Rugby World Cup 2019: Russia team guide

When Russia run out to face the hosts, Japan, in the opening match of the Rugby World Cup it will be without doubt the biggest occasion in the country’s rugby history. Many will see the Bears’ role in a pool which also includes Ireland, Scotland and Samoa as mere cannon fodder and Welshman Lyn Jones’s charges are under no illusions as to where they stand in what is a daunting Pool A. As Jones has stated numerous times, Russia “have a mountain to climb”.

Jones took over shortly after it was confirmed Russia would compete in Japan when Romania and Spain were disqualified for multiple eligibility breaches during qualifying. From a standing start, he has brought the Bears up to speed to compete on the game’s biggest stage. Preparations started well, with wins over Namibia and an Argentina XV not quite enough for Russia to win the Nations Cup title in Uruguay in June. In November, on neutral territory at Kingsholm, an intense display built on a belief in attacking play clearly bearing Jones’s hallmark saw Russia lead Japan for 73 minutes, before the opposing captain Michael Leitch snatched victory at the end.

This summer’s World Cup warm-ups have however provided a stark reminder how difficult life will be in Japan. Russia’s first game against a Tier 1 union outside a World Cup ended in an 85-15 hiding in Italy, a result reflective of not only how much work remains to be done in a short space of time, but also of how little exposure Tier 2 nations are granted to the elite. That game was followed by a defeat to Championship side Jersey in Moscow as Jones explored the wider squad. A final RWC warm-up took place in the capital’s state-of-the-art VTB Arena against Connacht on 7 September. Securing the venue is a huge step forward for a country whose mid-term ambitions are grand – Russia announced this year they will explore bidding to host the World Cup in 2027 – but more immediately, what would constitute success for the world’s 20th ranked side at this edition?

Realistically, while all of Russia’s opponents in Pool A are busy targeting quarter-finals berths, the Bears’ tournament is centred around the first five days and the search for a maiden World Cup win. Can Russia surprise the hosts amid the emotion of the opening game and spoil the party? Or should Jones and party’s target be catching Samoa cold in Kumagaya? Neither is impossible, but the harsh four-day turnaround means it is likely either/or.

The Ireland and Scotland fixtures will be yardsticks for where Russian rugby stands and provide a chance for the Bears to showcase their attacking prowess. Ireland’s defence coach Les Kiss was left fuming at the 2011 Rugby World Cup when Russia scored two scorching tries from first-phase ball and any repeat would be a huge victory for the team.

But for Russia, scoring eye-catching tries has never been the concern. The team plays with a you-get-four-tries-we’ll-get-five gameplan and there is the worry that opponents a step up from regional opposition will exploit this and their defensive frailties to run up cricket scores. It is vital that doesn’t happen. Not only has president Vladimir Putin been invited to the opening fixture, but the Bears will be playing in front of a wider rugby world. The team’s performance will undoubtedly be used as a yardstick to support or dismiss talk of an expanded 24-team tournament – a competitive display from Russia will be a win for the game worldwide.

• Leon Addie is an Interfax News Agency Correspondent and the former media manager of the Rugby Union of Russia