Watching Japan open the Rugby World Cup was a bit like dealing with a certain little girl in a nursery rhyme.

For when they were good -- Kotaro Matsushima's power and pace, Kazuki Himeno's all-around contribution and offloads from Timothy Lafaele and Ryoto Nakamura -- they were very, very good.

But when they were bad -- their kicking game in both attack and defense -- they were awful.

And the big question is, which side of Japan's personality will be on show on Sept. 28 for the game with Ireland, currently ranked No. 1 in the world?

(Hat-trick hero Kotaro Matsushima)

Of course much of yesterday's game needs to be put into context.

"The team have been preparing for this opening game for four years," said head coach Jamie Joseph.

"You can't train for a game like that. They've been waiting so long. We said before the game, it is all about expectation and the guys always prepare well but as I said earlier on, you realize just how much pressure there is on the guys and we're proud of the way they came through in the end."

For some in the crowd, the opening few minutes brought back memories of the 2011 World Cup game against Tonga in Whangarei, New Zealand.

That was a game targeted by the Brave Blossoms as one of their must-win matches by then head coach John Kirwan. But a dreadful mistake from the kickoff and an early try to the Tongans ensured Japan were never in it.

On Friday in Tokyo, it was captain Michael Leitch of all people who fluffed the opening kickoff, and four minutes later Japan were behind on the scoreboard.

(Michael Leitch is tackled by Valery Morozov) 

But the Brave Blossoms of today are a different breed mentally, and despite the nerves and pressure, they dug deep and eventually did enough to come away with a bonus-point win.

It was just the second time in World Cup history that they have turned around a seven-point deficit -- the first being that famous win against South Africa in Brighton four years ago.

"We showed great resilience and we didn't go into our shell. We kept playing and did a lot of work to play with purpose and be in the right spots," said Leitch.

Matsushima was the official man-of-the-match for his hat-trick of tries, but the sword of honor presented by the team to their player of the game went to Himeno.

(Kazuki Himeno breaks through a tackle)

The Japan No. 8 made more meters than anyone in the game, with 113. He also made 13 tackles without missing one, and his ability to get over the gain line consistently put Japan on the front foot and helped tire out the Russian defense.

It will also give Joseph a headache regarding selection for the Irish game with Amanaki Lelei Mafi chomping at the bit to get involved.

However, Joseph's biggest concern will be his team's kicking game.

The Sept. 6 defeat to South Africa highlighted Japan's poor kicking game -- both in terms of defending the high ball and executing and chasing their own kicks. And the Russia game showed no improvement.

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Yu Tamura put in a number of kicks that served no real purpose, other than to give the ball to the opposition, something Japan cannot afford to do against a Tier 1 nation.

"I was looking forward to the game but I just wanted it to finish quickly. I can't explain it but I wanted it to be over," was the flyhalf's assessment of his day at the office.

Questions also have to be asked about Joseph's insistence on playing William Tupou at fullback. The Coca-Cola Red Spark showed in the build-up to Matsushima's first try what a clever footballer he is, but he has made it clear himself he feels more comfortable at center rather than at the back.

Russia usually kick 20 times per match, but they passed that mark easily within the first half as they looked to make the most of Tupou and Japan's inability to deal with the high ball.

Ireland is of course the country that invented the Garryowen -- or up-and-under -- and veteran lock Luke Thompson admits he "wouldn't be surprised" if the Brave Blossoms are on the receiving end of barrage of bombs next Saturday.

(Shota Horie shrugs off Dmitry Gerasimov)

That is especially true given the much improved Brave Blossoms defense against the running game.

On Friday, Japan made 132 tackles and missed only 19. Shota Horie and Pieter Labuschagne led the way with 16 each and Japan's starting front row made 32 tackles without missing a single one.

They will need to be just as good next week to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

And the good news is they know it.

"Getting the win today is huge for us," was Thompson's take after he became the first Japan player to play in four World Cups.

"If we want to make the goal of making the second stage, getting a win or a bonus was a no-brainer. To do that has taken the pressure off from us to some degree. We've got this out the way and we can grow from here."