2 July 2022: G: Toyota Stadium (Japan); R: Frank Marfee (Ire)
●Japan 23-42 France○
Data:
2/7/2022, Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2022
Japan 23 – 42 France
Toyota Stadium, Japan
Half-time 13 - 13
Refree: Frank Marfee (Ire)
Crowd: 24,570
JAPAN: 15 Ryohei Yamanaka, 14 Gerhard Van Den Heever (23 Taichi Takahashi 50), 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Shogo Nakano (22 Shane Gates 63), 11 Siosaia Fifita, 10 Seungshin Lee, 9 Kaito Shigeno (21 Daiki Nakajima 50), 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Ben Gunter, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Jack Cornelsen 4 Wimpie Van Der Walt (19 Warner Dearns 59), 3 Asaeli Ai Valu (18 Shinnnosuke Kakinaga 69), 2 Atsushi Sakate (capt) (16 Daigo Hashimoto 69), 1 Keita Inagaki (17 Yukio Morikawa 50).
Reserves:
HIA:
Coach: Jamie Joseph.
Tries: Tevita Tatafu, Siosaia Fifita ; Conversions: Seungshin Lee(2); Penalty Goals: Seungshin Lee(3)
Yellow Cards:
France: 15 Melvyn JAMINET, 14 Damian PENAUD , 13 Virimi VAKATAWA (21 Sekou MACALOU 63), 12 Yoram MOEFANA, 11 Matthis LEBEL, 10 Matthieu JALIBERT (23 Antoine HASTOY 69), 9 Maxime LUCU (22 Baptiste COUILLOUD 59), 8Yoan TANGA (20 Selevasio TOLOFUA 63), 7 Charles OLLIVON (capt), 6 Dylan CRETIN, 5 Thomas JOLMES (19 Thomas LAVAULT 44), 4 Thibaud FLAMENT, 3 Demba BAMBA (18 Sipili FALATEA 45), 2 Peato MAUVAKA (16 Pierre BOURGARIT 49), 1 Jean-Baptiste GROS (17 Dany PRISO 59).
Reserves:
Coach: Fabien Galthie.
Tries: Damian PENAUD(2), Matthis LEBEL, Yoram MOEFANA, Pierre BOURGARIT; Conversions: Melvyn JAMINET(4); Penalty Goals: Melvyn JAMINET(3)
Scoring sequence (Japan’s score shown first): 3min-try France, Damian PENAUD-0-5; conv. Melvyn JAMINET-0-7, 6min-pen Japan, Seungshin Lee-3-7, 14min-try Japan, Tevita Tatafu-8-7; conv. Seungshin Lee-10-7, 19min-pen France, Melvyn JAMINET-10-10, 25min-pen Japan, Seungshin Lee-13-10, 29min-pen France, Melvyn JAMINET-13-13, 32min-pen Japan, Seungshin Lee(missed)-13-13, 45min-try France, Matthis LEBEL-13-18; conv. Melvyn JAMINET-13-20, 52min-pen France, France, Melvyn JAMINET-13-23, 54min-pen Japan, Seungshin Lee-16-23, 58min-try France, Damian PENAUD-16-28; conv. Melvyn JAMINET-16-30, 61min-try France, Yoram MOEFANA-16-35; conv. Melvyn JAMINET(missed)-16-35, 68min-try France, Pierre BOURGARIT-16-40; conv. Melvyn JAMINET-16-42, 83min-try Japan, Siosaia Fifita-21-42; conv. Seungshin Lee-23-42
The Brave Blossom sealed the long kicks to gain distance and adopted a strategy of making Les Bleus tired with a series of expanding attacks. However, with some passing errors in front of the goal in their own territory, Japan players who had enough physical strength in Japan, were unable to ground the ball as the French FWs caught them with choke tacked and other, resulting in French scrummage.
French scrummage in the middle of the field in front of the Japan goal in the 3rd minute of the first half. While Japan focused on the scrummage, France put their stand-off and fullback behind the scrummage, and immediately after the heel out, two players moved to the right to open up the space, and the winger Penaud scored a try very easily by skipping the fullback which left an extra player (0-7 following a world class kicker Jaminet succeeded the conversion).It was disappointing that the marking was not thorough and many wondered what would happen, but from this moment Japan’s concentration increased and they aggressively attacked with plays such as direct passes from the lineout to the backs. In the 6th minute, Japan awarded a penalty when they invaded the French territory, and one of starting members No.10 Seungsin Lee succeeded in the 35m penalty goal (3-7).
From here, Japan’s unique tacking technique driving forward led them to invade the French territory, but after the lineout was awarded, they were unable to win the lineout competition because of the French forwards battered their way. However, Japan made no attempt to kick back the French kick and the fullback Yamanaka and the winger Van den Heever's powerful running started an up-tempo development rugby, with both forwards and backs crossing the gain line in a series of rucks, with Van den Heever again approaching the right side of the French goal. After the forwards’ vertical penetration, followed by 12 phases from a ruck, the ball was passed Shigeno and Tatafu, and although Tatafu was surrounded by two opponents, he pushed with his signature horsepower and scored a try under the goal post (10-7 following Lee succeeding the conversion).
The Japanese fans' excitement and anticipation grew. Following keeping a balance for a while, in the 19th, 25th, and 29th minute, Jaminet, Lee, and again Jaminet scored with a penalty goal respectably (13-13). In the 37th minute of the first half, France attacked and developed to the left in front of the Japan goal, and when Jaminet's pass to the left winger seemed assured for a try, a passing error occurred. Japan pushed back France from their territory and the first half ended (13-13). With temperatures at 34~35°C, the team chose to take water breaks every 10 minutes, but it seemed as if the heat was taking their energy.
In the second half, the France team came back to life and started to play a bold playing style to develop. In the 5th minute, France pushed the ball firmly through a lineout maul at the left of the 22m line of the Japan territory, No.10, Jalibert lined up vertically with No. 12, and received an off-timing pass, who evaded to the back and passed to No.11 for an easy try (13-20 following Jaminet succeeded the conversion). In the 9th minute, the TMO ruled no try for the try by France (penalty). In the 12th minute, Jaminet's penalty kick pulled the score to 13-23, but Japan also fought back with a successful penalty kick by Lee in the 14th minute of the second half (16-23). However, in the 18th minute, from a lineout on the right of the halfway line, France developed to the left and No.12 Moefana hit Lee and evade him through, connected pass to No.13 Vakatawa and No.14 Penaud, then scored a try (16-30 following Jaminet succussed conversion). This gave the France momentum. In the 21st minute, France moved to the right from a ruck in the middle of the halfway line, and No.12 Moehfana was left alone running, chased down his own punt forward for a try (16-35 following Jaminet failed conversion). Japan started to have some tackle mistake due to fatigue, and in the 28th minute, from a lineout on the left in front of the Japan goal, the French formed a solid maul and pushed in to try to secure the victory (16-42 following Jaminet succeeded the conversion). Japan, not giving up until the last minute, continued their efforts to score tries, winning ruck consecutively in front of the French goal, and Fifita scored a try in the 43rd minute after picking up the ball dropped by the scrumhalf when he passed (23-42 following Lee succeeded the conversion).
It was worthwhile for Japan to experience the performance of France, the No.1 team in the northern hemisphere, a year before the RWC 2023 in France, and it will be anticipated how they can analyse their performance in the first match and lead to the second match in the brand-new national stadium.