Test Match No. 317: RWC warm-up test match

日本語 Photo
5 September 2015; G: Gloucester (Kingsholm S); R: John Lacey (IRE)
○Japan 13-10 Georgia●
 
Data:
5/9/2015, RWC Warm Up Test Match
Japan 13 Georgia 10
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
Refree: John Lacey (Ireland)
Crowd: 3,256
 
JAPAN: 15 Ayumu Goromaru, 14 Yoshikazu Fujita (23 Kotaro Matsushima 46), 13 Male Sa'u, 12 Craig Wing, 11 Hendrik Tui, 10 Harumichi Tatekawa (22 Kosei Ono 49), 9 Fumiaki Tanaka (21 Atsushi Hiwasa 62) , 8 Ryu Holani (20 Amanaki Lelei Mafi 46), 7 Michael Broadhurst, 6 Michael Leitch (capt), 5 Hitoshi Ono (19 Shinya Makabe 54), 4 Luke Thompson, 3 Hiroshi Yamashita (18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 34), 2 Shota Horie (31,41) (17 Takeshi Kizu 74), 1 Masataka Mikami.
Reserves: 16 Takayuki Watanabe.
Coach: Eddie Jones.
Tries: Mafi; Conversions: Goromaru; Penalty Goals: Goromaru (2).
Yellow Cards: Horie (31, sin-bin).
 
GEORGiA: 15 Merab Kvirikashvili (23 Tamaz Mchedlidze 58), 14 Muraz Giorgadze, 13 Davit Katcharava, 12 Merab Sharikadze, 11 Giorgi Aptsiauri, 10 Lasha Malaghuradze, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze (21 Giorgi Begadze 55), 8 Mamuka Gorgodze (20 Giorgi Chkhaidze 67), 7 Viktor Kolelishvili (27, 37), 6 Shalva Sutiashvili, 5 Konstantine Mikautadze, 4 Giorgi Nemsadze (19 Levan Datunashvili 60), 3 David Zirakashvili (18 Levan Chilachava 60), 2 Jaba Bregvadze (16 Shalva Mamukashvili 49), 1 Mikheil Nariashvili (17 David Kubriashvili 60).
Reserves: 23 Giorgi Pruidze.
Coach: Milton Haig.
Tries: Muraz Giorgadze; Conversions: Merab Kvirikashvili; Penalty Goals: Lasha Malaghuradze.
Yellow Cards: Viktor Kolelishvili (27, sin-bin).
 
Scoring sequence (Japan's score shown first): 2min-pen Japan, Ayumu Goromaru-3-0, 18min-try Georgia, Muraz Giorgadze; conv. Merab Kvirikashvili-3-7, 26min-pen Japan, Ayumu Goromaru-6-7, 70min-pen Georgia, Lasha Malaghuradze-6-7, 77min-try Japan, Amanaki Lelei Mafi; conv. Ayumu Goromaru-13-10.
 


Just after the game started, Japan turned over a lineout awarded to the opponent and pushed over a maul to overwhelm Georgia. In the 2nd minute, full-back Ayumu Goromaru scored the opening penalty goal. In the 15th minute, after Georgia built phases from a lineout, their wing Muraz Giorgadze pressed the ball down, which was kicked to behind the defense line to turn the game around. However, Japan placed Hendrik Tui in the wing position, and had a positioning in a scrum awarded to the opponent to put Tui back in the position of flanker, captain Leitch to stand-off and Harumichi Tatekawa to wing for the defense line, which worked well. After that, Japan did not concede any points to Georgia until Georgia scored an additional penalty goal in the 30th minute of the second half.
Japan's impacting players showed their strengths, including number 8 Amanaki Lelei Mafi, who subbed in in the 6th minute of the second half, and kept making gains with powerful and sharp breakthroughs from his first touch, and wing Kotaro Matsushima, who subbed in with Mafi at the same time, also made a scene in which he almost scored a try by hooking with his foot in response to the opponent's knock-on ball within their own territory. In the 30th minute of the second half, which came in a situation where Japan were not able to add points, Georgia scored a penalty goal following a penalty from a close formation. It looked as if Georgia was going to win without conceding points, however, Japan also was able to “score when they entered the opponent's territory. Be patient and continue,” (captain Leitch) they said, and concentrated on their own plans. Also three minutes later, after making a mistake, Japan conceded a chance of a penalty goal to Georgia, but thanks to their mistake, Japan still had the opportunity for a come-from-behind win. At the end, Japan pushed a maul over from a lineout all at the same time, then number 8 Mafi, who was playing thinking “Japan will win at the end with a try by me,” touched down in goal to prove the progress of Japan's forwards. Full-back Goromaru scored the goal just after this to make it 13-10. Japan grabbed a dramatic win in the last match before the Rugby World Cup to sweep away the shocking loss of last Fall. “Set battles against Georgia were tough, but Japan was stronger today. Winning in the last match makes a good flow for the World Cup. We can reach peak on 19th (for the first match in the RWC).” (head coach Jones)