Test Match No. 173: The sixth Pacific Rim Championship (Four Nations Tournament), 1st round

日本語 Photo Journal
4 July 2001 at Tokyo Stadium
●Japan 8-47 Samoa○
Got smashed by Samoa
 
Data:
04/07/2001, The 6th Pacific Rim Championship
Japan 8 Samoa 47
Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo
Half-time: 3-14
Referee: Bruce Kuklinski (Canada)
Touch Judges: 1st Katsuyoshi Mori (Japan), 2nd Kazuhito Taniguchi (Japan), 3rd Takashi Onozuka (Japan)
Crowd: 8,000
 
JAPAN: 15 Hirotoki Onozawa, 14 Toru Kurihara, 13 Hideyuki Yoshida, 12 Yukio Motoki, 11 Terunori Masuho (22 Takafumi Hirao 70), 10 Kensuke Iwabuchi (21 Nataniela Oto 19), 9 Wataru Murata, 8 Yuya Saito, 7 Takeomi Ito (19 Kazuya Koizumi temp 32-33), 6 Koichi Kubo, 5 Hiroyuki Tanuma, 4 Luatangi Vatuvei, 3 Masahiko Toyoyama (17 Kazu Hamabe 66), 2 Masaaki Sakata (capt), 1 Shin Hasegawa.
Reserves: 16 Kenichi Takayanagi, 18 Jun Akune, 20 Shinichi Tsukida.
Try: Onozawa; Penalty Goal: Kurihara.
 
SAMOA: 15 Tanner Vili, 14 Elvis Seveali'i, 13 Terry Fanolua (Faapulou So'olefai 59), 12 Va'aiga Tuigamala (21 To'o Vaega 50), 11 Afato So'oala, 10 Earl Va'a (20 Steve So'oialo 70), 9 Jose Filemu, 8 Alfie To'oala (19 Sene Ta'ala 61), 7 Patrick Segi, 6 Semo Sititi (capt) (18 Junior Paramore 51), 5 Setephano Lama Tone, 4 Opeta Palepoi, 3 Kas Lealamanua (16 Hery Williams 66), 2 Trevor Leota (17 Ace Tiatia 2nd Half 40), 1 Mark Luafalealo.
Tries: So'oalo (2), Seveali'i (2), Fanolou, Segi, Vili; Conversions: Va'a (6).
 
Scoring sequence (Japan's score shown first): 6min-try Samoa, So'oalo, conv. Va'a-0-7, 21min-pen Japan, Kurihara-3-7, 34min-try Samoa, Seveali'i, conv. Va'a-3-14, Half-time, 44min-try Samoa, Seveali'i, conv. Va'a-3-21, 46min-try Samoa, So'oalo, conv. Va'a-3-28, 58min-try Samoa, Fanolou, conv. Va'a-3-35, 63min-try Japan, Onozawa, conv. Kurihara (missed)-8-35, 70min-try Samoa, Segi, conv. Va'a-3-42, 78min-try Samoa, Vili, conv. Vili (missed)-8-47.
 


The sixth Pacific Rim Championship was held as a tournament among four countries: Japan, Samoa (top in the southern pacific region), Fiji (second in the same), and Canada (top in the North America region). Japan was smashed by Samoa 8-47, and Fiji beat Canada 52-23. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Japan utilised open passes and let Kurihara burst through the pack. In the secondary attack, Japan passed the ball from a ruck to Motoki and to Onozawa to score a try. This attack was very Japanese, but that was the only try they scored. Japan could not stop the powerful attack by Samoa, conceded seven tries and six goals to them, and lost the game. Keeping the score differential to 20 points, unlike 39 points in this game, is the top priority for Japan.