This week's crucial Rugby World Cup 2015 qualifier will be streamed live on www.rugbyworldcup.com. Kosuke Endo looks back in this week’s IRB Total Rugby show on his finest hour with Japan, in 2007.
When allowed to play their fast-paced game, Japan have enriched the Rugby World Cup with some wonderful attacking play and a number of memorable tries. Few, if any, though, can touch the brilliance of Endo’s long-range try against Wales at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff in 2007.
From defending their own try line one minute, Japan turned over possession to start a brilliant counterattack finished by the flying winger. Endo admits the dramatic turnaround even caught him by surprise. “At first I didn’t know what happened, I was watching it from a faraway distance, and then I thought something might happen,” Endo told this week's Total Rugby.
“The ball was moving so fast. The pass went to Shoutaro Onishi and I thought that I’d have to hurry up. I ran quickly to get into position and by the time Yuta Imamora had the ball I started yelling. Then a good pass came to me and I ran like mad.”
Endo was capped 41 times by the Brave Blossoms, with six of those appearances coming at RWC 2007 - where he scored another great try against Canada - and RWC 2011. “The World Cup was different from other Test matches. It was special. Scoring that try was a moment that I will treasure forever.”
This week’s Total Rugby TV show features: Kosuke Endo’s RWC memories, Fabien Galthie, Danny Care, Argentina’s Under 20s and the Netherlands women’s Sevens team. WATCH HERE>>
