Japan on brink of 1st ever quarters

TOYOTA CITY, October 5  

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Kotaro Matsushima scored a bonus-point try deep into injury time as Japan moved to the brink of their first Rugby World Cup quarterfinal with a 38-19 Pool A victory over Samoa at the City of Toyota Stadium today. 

The hosts, who turned the tournament upside down when they beat Ireland last week, moved to the top of the pool with 14 points and also secured their third victory in the pool phase for the second successive World Cup. 

The loss ended the Pacific islanders' chances of their first place in the knockout phase since 1995, although the grouping is not likely to be decided until Japan play Scotland in Yokohama in the last game of the pool phase on October 13.

England wade through

Tokyo: England secured their place in the quarterfinals with a crushing 39-10 victory over Argentina today as the Pumas were forced to play for over an hour with 14 men after lock Tomas Lavanini was sent off for smashing his shoulder into Owen Farrell's head. 

England were 5-3 up at the time after a Jonny May try and though the Pumas battled valiantly for a while, they were eventually overwhelmed as Elliot Daly, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Jack Nowell and Luke Cowan-Dickie all scored, making most of the second half a cruise. The victory earns England a clash with Aussies or Wales.— Reuters