All Blacks legend Dan Carter on Thursday tipped Japan to reach the knockout stages of their home World Cup next year — and warned favorites New Zealand will not have it all their own way. The 36-year-old fly-half, who confirmed his stint in Japan would bring down the
All Blacks legend Dan Carter on Thursday tipped Japan to reach the knockout stages of their home World Cup next year — and warned favorites New Zealand will not have it all their own way.
The 36-year-old fly-half, who confirmed his stint in Japan would bring down the curtain on his glittering career, said the Brave Blossoms were capable of reaching the quarterfinals.
«There is going to have to be a couple of upsets for Japan to make that but they are capable of it,» said the three-time world player of the year, who is on a two-year deal with the Kobe Steelers. «They’ve got the team, the players, the coaching staff to pull off these upsets and I’d love to see them in the play-off stages of the next World Cup.»
Japan will likely have to beat one of Pool A’s Six Nations heavyweights, Scotland or Ireland, to reach the quarterfinals but Carter said last week’s performance against New Zealand should give them hope. A second-string All Blacks side hammered Japan 69-31 but the Brave Blossoms played their part in a pulsating game in Yokohama near Tokyo.
«Not many teams are able to score five tries against the All Blacks. So the Japanese team should be very proud of that,» said Carter.
