Test Match No. 184: Australia National Rugby Union Team A's visit to Japan, game 1

日本語 Photo Journal
5 June 2003 at Osaka Nagai Second Stadium
●Japan 5-63 Australia A○
Japan could score only one try and got smashed by Australia A
 
Data:
05/06/2003, Lipobitan D Challenge, 1st Test
Japan President's XV 5 Australia A 63
Nagai Second Field, Osaka
Half-time: 5-35
Referee: Kelvin Mark Deaker (New Zealand)
Touch Judges: Takashi Harada (Japan), Kyosuke Toda (Japan), Hiroaki Takatsu (Japan), Norikazu Matsukura
Crowd: 15,000
 
JAPAN PRESIDENT'S XV: 15 Toru Kurihara, 14 Daisuke Ohata (capt) (22 Yohei Shinomiya temp-bs 32-34 and 76), 13 George Kinia, 12 Hideki Nanba, 11 Hirotoki Onozawa, 10 Keiji Hirose, 9 Wataru Murata (20 Shinichi Tsukida 55), 8 Takeomi Ito, 7 Ryota Asano, 6 Yasunori Watanabe, 5 Luatangi Vatuvei (18 Adam Parker 55), 4 Hajime Kiso, 3 Ryo Yamamura, 2 Masao Amino (17 Hiroki Matsuo 55), 1 Masahito Yamamoto (16 Yuichi Hisadomi 65).
Reserves: 19 Hiroyuki Tanuma, 21 Akira Asada.
Try: Kurihara.
 
AUSTRALIA A: 15 Julian Huxley (22 Micheal Tabrett 69), 14 Milton Thaiday (21 Mark Bartholomeusz), 13 Mark Gerrard, 12 Joel Wilson, 11 Peter Hynes, 10 Shaun Berne, 9 Joshua Valentine (20 Matthew Henjak 40), 8 John Roe (19 Tamaiti Horua 69), 7 David Croft, 6 Daniel Heenan, 5 Justin Harrison, 4 Matthew Cockbain (capt) (18 Rudi Vedelago 63), 3 Alastair Baxter, 2 Adam Freier (16 Tai McIsaac 69), 1 Nick Stiles (17 Matthew Dunning 28).
Tries: Gerrard (2), Freier, Heenan, Roe, Valentine, Berne, Wilson, Tabrett; Conversions: Huxley (7), Berne (2).
 
Scoring sequence (Japan's score shown first): 2min-pen Japan, Kulihara (missed), 7min-try Australia A, Freier; conv. Huxley-0-7, 9min-pen Japan, Kulihara (missed), 13min-try Australia A, Roe; conv. Huxley-0-14, 16min-try Australia A, Valentine; conv. Huxley-0-21, 24min-try Australia A, Gerrard; conv. Huxley-0-28, 34min-try Australia A, Gerrard; conv. Huxley-0-35, 40min-try Japan, Kurihara; conv. Kurihara (missed)-5-35, Half-time, 57min-try Australia A, Heenan; conv. Huxley-5-42, 65min-try Australia A, Berne; conv. Huxley-5-49, 74min-try Australia A, Tabrett; conv. Berne-5-56, 80min-try Australia A, Wilson; conv. Berne-5-63.
 


Japan conceded seven tries, but at times played neck and neck with the opponent. Despite the points differential, the game itself was better than the previous game against Russia. There was some improvement in quality of play, lineouts and tackling. Japan gave a glimpse of what their rugby should be when wing Onozawa darted from a lineout, and fullback Kurihara managed to try from a ruck at the end of the first half. Although they could not score a try due to mistakes, Japanese rugby showed its structure when Onozawa and Ohata aimed at the goal. I could see their intention to score a try from consecutive possessions after entering the opponent's territory with a kick by stand-off Hirose, but I could not see any play that would break down the opponent. How well can the team organise themselves in time for the World Cup in four months? Now's the time for coach Mukai to show his skills.