Japan's national rugby team, the Brave Blossoms, departed for their two-test European tour on Wednesday, emboldened by a narrow 38-31 defeat to New Zealand's famed All Blacks over the weekend.
On Nov. 12, Japan will play England, whom they will face again next year in the World Cup, and France, against whom they lost twice this summer, on the 20th.
"We're no longer the team that is going to be satisfied by games where we come close," flanker Kazuki Himeno said of the test in which Japan had a chance to come from behind and beat the three-time world champions.
On Saturday, the Brave Blossoms defended tirelessly in situations where they once would have wilted. Lapses of concentration, however, let the All Blacks off the hook, with a missed tackle enabling New Zealand's first try.
"If you let your guard down, they will punish you instantly," former captain Michael Leitch said.
Despite the disappointing loss, the All Blacks test taught the Brave Blossoms some valuable lessons, and Himeno said the next step is to defeat teams Japan have never before beaten.
"We're obsessed with winning," he said.
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