Japan “exploded in the face of the power” of the French XV, analyzes Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones, Japan coach, after the defeat to France 52-12 on Saturday at the Stade de France: “Obviously it’s a tough night for us. In the first half, we exploded against the physical power of France. We could not cope with their power. (…) And we gave the ball away too much. For such a young team, when you’re 31 points behind at the break, you can easily throw in the towel. But we hung on, and in the second half, I think we played some very good rugby. But this team is young, and now we have to improve physically. (On Antoine Dupont) We gave him way too much space and time. When he attacks defenders near the rucks, he is very difficult to stop. He was in good shape tonight, but I’m sure after another week of training he’ll be in even better shape (against New Zealand).»