MUCH like every other Saturday teatime, fans poured in from Falmer station to take their seats and support their team at the home of the Albion this weekend.

The Beer flowed, songs were sung and balls kicked.

But that was where the similarities football ended as Japan faced off against South Africa in the first of two Rugby World Cup games at the Amex - being called the Brighton Community Stadium for the occasion.

Gone was the North Stand faithful, replaced by the likes of Hidetaka Ito and Shizuo Tsuji, who had travelled from the Fukuroi in the south of Japan’s Honshu island.

The song Sussex By The Sea stayed in its CD case with the Call of South Africa preceding play and the familiar chant of “Albion, Albion” was nowhere to be heard.

Instead the frenetic repetition of “Nippon, Nippon” was ringing around the stadium.

This was the Amex as we had never been seen it before - and it was fantastic.

Nobody quite knew what to expect. Would there be many genuine supporters or would it just be curious locals? Would the Amex lend itself well to rugby and crucially - after the miserable week we had had - would the weather hold out?

From mid-morning it became clear it was going to be a special day, with the seafront bars and pubs packed - mainly with the green and gold of South Africa.

On the trains towards Falmer discussion turned to the score with fans of both nations debating between whether the Boks would win by 30 or 40.

Among those lucky enough to bag a ticket to the sold out match was Fujio Toyoda from Fukuroi - one of the host cities for the next Rugby World Cup, in 2019.

“I love it here in Brighton, it is beautiful, we don’t want to go,” he said.

“We know South Africa are much bigger but we will give it our best.”

Meanwhile, South African Stefanie Posthumus, now living in Polegate, was more confident of the result.

The 39-year-old said: “We love rugby, it is in our blood. We are going to win today no problem. We have to be worried about the other teams, especially New Zealand, Australia and England.”

Many make it to the ground a good two hours before the teams took to the field. And while those in green and gold far outnumbered those wearing the white and red of Japan, there was no doubt who the neutrals were backing.

It was the same down at the fanzone on the beach with England fans swapping the red rose for the cherry blossom.

And almost every pebbles-worth of space was taken by the time the game started.

From the outset it appeared to be something of a David versus Goliath encounter.

The South Africans, almost to a man, towered over the Japanese.

The fans were so close to the pitch that every bone rattling tackle could be felt.

The crowd oooed and ahhhed as the South African man-mountains crushed the relatively diminutive Japanese with each tackle.

But the Brave Blossoms - as they are affectionately known, did not shy away from the battle. On the contrary, they went in harder.

Back at the fanzone a nervous silence had taken over with many fearing something of cricket score in favour of the Boks - so much so that the circling seagulls overhead had overpowered the hushed chatter below.

That all started to change as Japan began putting points on the board.

In the stadium, support for Japan continued to grow and when they scored their first try, thousands started to believe.

But given the difference in size and experience, surely there was to be only one winner?

But with the match approaching 80 minutes, the South Africans had gone from chewing their fingernails to nibbling their plastic pint pots.

The red and white shirts pushed towards the North Stand. With just seconds left, Japan had the opportunity to tie the game by kicking for goal but instead opted to go for the win by kicking to touch.

Then, with the vast majority of the 29,293, urging them forward, Karne Hesketh did the unbelievable and breached the South African defence for the winning try.

Pandemonium ensued and history had been made. Brighton will now forever be a name of great significance in Japanese sport. Just as we think of Wembley in 1966, Edgbaston in 1981 and Sydney in 2003, they will think of our fair city on September 19, 2015.

  • Video filmed by Jessica Wells