Russia Out To Cause ‘Chaos’ In World Cup Opener

Russia captain Vasily Artemyev says they will look to cause “chaos” when they take on hosts Japan at the World Cup on Friday. The Bears are regarded as major underdogs for the opening clash as they prepare to make just their second appearance at the showpiece event.

They failed to qualify for the 2015 edition and are likely to be the whipping boys in Pool A which also boasts Ireland, Scotland and Samoa. In August they fell to a record 85-15 defeat the hands of Italy, while they were beaten 32-27 in their most recent meeting with world number 10 ranked Japan.

However, Artemyev insists they will bring “chaos” to the match in the hope that Japan crack under the pressure in front of their own fans in Chofu “It’s almost a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a lot of the guys. We need to counter their organization and add a little bit of chaos into their organization,” Artemyev told AFP.

“The pressure is on Japan to perform in front of their home crowd. “In realistic terms we may only have a 20 percent chance — but we will do our best definitely to spoil it for Japan. “As strong as they are, Japan will have to bring their ‘A’ game to win. “If they play any less, I think we’ll have a good chance.”