“Never again” – South Africa looking to eradicate Brighton memories against Japan

SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICA CAPTAIN, SIYA KOLISI, SAYING:

"It was very tough to lose like that (in Brighton), in England, that has stuck with us until the game we had to play when we got here (against Japan). It is something obviously we never want to go through again. They are a much, much better team now. It was good to play that game before the World Cup just to get that monkey off our back but now it is a different ball-game again, it is playoffs, so we are going to have to be at our best again. They have really improved as a team. They are a much better team now than they were four years ago."

STORY: South Africa are preparing to avenge the biggest upset in World Cup history when they lost to Japan at the World Cup four years ago by breaking Japanese hearts and knocking out the hosts at the quarter-finals in 2019.

Japan have qualified for their first quarter-final after they won Pool A with a scintillating style of up-tempo rugby that included wins over Ireland and Scotland.

The Springboks will aim not to allow their opponents to play their brand of organised chaos at Tokyo Stadium on Sunday at 7:15 p.m. (1015 GMT).

Captain Siya Kolisi said the team were still haunted by their defeat in the southern English town of Brighton to the Japanese in 2015, saying they will need to be at their best facing an even stronger Japan side with loud home support.

Flyhalf Handre Pollard said he was just focusing on winning, saying comparisons to the past are difficult when much has changed in the past four years.

Backline coach Mzwandile Stick said his side needs to dictate the pace of the game to ensure that Japan's high tempo attack did not get into a rhythm.