England‘s Rugby World Cup match against France has become the first match in the tournament’s history to be cancelled, World Rugby have confirmed. World Rugby has also confirmed that New Zealand’s match against Italy has been cancelled, with both matches ruled a scoreless draw. Scotland’s Pool A decider against Japan on Sunday is still scheduled to
England‘s Rugby World Cup match against France has become the first match in the tournament’s history to be cancelled, World Rugby have confirmed.
World Rugby has also confirmed that New Zealand’s match against Italy has been cancelled, with both matches ruled a scoreless draw.
Scotland’s Pool A decider against Japan on Sunday is still scheduled to go ahead as planned providing conditions are safe enough, though the issues posed to public transport could well see that match cancelled. Rugby World Cup tournament director Alan Gilpin confirmed at World Rugby’s emergency press conference that there are no plans to relocate or postpone the match, meaning it will be cancelled if it cannot be played on Sunday as scheduled.
But the imminent threat of Typhoon Hagibis, forecast to be the worst tropical cyclone in Japan in the last 60 years, has led to Saturday’s match at the International Stadium Yokohama being cancelled.
“After extensive evaluation of the latest information, we are confirming adjustments to this weekend’s match schedule because of the significant impact of Typhoon Hagibis,” said tournament director Alan Gilpin at an emergency press conference on Thursday.
1/16 Team of round three
From Scotland’s demolition of Samoa to France’s narrow escape against Tonga, who makes the team of round three?
AFP via Getty Images
2/16 1. James Slipper (Australia)
Ninety-three Tests had come and gone for the Wallabies loosehead, but it was 94th-time lucky for the Queensland-born prop as he finally scored his first international try in Australia’s 45-10 victory over Uruguay.
Getty Images
3/16 2. Mbongeni Mbonambi (South Africa)
Mbonambi was excellent at the lineout, finding his jumper on every occasion, but it was his work around the pitch that really stood out in the win over Italy as he bagged himself a try in the process.
PA
4/16 3. Angus Ta’avao (New Zealand)
The rookie All Blacks prop was thrust into the contest against Namibia early when his team were struggling to break down the African side following Nepo Laulala’s yellow card, but not only did he settle straight into the match, he immediately bagged himself a try that convinced Steve Hansen to leave him on for the rest of the match.
Getty Images
5/16 4. Wimpie van der Walt (Japan)
The uniquely-named lock led Japan’s defensive charge against Samoa and was dominant in the aerial battle with a 100 per cent lineout effort alongside James Moore, which was made all the more impressive as he didn’t start either of their opening matches.
AFP via Getty Images
6/16 5. Sam Whitelock (New Zealand)
Captained New Zealand in the absence of Kieran Read and led by example. Whitelock bagged a try himself, didn’t panic when New Zealand were clawed back in the first half and contributed well with the ball in hand. His aggression in kicking for the corner early on paid off with a 71-point return.
EPA
7/16 6. Rhys Ruddock (Ireland)
Ireland may have been criticised for a drab performance in their victory over Russia, but Ruddock proved the silver lining with a man-of-the-match display that could thrust him into the side for the big contests.
AFP via Getty Images
8/16 7. Sam Underhill (England)
Another flanker named man of the match, Underhill was England’s defensive heartbeat against Argentina, but also an emphatic carrier who helped set up George Ford’s bonus point-clinching try.
PA
9/16 8. Kazuki Himeno (Japan)
The Japanese No 8 was one of their top performers against Samoa, carrying well and showing a deft touch with his ability to offload from the tackle. Earmarked as a real star of Japanese rugby, he looks to have real captaincy potential.
AFP via Getty Images
10/16 9. Frank Lomani (Fiji)
A livewire showing as the beating heart of a Flying Fijian side back at full strength and firing on all cylinders. Scored a try himself and delivered the quick ball that the Pacific Islanders crave to play their unique brand of rugby.
