Test Match No. 226: Italian Tour 2007

日本語 Photo Journal
18 August 2007 in Aosta
●Japan 12-36 Italy○
Failed to break the stronghold of Italy
 
Data:
18/08/2007, RWC2007 warm-up game
Japan 12 Italy 36
Stadio Perucca, Saint Vincent, Aosta, Italy
Half-time: 7-22
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Touch Judges: 1st Sean Davey (England), 2nd Alan Hughes (England), 3rd Steffano Penne (Italy)
Crowd: 5,500
 
JAPAN: 15 Bryce Robins (21 Kosei Ono 77), 14 Kosuke Endo, 13 Yuta Imamura, 12 Shotaro Onishi, 11 Christian Loamanu (22 Go Aruga 63), 10 Eiji Ando, 9 Tomoki Yoshida, 8 Takuro Miuchi (capt), 7 Philip O'Reilly (19 Ryota Asano 61), 6 Hare Makiri, 5 Luke Thompson, 4 Hitoshi Ono (18 Luatangi Samurai Vatuvei 44), 3 Tomokazu Soma (17 Ryo Yamamura 54), 2 Yuji Matsubara, 1 Tatsukichi Nishiura (3 Tomokazu Soma 71).
Reserves: 16 Taku Inokuchi, 20 Kim Chul Won.
Tries: Nishiura, Makiri; Conversion: Ando.
Yellow Card: Makiri (79, sin-bin, late tackling).
 
ITALY: 15 David Bortolussi, 14 kaine Robertson, 13 Gonzalo Canale (22 Roland De Marigny 2nd Half 40), 12 Mirco Bergamasco, 11 Marko Stanojevic, 10 Ramiro Pez (21 Andrea Masi 27), 9 Alessandro Troncon (20 Pablo Canavosio 72), 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Josh Sole (19 Manoa Vosawai 59), 5 Marco Bortolami (capt), 4 Santiago Dellape' (18 Valerio Bernabo' 59), 3 Martin Castrogiovanni (1 Andrea Lo Ciciero-Vaina 59), 2 Carlo Festuccia (16 Leonardo Ghiraldini 72), 1 Andrea Lo Ciciero-Vaina (17 Salvatore Perugini 2nd Half 40).
Tries: Stanojevic (2), Robertson, Lo Cicero, Mauro Bergamasco; Conversions: Bortolussi (4); Penalty Goal: Bortolussi.
 
Scoring sequence (Japan's score shown first): 2min-pen Italy, Bortolussi-0-3, 6min-try Italy, Stanojevic; conv. Bortolussi (missed)-0-8, 9min-try Italy, Stanojevic; conv. Bortolussi-0-15, 12min-drop goal Italy, Pez (missed), 20min-try Italy, Robertson; conv. Bortolussi-0-22, 26min-try Japan, Nishiura; conv. Ando-7-22, Half-time, 51min-drop goal Italy, Masi (missed), 56min-try Japan, Makiri; conv. Ando (missed)-12-22, 66min-try Italy, Lo Cicero; conv. Bortolussi-12-29, 80min-try Italy, Mauro Bergamasco; conv. Bortolussi-12-36.
 


The purpose of this tour was to hold a training camp in Italy to tune up the team's condition for the test match. For the World Cup, head coach Kirwan took a bold measure in forming two teams. This was because they would have to play in a very hard schedule. They have only three days' rest between the first match against Australia and the second match against Fiji. It is too harsh a prospect for Japan to play under NOT equal conditions against an opponent on a higher level in a World Cup that only comes once every four years.
Japan scored two tries from a maul and from an interception, but lost 12-36. The number of tries was 2-5. Japan's defence is getting better for sure. However, in the World Cup, they will not be able to play unless they play their best.