Test Match No. 302: Pacific Nations Cup, game 1

日本語 Photo Journal
7 June 2014; G: Burnaby; R: Leighton Hodges (WAL)
○Japan 34-25 Canada●
 
Data:
7/6/2014, 9th Pacific Nations Cup 1st Match
Japan 34 Canada 25
Swangard Stadium, Bumaby, British Columbia
Half-time 9 - 25
Refree: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Crowd: 6,382
 
JAPAN: 15 Ayumu Goromaru, 14 Yoshikazu Fujita (23 Toshiaki Hirose 43), 13 Male Sau, 12 Yu Tamura, 11 Akihito Yamada, 10 Harumichi Tatekawa, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka (21 Atsushi Hiwasa 67), 8 Ryu Holani (35,40) (17 Takeshi Kizu 35,40) (21 Hendrik Tui 61), 7 Michael Leitch (capt)(20 Shinya Makabe 78), 6 Justin Ives (9,13) (21 Hendrik Tui 9,13)), 5 Luke Thompson, 4 Hitoshi Ono (19 Shoji Ito 51), 3 Kensuke Hatakeyama (18 Hiroshi Yamashita 72), 2 Shota Horie(32,42), 1 Masataka Mikami (53,63) (16 Hisateru Hirashima 53,63,74).
Reserves: 22 Atsushi Hiwasa.
Coach: Eddie Jones.
Tries: Fujita,Tamura, Tui; Conversions: Goromaru (2); Penalty Goals: Goromaru (5).
Yellow Cards: Horie (32, sin-bin).
 
CANADA: 15 James Prichard, 14 Jeff Hassier,13 Ciaran Hearn (23 D.T.H.van der Merwe 68), 12 Nick Blevins, 11 Taylor Paris, 10 Harry Jones (22 Connor Braid 73), 9 Gordon McRorie (21 Phil Mack 56), 8 Tyler Ardron(capt), 7 John Moonlight, 6 Adam Kleeberger (17 Aaron Carpenter 51), 5 Jamie Cudmore, 4 Tyler Hoston (19 Jon Phelan 75), 3 Jason Marshall (18 Jake Illnicki 59), 2 Ray Barkwill (20 Benoit Piffero 75), 1 Hubert Buydens (16 Andrew Tiedemann 56).
Reserves:
Coach: Kieran Crowley.
Tries: Hearn, Moonlight, Paris; Conversion: Prichard (2); Penalty Goals: Prichard (2).
 
Scoring sequence (Japan's score shown first): 7min-try Canada, Ciaran Hearn; conv. James Prichard(missed)-0-5, 13min-pen Japan, Ayumu Goromaru-3-5, 15min-pen Japan, Ayumu Goromaru-6-5, 18min-pen Canada, James Prichard-6-8, 28min-pen Japan, Ayumu Goromaru-9-8, 32min-pen Canada, James Prichard-9-11, 35min-try Canada, John Moonlight; conv. James Prichard-9-18, 38min-try Canada, Taylor Paris; conv. James Prichard-9-25, 42min-try Japan, Yoshikazu Fujita; conv. Ayumu Goromaru(missed)-14-25, 56min-pen Japan, Ayumu Goromaru-17-25, 63min-try Japan, Yu Tamura; conv. Ayumu Goromaru-24-25, 72min-try Japan, Hendrik Tui; conv. Ayumu Goromaru-31-25, 80min-pen Japan, Ayumu Goromaru-34-25.
 


Japan was pressurised in the first scrum and ended up being sent to the sin-bin after repeating penalties in the first half. More than anything, bad situations in the contact area were impactful and the line defense was broken. Japan conceded three tries in total and allowed Canada to outscore by 16 points in total in the first half. But Japan's players realized that when they were patient for the first 20 minutes, they would be able to carry on with the game at their own pace. When the second half started, Japan started ruling the game overwhelmingly. In the 1st minute of the second half, stand-off Harumichi Tatekawa got a big gain from a scrum, attacking the gap in the opponent's defense, and passing the ball to vice captain and full-back Ayumu Goromaru, and then wing Yoshikazu Fujita scored a try in the right corner. In the 14th minute, Japan induced Canada's penalty as instructed in a scrum where Japan was pressurised, and full-back Goromaru scored a penalty goal to add points. In the 21st minute, centre Yu Tamura scored a try by aiming at the space created from a lineout with a good tempo against Canada, who were already unable to keep up with Japan's pace. Japan gained an advantage, and after Tamura scored a try to narrow the point gap to one, in the 29th minute, flat passes were made from a lineout again to scrum-half Fumiaki Tanaka and stand-off Harumichi Tatekawa. Then Hendrik Tui, who subbed in, cut through Canada's defense vertically and scored from behind. Around the end of the match, Canada counter-attacked by pushing in a maul, showing the spirit of the home team, but Japan managed this. At the end, full-back Goromaru scored a penalty goal to get a come-from-behind win with dignity.