Japan Needs To Change Way It Trains Athletes: Jones

TOKYO, JAPAN - OCT. 13: The Brave Blossoms returned home Tuesday having changed history, but outgoing coach Eddie Jones said difficult changes would need to be made for Japan to realize its true potential. Japan entered Rugby World Cup 2015, having won just one previous World Cup game, but after three victories and a crushing loss on three-days rest saw the Brave Blossoms become the first three-game winner to fail to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. "We failed to reach the last eight, but we took a big step forward," Japan captain Michael Leitch told a packed press conference in Tokyo. "As captain, I'm so proud of this team, of those guys fighting bravely. I want the national team to build on this. With the kind of passion (head coach) Eddie Jones possesses, this team became as one." "We earned the respect of Japan and of the world, and my goal is to raise the level of excitement about Japanese rugby." On Monday in London, World Rugby Chief Executive Brett Gosper said, "I think certainly the highlight for me, and I think the highlight for everyone, has been Japan's heroics right down to yesterday evening (when Japan exited after beating the United States)." Jones, who leaves to take up a club coaching position in South Africa, praised the team's achievement. "What a fantastic achievement by the team. These are the new sports heroes of Japan," he said. "They've changed Japanese rugby. They played with courage, not only physical courage, but mental courage. The mental courage is about playing the Japanese way. It wouldn't matter if we went back and played in pink jerseys now. Everybody would recognize the Japanese style of play." "But like any success story, the next chapter is so important. The next chapter for Japanese rugby is making sure you find new players, with more talent and desire to make sure this group keeps improving."