AP
11/16 10. Jordie Barrett (New Zealand)
Stepped out of the shadow of older brother Beauden to play a starring role in the demolition of Namibia. Scored a try himself but it was the in which he created Anton Lienert-Brown’s score that really stood out, combining power, vision, passing ability and athletic determination to send the centre over.
Getty Images
12/16 11. Semi Radradra (Fiji)
The star of the side this week. When Radradra is playing his best rugby he is simply unstoppable, and so he proved last week. The Bordeaux back scored twice against Georgia and led pretty much every attacking stats list as the European side failed to shackle is delightful talent.
AP
13/16 12. Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand)
His form is keeping Sonny Bill Williams out of the Test side when New Zealand play their crunch fixtures, but on the weekend’s evidence it was easy to see why. Two tries, the first an eye-catching mazy run from halfway, secures him the No 12 shirt this week, and probably for the All Blacks in the quarter-finals.
Getty Images
14/16 13. Timothy Lafaele (Japan)
Kicked off the performance against Samoa with their first try, starring with teammate Kotaro Matsushima to tear the Pacific Islanders apart early on and pave the way to their bonus-point victory.
AFP via Getty Images
15/16 14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
How do you stop him? The answer is yet to be found, with Kolbe’s low centre of gravity, stunning footwork and Habana-like pace leaving team after team in knots – this time Italy – with two tries to kick-start his tally at this World Cup.
AFP via Getty Images
16/16 15. Elliot Daly (England)
Possibly his best performance for England in the No 15 shirt to date, Daly linked up superbly with Jonny May – who is hard done by not to make the side this week – and Anthony Watson in what was a scintillating first half for the English back three.
Getty Images
1/16 Team of round three
From Scotland’s demolition of Samoa to France’s narrow escape against Tonga, who makes the team of round three?
AFP via Getty Images
2/16 1. James Slipper (Australia)
Ninety-three Tests had come and gone for the Wallabies loosehead, but it was 94th-time lucky for the Queensland-born prop as he finally scored his first international try in Australia’s 45-10 victory over Uruguay.
Getty Images
3/16 2. Mbongeni Mbonambi (South Africa)
Mbonambi was excellent at the lineout, finding his jumper on every occasion, but it was his work around the pitch that really stood out in the win over Italy as he bagged himself a try in the process.
PA
4/16 3. Angus Ta’avao (New Zealand)
The rookie All Blacks prop was thrust into the contest against Namibia early when his team were struggling to break down the African side following Nepo Laulala’s yellow card, but not only did he settle straight into the match, he immediately bagged himself a try that convinced Steve Hansen to leave him on for the rest of the match.
Getty Images
5/16 4. Wimpie van der Walt (Japan)
The uniquely-named lock led Japan’s defensive charge against Samoa and was dominant in the aerial battle with a 100 per cent lineout effort alongside James Moore, which was made all the more impressive as he didn’t start either of their opening matches.
AFP via Getty Images
6/16 5. Sam Whitelock (New Zealand)
Captained New Zealand in the absence of Kieran Read and led by example. Whitelock bagged a try himself, didn’t panic when New Zealand were clawed back in the first half and contributed well with the ball in hand. His aggression in kicking for the corner early on paid off with a 71-point return.
EPA
7/16 6. Rhys Ruddock (Ireland)
Ireland may have been criticised for a drab performance in their victory over Russia, but Ruddock proved the silver lining with a man-of-the-match display that could thrust him into the side for the big contests.
AFP via Getty Images
8/16 7. Sam Underhill (England)
Another flanker named man of the match, Underhill was England’s defensive heartbeat against Argentina, but also an emphatic carrier who helped set up George Ford’s bonus point-clinching try.
PA
9/16 8. Kazuki Himeno (Japan)
The Japanese No 8 was one of their top performers against Samoa, carrying well and showing a deft touch with his ability to offload from the tackle. Earmarked as a real star of Japanese rugby, he looks to have real captaincy potential.
