Rugby: World Cup quarter-finalists Japan toast Brave Blossoms coach Joseph

Tokyo - Eddie Jones once described Japan as a"joke team" - before the Australian lit the fuse that sparked an outrageous victory over the mighty Springboks at the 2015 World Cup.

"He has sent all the right messages and pushed all the right buttons - he's been massive." One of sport's greatest upsets, on England's south coast in 2015, was turned into a movie in the run-up to this year's World Cup. Victory over Scotland in Yokohama on Sunday in the biggest game in Japan's history saw Joseph emerge from the shadow of Jones, the man who put Japanese rugby on the map.

"But we've got a job to do and losing is not one of them." - Breaking point - If that 34-32 shock over South Africa four years ago was a textbook example of giant-killing, victories over Ireland in Shizuoka and Scotland in Yokohama were even more ruthless in the Japanese team's snarling tenacity and cold-blooded efficiency.

Joseph, who also carefully managed the Super Rugby schedules of his players to avoid burnout before the World Cup, believes he has the tournament's fittest side. "The skill levels are higher than ever before but we've also got those miles in the bank." Fly-half Yu Tamura leads the World Cup with 48 points through four games, while winger Kotaro Matsushima is one of two players to have scored five tries.

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