On 19 September 2015, at Brighton Community Stadium, Japan beat South Africa 34–32 at the Rugby World Cup. Karne Hesketh’s try after the 80th minute closed a match many place among the sport’s greatest upsets. Calling it “the greatest” remains a press judgement, not a measurement.

The Springboks arrived as two-time world champions, from 1995 and 2007. Japan had not won a World Cup match since 1991. Pre-match odds treated the fixture as a no-hope. Coach Eddie Jones had nonetheless prepared a side that stayed close on the scoreboard.

Ayumu Goromaru collected 24 points, with a try, five penalties and conversions. Michael Leitch also scored. South Africa crossed four times, through Francois Louw, Bismark du Plessis, Lood de Jager and Adriaan Strauss, but gave away too many penalties after the break.

At 32–29 to the visitors, Japan could have kicked for a draw. It twice refused the short road and kept attacking. Hesketh, on as a replacement, finished the move in the left corner. Coenraad Oosthuizen’s yellow card had left the South African defence thinner in the decisive minutes.

Japan then won three of four pool matches, including against Scotland, but did not reach the knockout stage — an unprecedented outcome in that format for a side with three wins. South Africa recovered and finished the tournament in third place.

Four years later, on home soil, Japan reached the World Cup quarter-finals. “The Brighton Miracle” remained the press name for the 2015 evening, not a certificate that the world ranking was wiped out that day.

The BBC match report from the stadium keeps the score, the scorers and the choice to attack rather than draw. Today’s account repeats those facts and invents no quotes. Hesketh, Goromaru, Jones and Brighton are enough names for an 11th anniversary.

Image: Falmer Stadium, Brighton / Wikimedia Commons. The match venue, not the try of 19 September 2015. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Rugby World Cup 2015: South Africa 32–34 Japan | BBC Sport; Japan beats South Africa in biggest shock in RWC history | Associated Press.