Winger Kenki Fukuoka, who has become one of the faces of Japan's Rugby World Cup campaign, said the team have acquired a strong sense of confidence during the sport's showpiece event that will be crucial in Sunday's quarterfinal against South Africa.

The Brave Blossoms have reached the knockout stage for the first time, setting up a faceoff against two-time champions South Africa. While Japan lost 41-7 to the Springboks in a warmup match last month, Fukuoka said the team has improved during the tournament and will not allow a repeat of the heavy defeat.

(Kenki Fukuoka)

"We have demonstrated our style of rugby at this World Cup, so we have gained so much confidence in ourselves and in our team," he told a press conference on Friday.

"We have all been through really tough training camps, and we've had a sense of unity, of being 'one team,'" he said. "We know how South Africa will try to beat us. So in that sense, we hope we can bring something different to the table."

The Brave Blossoms only managed one try against the Springboks in Kumagaya on Sept. 6, while conceding six. Fukuoka was in the starting lineup but left in the fourth minute with an injury.

The 27-year-old said he did not have the chance to make an impact in their previous clash, and looks to make a difference on Sunday at Tokyo Stadium (Ajinomoto Stadium).

"The reason I've been able to score tries (in the World Cup) is because all of the other players have made opportunities by breaking into our opponents' defense and passing the ball. I'm not really focused on the number (of tries) but I need to concentrate on my job."

While Fukuoka has become a huge star in Japan, he has indicated this will be his last World Cup. He has said he will wrap up his international career after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and will study to fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor.

A member of Japan's 7s team at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Fukuoka has scored four tries so far despite only making his first start in the Brave Blossoms' final pool match against Scotland due to the calf muscle he sustained against the Springboks in September.

He dotted down for Japan's only try in their 19-12 win over Ireland on Sept. 28, when he came on in the second half. He scored once against Samoa, and bagged a brace against Scotland and was named man of the match.

He said the disappointment of not reaching the knockout stage at Rugby World Cup 2015 despite posting three wins -- including the famous upset victory over the Springboks -- has energized the team. Now that they have made new history, he is only focused on what lies ahead.

"We were frustrated how we pulled off such great results (in 2015) and still were not able to advance. That certainly is a major reason for our breakthrough," he said.

"Being able to compete in front of home fans has also been a huge motivation for a player like me, who wants to create excitement at a huge stage like this."