Japan backrower Michael Leitch is said they side was focused on finishing better than their quarterfinal finish at the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
The Brave Blossoms had topped their pool after beating Ireland, Samoa and Scotland before losing 26-3 to eventual winners South Africa in the quarterfinals.:
“Do the same but better,,we’re looking at winning the World Cup,” Leitch said.
“Anything can happen, red cards can happen, so our focus is on playing against Chile, England, Samoa, and then Argentina and see who we face after that.
Our intention is to win the World Cup.”
Fellow loose man Lappies Labuschagné echoed similar sentiments and added the side was ready for action after a strong welcome in Toulouse.
“Since we’ve set foot in France, you can feel the buzz, the excitement.
“As a team, we’re excited and looking forward to the tournament, there’s a lot to be excited about.
“The pool stages will be really important for us, we want to do really well.
“From there, we’ll take it match by match and want to go all the way obviously.
“But, for now, get through the pool stages and see if we can get some good performances on the field.”
Japan opens its Rugby World Cup campaign against Chile at Stadium de Toulouse on Sunday at 11pm.
