If there has been one bright spot since Japan's only win at the World Cup — against Zimbabwe in 1991 — it was the 12-12 draw against Canada four years ago.

Both teams are primed for the rematch Tuesday, and both coached by men who were part of New Zealand's winning squad in 1987.

While Canada's bearded warriors have stood out in New Zealand for their physicality, Japan has been winning praise for its attractive brand of rugby based on quickfire attacks and a strong running game.

But against both France and Tonga, the Japanese team struggled early on.

"It's not how you get knocked over, but how you get back up," Kirwan said Monday. "We weren't quite ready for the intensity (against Tonga). You just need to be ready for the intensity of World Cup.

"It's important that we start well and we haven't been doing that." Watching the replays of the Tonga defeat made for unpleasant viewing for Kirwan, who rarely put a foot wrong when he was a flying winger with the New Zealand team, which won the inaugural World Cup back in 1987.

"I've watched it about 15 times, we're lower than them at times in the ruck, but we weren't quite technically good enough or strong enough over the ball and we got counter-rucked," he said. Tonga scored "a couple of soft tries and they kind of lived off our mistakes rather than beating us." Japan fell behind 20-3 in its opening game against France, before staging a second-half rally, and failed to capitalize when it built up pressure against the sometimes porous Tongan defense last week.

"I think that if we can play to our potential and hang onto the ball, we can put Canada under pressure," Kirwan said. "The future of Japanese rugby is going to be about playing at this level. Moving forward the Japanese side will need to do that because it's a different level of intensity." While Kirwan has been busy reviewing match detail, Canada's players have had to be content with training.

Canada's last match was Sept. 18, when it lost 46-19 after holding France close for the first hour.

"The boys are pretty anxious to get back at it, it's nice to have a couple of days off but we're down here to play," Canada hooker and captain Pat Riordan told The Associated Press on Monday. "Having that last one get away from us against the French leaves with that hunger to get back out." He is even more wary of his rivals this week because of Japan's 17-match streak without a win.

"It's their last game of the tournament, they didn't come here to make up numbers and they want to prove something," Riordan said. "They've got a style that's pretty good and works for them. They play a pretty up-tempo game. If you look at the French game, they sucked the French into their type of game." Canada is aiming for third place in Pool A and, with only a match against the All Blacks to follow, really need a win against Japan at McLean Park to have a good chance of achieving it.

"Qualifying in the top 12 in the world is extremely important to us," scrumhalf Ed Fairhurst said. "It means we qualify for the next World Cup and means we can start preparing four years in advance, as opposed to with the qualifying games that start happening in two years' time." Canada threatened an upset against France, but missed three kicks when the score was level at 10-10 late in the first half, and then tailed off midway through the second half "It's a lot about the last 10 minutes of each half ... we gave (France) nine points there and it could have been an entirely different game, and of course in the (second half) we didn't play as well as we could have," Fairhurst said. "I think it's more to do with concentration, I think we have the physicality. If more players were in that environment more often (they) they might have a better idea of what to do and have a bit more experience." Canada coach Kieran Crowley, a backup fullback in New Zealand's 1987-winning squad, made only one change to the starting side, which lost to France, with Matt Evans returning from injury to replace Ciaran Hearn at wing.

Kirwan made two, with Tonga-born flanker Sione Vatuvei replacing Itaru Taniguchi, and tighthead prop Nozomu Fujita pushing Kensuke Hatakeyama onto the bench.

"I have lots of confidence in this team and in the players," Kirwan said.