Japan turned down a draw twice, then beat South Africa 34–32

At the Brighton Community Stadium on September 19, 2015, Japan beat South Africa 34–32 in their opening match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. 1 The try that settled the game came after the clock had gone past 80 minutes: Karne Hesketh, a replacement winger who had just come on, went over in the left corner. 23

South Africa had won the World Cup twice, in 1995 and 2007. Japan had beaten one opponent in the tournament's history, Zimbabwe in 1991, and had gone 18 World Cup matches without a win since. 4 The two countries had never played each other. 15

The match came on the second day of the tournament, after England had beaten Fiji at Twickenham the night before, and thousands of Japanese supporters were inside the ground. 4 As the second half went on, the crowd in Brighton turned Japan's way. 3

South Africa named the most experienced Test side in their history for the match: 851 caps across the starting fifteen. 2 They had won every one of their previous World Cup opening matches. 4

Japan were ranked 13th of the 20 teams in England, and had never beaten a leading southern-hemisphere nation. In the previous 27 years they had won two matches against rugby's established powers, against Wales and Italy, and both wins came at home in Tokyo. 4 Their World Cup record before kick-off read played 24, won one, drawn two, lost 21. 4 Bookmakers priced South Africa at 1–500 and Japan at 80–1. 4

Japan struck first, their full-back Ayumu Goromaru kicking a penalty in the 8th minute after a break through midfield, and South Africa answered with Francois Louw's try from a driving maul. 2 When Japan drove a maul over the line, the television match official, the video referee, ruled no try; Japan won the lineout again and their captain Michael Leitch touched down. 2 Bismarck du Plessis put South Africa back in front, and they led 12–10 at half-time. 2

South Africa scored twice more after the break, through Lood de Jager and the replacement hooker Adriaan Strauss, and Japan answered them both: Goromaru's own try in the 69th minute made it 29–29 with ten minutes left. 16 Handré Pollard's penalty in the 73rd minute put South Africa 32–29 ahead. 1

Goromaru's boot kept Japan level. The full-back kicked five penalties between the 8th and 60th minutes and two conversions, for 24 points — the highest total of anyone on the field, and 16 more than Pollard's eight for South Africa. 6

A draw was Japan's for the taking. Twice in the closing minutes, three points behind, they won a kickable penalty, and twice they turned down the shot at goal. 24

Before the first of those, Japan had worked through 15 phases of possession, stood 30 centimetres from the try-line, and drawn a yellow card from the South Africa prop Coenie Oosthuizen. 3 Japan kicked that penalty into touch and drove the lineout, and three replays showed no ball over the line. 3 For the second penalty they chose the scrum, and after two more of them sent the ball across the field from the right corner until Hesketh reached it on the left. 23 Goromaru missed the conversion, and the whistle went at 34–32. 3

Clive Woodward, who coached England to the World Cup in 2003, called the two refusals "the biggest calls in the history of the World Cup" and the match "the best game ever in World Cup history". 4 François Pienaar, South Africa's 1995 World Cup-winning captain, said: "They could easily have gone for the penalty. They went for the scrum, which should be a South Africa strength." 4

Heyneke Meyer, the South Africa coach, said: "I have to apologise to the nation. It was just not good enough. It was unacceptable and I take full responsibility." 2

Eddie Jones, Japan's coach, had been on South Africa's staff when they won the 2007 World Cup. 24 Pienaar also recalled Jones's read on the match: "If we can control the scrums we can beat South Africa." 4 Jones said afterwards: "Japan can only play one way. We've got a little team, so we have to move the ball around and cause problems." 2

Fumiaki Tanaka, the scrum-half, won his 50th cap that day and was named man of the match, and he set the tempo Japan played at. 12

South Africa gave away 12 penalties to Japan's eight, and kept offering Goromaru shots at goal after half-time. 2 Their kicking game was found wanting in the first half, and their pack was unconvincing despite a weight advantage. 2 South Africa still held 55% of possession and 58% of the territory, ran for 451 metres to Japan's 370 and made seven clean breaks to Japan's three; Japan made 127 tackles to South Africa's 102. 6

Japan won three of their four pool matches, beating South Africa, Samoa and the United States, which was as many wins as South Africa and Scotland managed. 7 Japan finished on 12 table points, and the bonus points the other two collected carried them past that: South Africa to 16, Scotland to 14. 7

Four days later, in Gloucester, Scotland beat Japan 45–10 to take the pool's second qualifying place. 1

South Africa won the rest of their pool matches. They lost their semi-final 20–18 to New Zealand, then beat Argentina 24–13 to finish third in the tournament. 18

The match has a name, the Miracle of Brighton, and a film, The Brighton Miracle. 1 Four years later Japan hosted the World Cup and reached the quarter-finals for the first time. 7

That afternoon in Brighton, after a lap of honour, the Japan squad lined up in front of the main stand and bowed together. 2