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Auckland - John Kirwan hopes the rugby powers will now sit up and take notice of his Japan team after the players threatened to cause one of the biggest upsets in the 24-year history of the World Cup.
Although Japan lost 47-21 on Saturday, the score was delicately poised at 25-21 midway through the second half as Japan's dashing play pushed a nervy France team to the brink of panicking at North Harbour Stadium.
Kirwan was left to ponder what might have happened if Japan had scored that elusive try to take the lead, with French confidence already severely dented by that point.
"If we had scored when it was 25-21, it would have been a pretty exciting finish," Kirwan said. "We were camped in France's half, we had them rattled and then instead of scoring a try we turned over the ball, gave away a penalty, and France managed to get out."
Kirwan, a World Cup winner with New Zealand as a superb winger in 1987, is still immensely proud at how his players showed great attacking intent in an exciting match that had Japanese fans screeching with delight as an improbable upset started to look possible.
"It was important for us to play well. It was important for us to show the world we are a very competent team, that we can put phases together and we can attack, and defend, for long periods of time," Kirwan said. "I think that will help us tonight, we will take confidence out of that."
France coach Marc Lievremont was quick to praise Japan's efforts.
"Well done to Japan, John Kirwan wanted to show all the pride in this Japanese team and the progress they've made," Lievremont said. "I think he can be satisfied. The Japanese deserved more than a 20-point defeat."
Although Japan trailed 25-11 at the interval, two of the three French tries in the first half came from Japanese errors rather than impressive moves.
"I felt that we made a few errors in the first half that gave them a couple of soft tries," Kirwan said. "At halftime we said we need to go out and hang on to the ball, and if we did that then we would have a window in the game where we could win."
Kirwan hopes the performance brought some joy to the hearts of fans watching back home. Japan was devastated by a tsunami in March and a subsequent earthquake.
"We spoke about it before we played tonight, especially (about) the tsunami in the Tohoko region," Kirwan said. "We needed to show that courage by continuing to play, continuing to get up and tackle. I think people warmed to us because they saw that courage on the field."
The next task for Kirwan's improving Japan team: facing the All Blacks.