AFP via Getty Images
10/16 9. Frank Lomani (Fiji)
A livewire showing as the beating heart of a Flying Fijian side back at full strength and firing on all cylinders. Scored a try himself and delivered the quick ball that the Pacific Islanders crave to play their unique brand of rugby.
AP
11/16 10. Jordie Barrett (New Zealand)
Stepped out of the shadow of older brother Beauden to play a starring role in the demolition of Namibia. Scored a try himself but it was the in which he created Anton Lienert-Brown’s score that really stood out, combining power, vision, passing ability and athletic determination to send the centre over.
Getty Images
12/16 11. Semi Radradra (Fiji)
The star of the side this week. When Radradra is playing his best rugby he is simply unstoppable, and so he proved last week. The Bordeaux back scored twice against Georgia and led pretty much every attacking stats list as the European side failed to shackle is delightful talent.
AP
13/16 12. Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand)
His form is keeping Sonny Bill Williams out of the Test side when New Zealand play their crunch fixtures, but on the weekend’s evidence it was easy to see why. Two tries, the first an eye-catching mazy run from halfway, secures him the No 12 shirt this week, and probably for the All Blacks in the quarter-finals.
Getty Images
14/16 13. Timothy Lafaele (Japan)
Kicked off the performance against Samoa with their first try, starring with teammate Kotaro Matsushima to tear the Pacific Islanders apart early on and pave the way to their bonus-point victory.
AFP via Getty Images
15/16 14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
How do you stop him? The answer is yet to be found, with Kolbe’s low centre of gravity, stunning footwork and Habana-like pace leaving team after team in knots – this time Italy – with two tries to kick-start his tally at this World Cup.
AFP via Getty Images
16/16 15. Elliot Daly (England)
Possibly his best performance for England in the No 15 shirt to date, Daly linked up superbly with Jonny May – who is hard done by not to make the side this week – and Anthony Watson in what was a scintillating first half for the English back three.
Getty Images
“As a result of this independent advice, we have taken the difficult and right decision in the affected areas. Where pool matches do not go ahead, two points will be appointed to each team.
“Tomorrow, 11th October, the Pool D match between Australia and Georgia in Shizuoka is expected to be played; on Saturday the 12th, the Pool A match between Ireland and Samoa in Fukuoka is expected to be played.
“In Pool B, New Zealand and Italy in Toyota and England v France in Yokohama will be cancelled.
“As you can imagine the decision has not been taken lightly and in the best interest of safety as a priority.”
The result of the cancellation means that England top Pool C with France confirmed as runners-up, meaning that Eddie Jones’s side will likely face Australia in the quarter-finals and the French take on Wales, providing Warren Gatland’s side top Pool D as expected. Wales’s final pool game against Georgia, due to be held on Sunday in Kumamoto, is expected to be unaffected, as is the USA’s match against Tonga. Namibia’s match against Canada could still be affected, with the match due to kick-off at 12:15pm JST [4:15am BST] in Kamaishi.
The imminent threat of Hagibis to the Yokohama and Tokyo region has World Rugby on red alert to cancel more matches if required, with the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka also at risk of being cancelled, and to add to the current weather fears there were two earthquakes in the Tokyo area on Wednesday, with a 4.5-magnitude tremor early in the morning followed by a smaller evening tremor.
Across the eight previous World Cups, not a single game has had to be cancelled before. Before the tournament started, Typhoon Faxai left three people dead in what was the most powerful storm to hit Japan in 60 years, with nearly 1,000,000 households destroyed by the tropical cyclone.
According to satellite imagery, Hagibis is being measured at 1,400km wide, considerably larger than Faxai that was 400km, and of higher intensity after going through “among the most explosive rapid intensifications of any tropical cyclone on record anywhere on Earth”, though the hope is that it’ll weaken the close it gets to making landfall.
England were delayed upon their arrival in Japan by Faxai, with the squad left stranded at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport for six hours due to the travel chaos caused by the 15th typhoon of the season.
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