WARWICK: Japanese wing Akihito Yamada was stung by a weever fish the day after his country's historic 34-32 victory over South Africa forcing him to miss their defeat by Scotland.
"It hurt like crazy," the 30-year-old said of the injury suffered in the sea at Brighton.
The swelling to his left toe made him sit out the 45-10 whipping by Scotland on Wednesday. And Yamada vowed that after the experience he will never venture into the sea again.
"The day after the South Africa game, when we were doing our recovery in the sea, I got stung by a fish," Yamada said after training on Saturday.
"At first, I thought I sliced my foot on a rock but the pain kept getting worse and worse and the locals told me it was a weever fish.
"I can't believe I'm the only one who was stung when we were all in the wide open water.
"I'm never going in the ocean again."
The sandy coloured weever is a small fish found around the southern British coast that usually lays buried under the sand with just its venomous dorsal fin showing.
Experts say the venom from the spines causes "excruciating" pain.
Yamada, whose 79th minute replacement in the South Africa game Karne Hesketh scored the last gasp try that secured a remarkable victory, is hopeful he will be fully fit for the next Pool B game against Samoa in Milton Keynes on October 3.
"I finally feel good again," he said.
"I'm not hurting anywhere now. I was hoping to play in every game at the World Cup so it's a little disappointing, especially after we played so well against South Africa."
Yamada was unabashed he had been laid low not by a grizzled massive Springbok but by a small fish. "Size doesn't matter."
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