9 July 2022: G: National Stadium (Japan); R: Mike Adamson (Sco)
●Japan 15-20 France○
Data:
9/7/2022, Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2022
Japan 15 – 20 France
National Stadium, Japan
Half-time 15 - 7
Refree: Mike Adamson (Sco)
Crowd: 57,011
JAPAN: 15 Ryohei Yamanaka, 14 Gerhard Van Den Heever, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Shogo Nakano (23 Shane Gates 58), 11 Siosaia Fifita, 10 Seungshin Lee (22 Yu Tamura 65), 9 Naoto Saito (21 Kaito Shigeno 65),8 Jack Cornelsen, 7 Ben Gunter 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Sanaila Waqa 4 Warner Dearns (19 Takayasu Tsuji 50), 3 Asaeli Ai Valu (18 Yusuke Kizu 61), 2 Atsushi Sakate (capt) (16 Shota Horie 58), 1 Keita Inagaki (17 Yukio Morikawa 71).
Reserves:
HIA:
Coach: Jamie Joseph.
Tries: Ryohei Yamanaka(2) ; Conversions: Seungshin Lee; Penalty Goals: Seungshin Lee
Yellow Cards:
France: 15 Max SPRING, 14 Damian PENAUD (21 Sekou MACALOU 64), 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 50), 8Yoan TANGA, 7 Charles OLLIVON (capt), 6 Dylan CRETIN (20 Ibrahim DIALLO 43), 5 Thomas JOLMES (19 Thomas LAVAULT 43), 4 Thibaud FLAMENT, 3 Demba BAMBA (18 Sipili FALATEA 46), 2 Peato MAUVAKA (16 Pierre BOURGARIT 43), 1 Jean-Baptiste GROS (17 Dany PRISO 46).
Reserves:
Coach: Fabien Galthie.
Tries: Matthis LEBEL, Baptiste COUILLOUD; Conversions: Maxime LUCU, Matthieu JALIBERT; Penalty Goals: Maxime LUCU, Matthieu JALIBERT
Scoring sequence (Japan’s score shown first): 9min-try France, Matthis LEBEL-0-5; conv. Maxime LUCU -0-7, 12min-try Japan, Ryohei Yamanaka-5-7; conv. Seungshin Lee(missed)-5-7, 19min-pen Japan, Seungshin Lee-8-7, 40min-try Japan, Ryohei Yamanaka-13-7; conv. Seungshin Lee-15-7, 44min-pen France, Maxime LUCU-15-10, 60min-pen France, Matthieu JALIBERT-15-13, 71min-try France, Baptiste COUILLOUD-15-18; conv. Matthieu JALIBERT-15-20
The game started with a kick-off by Japan, and at the kick-off, Fifita who was on the right caught the catcher inside the 22m line of the French territory and did not allow the French to move forward. Two penalties were then awarded to France, and although they invaded until in front of Japan goal, a tackle by Fifita led to a knock-on, and the subsequent French attack was tenaciously defended with tackles.
In the 9th minute of the first half, France possessed the ball and created the point of attacking from a lineout on the right in front of the Japan goal, then moved to the left and a blind-side winger joined to the competition, which allowed one player to be free, and French No. 11 Lebel scored a try (0-7, following France No.9 Lucu succeeded the conversion). In the 12th minute of the first half, from a scrummage in the 22m of the French territory to response to France's stand-off Jalibert kicked to gain space, Japan passed the ball to Van den Heever, Yamanaka, Fifita, Nakano and Riley, Riley who judged the space was blocked, pretended to invade inside, drawing two French players and passed the ball brilliantly to Van den Heever who ran into the narrow space outside. Van den Heever sprinted along the line and successfully passed the ball to Yamanaka who ran inside at the end for a try (5-7 following Lee failed the conversion). Then, a counter-attack by Van den Heever allowed Japan to approach in front of the French goal, and a series of attacks from the scrummage push them closer to the French goal. In the 19th minute, a penalty kick was awarded to Japan and Lee successfully scored the penalty kick which gave France the lead over Japan (8-7). This time, they also effectively mixed long kicks to gain areas and skilfully proceed with the game. Just before the end of the first half, France dropped a ball in the middle of the French territory, from which Japan was able to create a point of attacking and then move to the left, allowing Cornelsen to invade vertically once. From the ruck, Japan again moved to the left, passing to Lee, Yamanaka, Sakate and Nakano, and Nakano made a brilliant return pass to Sakate to prevent his opponent team from cutting off the pass.Sakate then leaned his body on France No. 9 Lucu and passed the ball to Leitch, who a dummy pass to Saito on the inside follow-up and made an excellent sprint along the line to shake off his opposing players who were marking him. He drew the opposing backs who came to back up, and the return pass went through to Yamanaka who was inside to follow up and scored an easy try close to the goal post (15-7 following Lee succeeded the conversion).
In the second half, France regained their momentum and began to attack. Japan also defended well but it was regrettable that the centre dropped balls on a good opportunity, unintentional fouls and direct touches etc. France succeeded penalty goals in the 4th and 20th minutes to catch up (15-13). In the 26th minute of the second half, French scrummage on the left of midfield, a side attack by French No. 8 and No. 9 moved the ball into open space on the right side, and a forward player who joined in the competition punted the ball up, which was caught by replacement right winger Hastoy, approaching the Japanese goal. With a metre remaining to the Japan’s goal line, Japan's jackal at the ruck saved the team. Japan defended well but made an error on the restart after the penalty kick, which was awarded after a brilliant jackal, and struggled to move out from their own half and get scoring opportunities. Moreover, it was unexpected that the masterful Horie did not throw the ball straight.. Then, in the 30th minute of the second half, replacement French scrumhalf Couilloud, after seeing France dominates the scrummage (making Japan's back row occupied) and Japanese scrumhalf Shigeno's lunge for the back line, sprinted through the open space and scored a try just under the goal post (15-20 following Jalibert succeeded the conversion). Still, in the 34th minute of the second half, Japan entered the French territory and then threw a ball to Leitch behind in the lineout which was five metres in front of the French goal, then Leitch passed the ball in the air to No. 20 Tatafu, who took to the pitch as a super sub. Tatafu used his natural horsepower to push aside the three French players with his power and streak into the in-goal area.. From this position, everyone thought that the conversion would be successful and the score would be turned over, but then the referee called for the TMO. Just before Tatafu grounded, France No.12 Moehfana put his arm between Tatafu's right arm and the ball, provoking a knock-on. The Japan team continued to attack without giving up, however, the game unfortunately went to full time (15-20). In the old days, Japan would have thought, "Well done." A narrow defeat that will lead to the future." But as Captain Sakate said in his first words, "It's really disappointing." The 57,000 spectators and TV viewers also must have felt disappointed that they could not win the match.. It was also significant that Japan was able to experience the try-saving play that French players showed on several occasions, a year before the Rugby World Cup 2023.