Gallo Images via Getty Images
ラグビーワールドカップ（W杯）のイングランド大会で9月19日、優勝経験が2回ある南アフリカを34―32で破り、強豪相手に劇的な勝利を挙げた。日本がＷ杯で勝つのは1991年大会のジンバブエ戦以来、24年ぶり。朝日新聞デジタルなどが報じた。
日本は前半８分、五郎丸がＰＧを決めて、３点を先制。南アフリカのトライとゴールで逆転されたが、３０分にラインアウトからモールを押し込み、主将のリーチがトライ。ゴールも決めて１０―７と再びリード。だが、３３分に南アフリカにトライを許し、１０―１２で折り返した。
後半は先行する南アフリカに五郎丸のＰＧで食らいつき、２９分に五郎丸のトライとゴールで２９―２９。一度２９―３２と突き放されたが、相手ゴール前で突進を続け、後半ロスタイムにヘスケスのトライで逆転し、劇的な勝利をものにした。
（ラグビー日本、南アから大金星 ２４年ぶりにＷ杯勝利 - ラグビーワールドカップ2015：朝日新聞デジタル 2015/09/20 02:53）
世界ランキングは日本13位に対して、南アフリカは3位。格上の優勝候補相手に鮮やかな逆転勝利だった。
開催地であるイギリスのメディアも続々と報道。ガーディアンは「ラグビーの歴史上最大の衝撃。単なるスポーツの枠を越えて波紋を生じたことは間違いない」と報じ、デイリー・テレグラフは「史上最大の番狂わせ」と伝えた。
ラグビーワールドカップの公式Twitterも「信じられない！」と投稿。
世界中で大ヒットした小説「ハリー・ポッター」の作者J・K・ローリングさんですら自身のTwitterに「こんな話は書けない」と記した。
ヘッドコーチのエディ・ジョーンズ氏が率いる日本は史上初の8強進出を目指し、23日にスコットランド戦に臨む。
【ラグビーW杯】日本が南アに勝利
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