- Title: Leitch resumes captaincy for Japan's clash with Scotland
- Date: 11th October 2019
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 11, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** HEAD COACH OF JAPANESE RUGBY TEAM, JAMIE JOSEPH, ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE AND SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPAN HEAD COACH, JAMIE JOSEPH, SAYING: "Michael Leitch, I guess our change of captain was allowed Michael to get form back in to his game. Take away the responsibilities he has a leader and we all can see him and feel just how much, not pressure, but how much extra he has to do, particularly in Japan, he is a really, widely renowned person. He can't go outside the hotel without (asking to be) signing autographs, so just taking a bit of pressure off from him was the reason and getting his game right. His game's come right, and he is the right leader that's why we chose him at the start, and I think this is a right game for him to lead the team." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPAN HEAD COACH, JAMIE JOSEPH, SAYING: "It is a huge test match for our team. And I feel that we have got the most to lose because we are in the best position to top the Pool. Ireland can play tomorrow and win a test match and our game could cancelled off and whilst everyone is saying it would be the great for Japan. It's not great for this team because they are at the top of the ladder." PHOTOGRAPHERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPAN HEAD COACH, JAMIE JOSEPH, SAYING: "I think this would be the most significant match. That's because we are in a position now where we are top of the table, we get an opportunity to win the top of the Pool and go out and go confidently into, if we can win on Sunday go confidently, into the quarter-final and that's never ever happened before. So, in my mind undoubtedly that would be the most significant match that Japan put themselves into." JOURNALISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE CAPTAIN OF JAPAN RUGBY WORLD CUP SQUAD, MICHAEL LEITCH, SITTING IN NEWS CONFERENCE WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPAN CAPTAIN, MICHAEL LEITCH, SAYING: "He is a hard man. He is tough. He is direct. And, but he is a great coach. He is one of the best coaches I have ever come across. He goes straight to the point, doesn't beat around the bush. If you are playing not very well, he will tell you straight away, directly, So, he has done fantastic job with this team and we really play for him. So, moving on to this week's game, maybe to the next game, his impact is going to be huge on how we perform." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE LEITCH LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
- Embargoed: 25th October 2019 10:28
- Keywords: world cup rugby Japan captain Scotland
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Rugby League,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0NI79J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Japan's Michael Leitch has resumed the captaincy for Sunday's (October 13) World Cup game against Scotland in Yokohama, a match coach Jamie Joseph has called the most important in his team's history.
Leitch will lead an experienced side, which includes the recalled hooker Shota Horie and veteran lock Luke Thompson, for the 32nd time against Scotland in the final game of the World Cup pool phase.
The winner is likely to advance to the quarter-finals from Pool A, which could potentially end up with three teams on 15 points.
Coach Joseph had handed the armband to Pieter Labuschagne for the last two games against Ireland and Samoa to help take some of the spotlight off Leitch during Japan's unbeaten run.
"We all can see him and feel just how much extra he has to do," Joseph told reporters. "He can't go outside the hotel without signing autographs.
Captain Michael Leitch described his coach Jamie Joseph as "one of the best coaches he had ever come across."
"He is a hard man. He is tough. He is direct," he added.
The match is still in jeopardy due to Typhoon Hagibis, which has already forced the cancellation of Saturday's games between England and France in Yokohama and New Zealand against Italy in Toyota City.
Joseph said he had chosen his side for their big match experience, bringing back Kenki Fukuoka, who scored the match-winning try against Ireland, for Lomano Lemeki on the left wing.
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