The real threat that the Japan Rugby World Cup has in suspense

New Zealand 0-Namibia 0 at Rugby World Cup Japan … This unlikely result in an absolutely unequal confrontation could occur if the match is canceled by a typhoon like the one that recently swept the Tokyo area.

The disruption in the Japanese capital's transport network with Typhoon Faxai this morning has raised concerns about the consequences of a natural disaster at the World Cup, which starts on Friday.

What would happen if it was necessary to cancel a match, or two or three? The rules vary according to whether the affected part corresponds to the group stage or the championship (direct elimination).

According to the regulations of the 2019 World Cup, "if a match of the group stage can not start on the scheduled day, this match will not be postponed until the next day and will be considered null".

The images show the effects of the typhoon Faxai.

"In this case, the result of the match will be declared null and the teams will each get 2 points and the score will not be recorded," he said. The final score will be a draw at 0. This could have decisive consequences in the World Cup, in an edition that promises to be a couple.

However, from the quarter-finals, the rules change: "If a knockout match can not start on the scheduled day, that match will be considered postponed and postponed for the next two days or in a longer period" determined by World Rugby. .

Faxai left some damage

The World Cup in Japan, especially during the first weeks of the tournament, will take place precisely during the typhoon season in Japan, which normally lasts until October.

The Typhoon Faxai, which crossed the Tokyo area last night and today in the form of torrential rains and wind gusts exceeding 200 kilometers an hour, was the 15th climatic phenomenon of these characteristics since the beginning of the 'year.

His pbadage caused the death of two people, dozens of wounded, as well as power outages and serious disruption of transport.

This typhoon also caused "some minor impacts on the headquarters and base camps," said Nicholas Van Santen, spokesperson for the organizing committee, reviewing an initial inspection.

Faxai also delayed the arrival in Japan of the Australian national team, while France was able to land Sunday night as planned, just before the storm, and New Zealand just after.

But typhoons are not the only cause for concern: seismic activity in Japan is one of the highest in the world and tournament organizers have noticed the possibility of a tremor from Earth.

And the teams?

For the English coach Eddie Jones, there is no doubt that the World Cup will be affected by typhoons.

In case of bad weather conditions, his players, he warned, will be trained on indoor fields, with artificial turf.

In addition to this type of training precautions, another major problem would be the transportation of 20 teams and their supporters to the 12 host cities of the World Cup, scattered in the geography of the Japanese archipelago.

During the episode of Typhoon Faxai, hundreds of flights and high-speed trains (Shinkansen) were canceled and the transit of much of the rail network of the Japanese city was suspended or seriously affected until On Monday afternoon.

There is protocol

Although the risk of typhoon or earthquake is significant during the tournament, Japan is very well prepared for such situations compared to most countries.

Almost all buildings and transportation networks are designed to withstand major earthquakes. The detection and warning systems for the population have improved thanks to the integration of information in English.

Pumas arrive in Fukuyima

Following preparations in Australia on Sunday, Argentina's rugby team was planning to arrive in Fukuyima, a Japanese city, tonight.

After a low-intensity training Monday at the Coogee Oval Stadium and a gymnastics session at Swans Stadium, Los Pumas ended their stay in Sydney.

They played one friendly game last Saturday in the aforementioned scenario and against Randwick, a historic Australian team founded in 1882, which they beat 74-0 in twelve converted tries.

After arriving in Tokyo, the team will travel by bus for 3½ hours until they arrive at J Village Camp in Fukuyima.

They will be there until Wednesday 18, the day when Los Pumas will arrive in the Japanese capital to face France, for the first date of Group C.

It will be played on Saturday 21 at 16:15. (AFP-NA).