By Rich Freeman,
Japan head into Sunday's crunch game with Argentina at the Rugby World Cup clear on who they will face should they win and reach the quarterfinals as the runner-up in Pool D.
They also know that they have automatically qualified for the next World Cup in Australia in 2027 after Samoa came up just short against England in a thriller in Lille.
A day before the Brave Blossoms take on the Pumas at Stade de la Beaujoire, Wales confirmed they would finish top of Pool C by beating Georgia 43-19 at the same stadium in front of 33,580.
In a feisty encounter, in which a number of crucial decisions again went against the Georgians, a hat-trick of tries by Wales speedster Louis Rees-Zammit helped Warren Gatland's team to the bonus-point win.
Victory for Fiji on Sunday against Portugal will see the Pacific islanders finish runner-up in Pool C with Eddie Jones' Australia failing to make the last eight for the first time in their history. Fiji's reward would be a quarterfinal against England, who they beat in August at Twickenham.
It was hardly a vintage performance from Wales, who kicked the leather off the ball. They were made to work very hard for the win by Georgia, for whom Davit Niniashvili was once again outstanding.
The Welsh also lost strong-running No. 8 Taulupe Faletau for the remainder of the tournament with a broken arm.
"It wasn't pretty but we got the job done," Gatland said.
When asked who he would like to play in the quarterfinal, Wales captain Dewi Lake initially said "There's no team we'd rather play against or wouldn't rather play against. Both teams are playing some great rugby in this tournament."
But he then expanded on the Brave Blossoms.
"Since Japan shocked the world by beating South Africa a couple of World Cups ago, they've just developed and developed as a rugby country."
"They're very proud to play for their country and you can see that, it's evident in the rugby that they play -- that never-say-die attitude. But there's no preferred team for us to play, whoever it is that we play against we'll prepare well for that game."
In the day's second game, England, already assured of topping Pool D, needed a try seven minutes from time from Danny Care, converted by Owen Farrell, to secure a narrow 18-17 win over Samoa.
Two tries from Nigel Ah-Wong, who spent a number of years playing in Japan for Coca-Cola, Suntory, Kintetsu and Kobe Steel, had Seilala Mapusua and his Samoa coaching team, not to mention most neutrals watching in the stands and on TV, thinking a huge upset was on the cards.
Farrell seemed to add to the woes of the English fans when he became the first player at this World Cup to have a penalty chalked off after taking more than the allotted 60 seconds. But he redeemed himself by adding the extras to Care's try as the Samoans eventually ran out of steam.
The defeat means Samoa finish the group stage in fourth place, with the top three automatically securing places for 2027.
The quarterfinals involving the winners and runners-up of Pools C and D both take place in Marseilles next weekend.
Related coverage:
Rugby: Brave Blossoms call for calm heads ahead of crunch game
Rugby: Japan's "Silent Assassin" Cornelsen sets his sights on Pumas
Rugby: Fifita in to face Pumas as Japan make just 1 change
