Players and coaches may be fine-tuning their quarter-final game plans, but there's still time to get misty-eyed over Japan's electrifying win over Scotland.
TOKYO, 14 Oct - A selection of the best quotes from Rugby World Cup 2019 on Monday, 14 October.
"For the next week, unfortunately, Japan is the enemy. We love the country and the people, but we have to try and beat them. And we have to play really well to beat them, because they are ranked sixth or seventh in the world, and they deserve it."
- South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus, above, on the difficulty of taking on the Brave Blossoms after the Springboks' warm welcome in Japan.
"It's taken them a long time to get there and obviously they enjoyed it. So they decided to keep doing it."
- New Zealand coach Steve Hansen ponders Ireland's recent successes against the All Blacks.
"We're not just going to sit here and go, 'Oh, don't think we believe it.' We all believe we can do whatever we want to do if we put our mind to it. Do you believe we can beat England? ... Really? That's your problem then. We believe we can beat them."
- Australia flanker Lukhan Salakaia-Loto responds to a journalist who said he wasn't sure if the Wallabies could beat England.
"They are used to that pressure. I watched the Amazon documentary on them – they are beating teams by 40 points and still getting slated at home. So that pressure is always with them every time they pull on the jersey."
- Who'd be an All Black? Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton is glad he doesn't have to deal with the same pressure as his quarter-final opponents.
"As soon as the draw was made, you know the likelihood is you're going to face New Zealand or South Africa. So we've been planning that for a year. We just wouldn't have enough time if we got up this morning and said, 'OK, let's have a look at New Zealand.'"
- Ireland's performance analyst Vinny Hammond likes to get ahead.
"It was probably the most players we've had in the team room watching a match this tournament. Three-quarters of the team, and the others watching in their rooms, so it was pretty impressive. The speed the Japanese played at, the skill level – they're the real deal."
- Back row Sam Cane reveals that Japan v Scotland was must-see TV in the All Blacks camp.
"I haven't actually slept. I've been awake the whole time. I was in my bed at 1:30 and have been awake ever since so I'm a little bit slow today."
- Japan captain Michael Leitch has to keep rubbing his eyes after Japan's thrilling win over Scotland.
"That's the exciting bit, and that's part of the confidence we've got as a group that we're doing well. But, gee-whiz, when it does click, we're going to be a force to be reckoned with."
- Australia scrum-half Nic White talks about Australia having more in the tank.
"We start matches strongly, we have the opportunity to kill them off, but we don't and teams come back. We hold back, our first-half success deserts us ... We have to correct that and we'll correct it this weekend."
France fly-half Romain Ntamack believes France will put their recent inconsistency to bed in their quarter-final against Wales.
RNS ar/bo
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