YOKOHAMA, Japan -- The Rugby World Cup match between Japan and Scotland in Yokohama on Sunday kicked off like any other: a crescendo of noise, building up to the swing of the boot and the teams charging at each other. It was a moment of rugby normality against a backdrop of a most turbulent week.
That this match ever even happened is thanks to thousands of local workers and the organising committee who somehow managed to set up the stadium for the 65,000 supporters and the players, and who took care of various logistical necessities after Japan suffered one of its worst storms in living memory just a few hours earlier.