‘As a human being, Eddie Jones is now very mild’

It was 6am Irish time on Thursday morning when Fumiaki Tanaka beamed loud and clear from Tokyo eight hours ahead. Japan’s first match in their second coming under Eddie Jones is on the horizon this Saturday against Englandthe team whose Firebrand coach parted ways in December 2022.

This dynamic pitting Jones against his former comrades – including his old Cherry Blossom/Red Rose assistant Steve Borthwick – will see thousands of England fans get up early to stream the match live Rugby Pass TV.

The fixture will also arouse the interest of the famous Tanaka, but from a different perspective than was previously the case. It was April 23 when he announced he would retire from playing at the age of 39.

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His farewell campaign for second division NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu did not have a happy ending as the club ultimately failed to secure promotion to the top level. But the legendary scrum-half will remain a well-known figure in the Chiba team led by Wayne Pivac.

His plan? He took the first steps in his young coaching career, starting in the club’s academy with the big long-term ambition of eventually becoming head coach of the Japanese national team. It’s a role that Jones has already predicted Tanaka will play Certainly achieve at a future stage.

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But for now, it’s a matter of watching, working for a Japanese TV station and taking notes on how Jones’ plan plays out on day one. It’s a plan that Tanaka got the heads-up on not too long ago, when he interviewed his old coach last month as promotion piled up ahead of the June 22 match at the National Stadium.

Tanaka thinks we’re seeing a very different approach to the methods Jones used to fuel the success that saw him defeat South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup and almost qualify for a first-ever quarter-final appearance that ultimately came their way in their own country. World Cup four years later.

“The way of training is still very difficult, but as a person he is very gentle now,” Tanaka said RugbyPass through his interpreter, his preferred way of conducting the interview, even though he learned a little English during his four Super Rugby seasons with the Highlanders in Dunedin a decade ago, after initially impressing NPC level for Otago.

“It’s likely that the standard of Japanese rugby is going up now compared to when he first coached. The understanding among the players is probably deeper than before. That makes him more comfortable than before. He is no longer frustrated. That’s my impression.

“Especially during training. There were a lot of mistakes made by players and he was angry at the time and no one could contact him if he was angry, but that didn’t happen (this time) from my point of view. People can talk to him and him Actually contacted players who made mistakes. That’s the difference I’ve seen compared to my time playing for the national team.”

Will this less cantankerous tactic get the oracle working straight away in Test game one? “The Japanese team is one Real young and without experience, so it is more difficult for Japan,” Tanaka predicted.

“England have a very traditional way of playing their game, taking penalties and taking their kicks and also dominating with their set-piece, that’s what I expect.

“There are some new players for Japan so they have to be patient with that brand of rugby from England. Then of course they could have speed in their attack and that could give Japan opportunities to get some scores. That’s what I hope.”

Here are the members of the Japanese national team who will take on England in the first test of the summer this Saturday ???

? Saturday, June 22, 2:50 PM
? Japan National Stadium

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Rugby in Japan is now night and day compared to when Tanaka joined the national team in 2008 at the age of 23. His debut came against the Arabian Gulf, an Asia Cup match in Osaka that attracted just 4,526 visitors.

“I played in the national team for 11 years and after we had Eddie, the exposure of the game was something he changed for me, Shota Horie and all the other players. Before he joined us, we had a low level of awareness about the game and he opened our eyes to become more aware of the many aspects of the game.

“That has raised the profile of the game and helped us play against all those stronger houses. That was one of the key moments. Regarding the popularity of rugby after 2015, when we won against South Africa, I felt that people’s attitude towards us and also the game of rugby in Japan changed.

“After that match, everyone looked up to us and paid attention to every moment of our match. After that I felt that people knew more and more about rugby very quickly. In the past it was a very rare occasion for us to see children with an oval ball or children and families with jerseys coming to the stadium. Now we can see all these people coming to the stadium when Japan plays. That is very nice for us to see.”

Tanaka’s career was going beautifully, but he was the lucky one of the five debutants in that easy 114-6 victory sixteen years ago. Two others achieved a career of just three caps, another had six appearances and while the 35-cap Shaun Webb could be considered a success, Tanaka knocked him out of the park despite being only 6ft tall and a featherweight weighed 75 kg.

Ireland’s Devin Toner with Fumiaki Tanaka in 2017 (Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

His 75 appearances, including selection for three World Cups, were an exuberant involvement that culminated in 2019 pool wins over Ireland and Scotland before losing to the Springboks in the last eight.

“With my understanding of the game, the small size was something that never held me back. So many other minor players have played; people like Cheslin Kolbe are stars, even if they have a very small body.

“Even though you are small, if you do your utmost to understand the game, that will be your weapon. I couldn’t do that alone, I always asked for my teammates, they were like a family and I always got support from them.

“I couldn’t knock down a big player on my own, but there were always teammates who could tackle with me. There was always someone who could help me with what I wanted to do. It wasn’t just about me. It was the team.”

In addition to representing Japan, Tanaka played for half a dozen clubs. Which was his favorite? ‘The Highlanders. I played with them for a while. They are always fun to watch.”

And his toughest opposition? “The most difficult teams were South Africa and New Zealand. Even though we could be good artists, sometimes we couldn’t do what we wanted to do. Individual players were also great for those two teams.”

The Springboks would certainly say the same of Tanaka, given the way the 2015 Brighton shock set the sport on fire in the Far East. “That match against South Africa was the moment that really changed Japanese rugby for us and the fans. That was a big moment in my life, the best game for me. I made a lot of mistakes in that match, but we still won.”

His boots were hung up, it’s now about the future for the small but big-hearted character. “The first reaction from the people around me after I announced my retirement was very warm and they all said nice words to me.

“They obviously celebrated what I did during my career, but they also expected me to continue to do something for rugby after I retired as a player. That was the reaction to my retirement. I will be a coach for the NEC Academy team and in the long term I would like to learn more about coaching and would eventually like to become head coach of the Japanese national team.

“When I was with Eddie as a player, every day was an opportunity to learn something from him and his way of thinking. His awareness of the game was something very valuable to me as a player. It has taught me that there are a number of things that I can improve further.

“But it wasn’t just about him. There were so many other good coaches, including Jamie Joseph. What I would like to do is keep those connections open so that I can work with these coaches and also be a good coach. That’s what I think.”