but that is not putting pressure on us. We just have to believe in the plan of the match and execute it."
"Samoa is a team that puts their physicality at the forefront, so we have to look at the situation and be clear about what we want. Our strength is the fast tempo, so I want to make the most of it and enjoy it to the fullest."
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John Mitchell Coach: "Focus on our performance"
Assistant Coach John Mitchell, who is in charge of the defensive side of the Japan National Team, said, "I am aware of and respect Samoa's physical strength, but first we want to focus on our performance.
He also emphasized Samoa's attitude of fighting as a team, saying, "I think Samoa wants to create one-on-one situations, so defending in the first phase is very important in Japan, and it is important for everyone to understand their role in the team and work hard to help each other."