Test Match No. 11: Cambridge University's first visit to Japan, game 8

日本語 Photo Journal
4 October 1953 at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
●Japan 6-35 Cambridge University○
Completely outmatched in the 2nd test match
 
Data:
04/10/53, 2nd Test
Japan 6 Cambridge University 35
Prince Chichibu Memorial Ground, Tokyo
Half-time: 3-13
Referee: Peter F. Cooper (England)
Touch Judges: I.S. Gloag (England), Akihiko Watanabe (Japan)
Crowd: 25,000
 
JAPAN: 15 Hidehiko Sato, 14 Genpei Yokoiwa, 13 Noboru Hirohata, 12 Ryuichi Imamura, 11 Toshiro Sasaki, 10 Junzo Aso, 9 Manabu Mitoma, 8 Hideo Harada, 7 Masaaki Matsushige, 6 Toshiaki Tsuchiya, 5 Shinichi Hashimoto, 4 Yoshiharu Umei, 3 Tetsuo Sekikawa, 2 Ryo Saito (capt), 1 Sueharu Natsui.
Try: Hirohata; Penalty Goal: Aso.
 
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY: 15 Petre M. Davies, 14 James Roberts, 13 Kenneth James Dalgleish, 12 Micheal H. Bushby, 11 Dickie R.W. Dawe, 10 Robin L. Hitchcock, 9 Tim C. Pearson, 8 Donald R.J. Evans, 7 Jeffrey Woodward Clements, 6 Ian David Stafford Beer JP, 5 Michael J.O. Massey, 4 Peter J.F. Wheeler (capt), 3 Dan G. Massey, 2 Bob MacEwen, 1 Dennis R. W. Silk.
Tries: Roberts (2), Dawe, Dalgleish, Wheeler, 4 tries unknown; Conversions: P.M. Davies (4).
 
Scoring sequence (Japan's score shown first): 6min-try Cambridge Univ., Dawe; conv. P.M. Davies (unknown), 18min-try Cambridge Univ., Dalgleish; conv. P.M. Davies (unknown), 30min-try Cambridge Univ., Roberts; conv., P.M. Davies (unknown)-0-13, 40min-try Japan, Hirohata; conv., unknown (missed)-3-13, Half-time, 53min-try Cambridge Univ., Roberts; conv. P.M. Davies-3-18, 61min-try Cambridge Univ., Wheeler; conv. P.M. Davies (missed)-3-21, 70min-pen Japan., Aso-6-21, 76min-try. Cambridge Univ., unknown; conv. P.M. Davies (unknown), 77min-try. Cambridge Univ., unknown; conv. P.M. Davies (unknown), 78min-try. Cambridge Univ., unknown; conv. P.M. Davies (unknown), 79min-try. Cambridge Univ., unknown; conv. P.M. Davies (unknown)-6-35.
 


Japan was beaten in the final match by conceding nine tries to the opponent. However, the game itself was better for Japan than the one against Oxford, for the team earned one try and one penalty as well as a few other opportunities. Just before the end of the first half, Japan staged a wonderful attack not even Cambridge could stop: Imamura, who received a pass from a three-quarter player, made it through the opponent's defensive line. Aso supported well and passed the ball to Hirohata, then to Yokoiwa who confidently scored a try. Japan held on with Sato's penalty in the 30th minute of the second half (6-21), but Cambridge got itself into gear and started an all-out attack with five minutes remaining. Japan virtually threw the game away against this, and left everything at the mercy of Cambridge, who scored four tries in a row from the 36th minute without being tackled.