13 July 2024: G: Yurtec Stadium(Sendai) ; R: Andrea Piardi (IRFU)
●Japan 23-25 Georgia○
Data:
13/7/2024, Challenge Cup 2024
Japan 23 – 25 Georgia
Yurtec Stadium Sendai, Japan
Half-time 13 – 18
Refree: Andrea Piardi (IRFU)
Crowd: 15,903
JAPAN: 15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Jone Naikabula (23 Koga Nezuka 68), 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Samisoni Tua,11 Tomoki Osada, 10 Seungsin Lee (22 Takuya Yamasawa 65), 9 Naoto Saito (21 Daiki Koyama 68 ),8 Tevita Tataf (19 Sanaila Waqa 48), 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 6 Faulua Makisi, 5 Warner Dearns (20 Tiennan Costley 65), 4 Michael Leitch (capt), 3 Shuhei Takeuchi (18 Keijiro Tamefusa 75), 2 Mamoru Harada (16 Atsushi Sakate 65), 1 Takayoshi Mohara (17 Takato Okabe 48).
Reserves:
HIA:
Coach: Eddie Jones.
Tries: Jone Naikabula, Tomoki Osada; Conversions: Seungsin Lee (2); Penalty Goals: Seungsin Lee(3); Drop Goals:
Red Cards: Kanji Shimokawa(Dangerous Play), Yellow Cards: Sanaila Waqa
GEORGIA: 15 DAVIT NINIASHVILI, 14 AKAKI TABUTSADZE, 13 DEMURI TAPLADZE, 12 GIORGI KVESELADZE, 11 ALEXANDER TODUA, 10 LUKA MATKAVA, 9 MIKHEIL ALANIA (22 VASIL LOBZHANIDZE 47), 8 (c) BEKA GORGADZE, 7 BEKA SAGINADZDE (21 TORNIKE JALAGONIA 65), 6 GIORGI TSUTSKIRIDZE (20 LUKA IVANISHVILI 47) , 5 GIORGI JAVAKHIA, 4 VLADIMER CHACHANIDZE (19 MIKHEIL BABUNASHVILI 56), 3 IRAKLI APTSIAURI (18 LUKA GOGINAVA 69), 2 VANO KARKADZE (16 LUKA NIORADZE 56), 1 GIORGI AKHALADZE (17 LUKA GOGINAVA 50).
Reserves: 23 TEDO ABZHANDADZE
HIA:
Coach: Richard Cockerill
Tries: VANO KARKADZE, MIKHEIL ALANIA, GIORGI JAVAKHIA; Conversions: LUKA MATKAVA (2),Penalty Goals: LUKA MATKAVA (2)
Yellow Cards: 12 GIORGI KVESELADZE (Repeated foul play)
Scoring sequence (Japan’s score shown first): 3min-try Japan, Jone Naikabula -5-0; conv. Seungsin Lee -7-0, 9min-pg Georgia, LUKA MATKAVA-7-3, 12min-pg Georgia, LUKA MATKAVA-7-6, 17min-pg Japan, Seungsin Lee-10-6, 20min-try Georgia, VANO KARKADZE-10-11; conv. LUKA MATKAVA(missed). 17min-pg Japan, Seungsin-13-11, 28min-try Georgia, MIKHEIL ALANIA-13-16; conv. LUKA MATKAVA-13-18, 52min-pg Japan, Seungsin Lee (missed), 56 min-pg Japan, Seungsin Lee-16-18, 24 min-try Japan, Tomoki Osada-21-18; conv. Seungsin-23-18, 74min-try Georgia, MIKHEIL ALANIA-23-23; conv. LUKA MATKAVA-23-25.
Last Saturday, the 6th, Japan won the Maori All Blacks 26-14 victory, with their superior scrum and lineout performances and their new members exceeding expectations. Japanese rugby officials are excited to see how they will fight and win against Georgia, the kingdom of scrums.
Right after the kickoff, they approached the Georgia goal, playing ultra-fast rugby with 12 phases. And No. 9 Saito floated the pass to No.14 Naikabula who ran from the back area of scrum to the right, and Naikabula broke through the Georgia defense with the faster momentum and jumped into the in-goal finally (Lee's successful goal made it 7-0). Aiming for victory, Georgia faced the Japanese national team and got a penalty kick with a jackal at a ruck with the Japanese ball in their own territory, and entered the Japanese territory with a touch kick. Instead of the usual FW-only attack, they used a continuous attack that included the BKs to induce fouls from Japan. No. 10 Matkava scored penalty goals in the 9th and 12th minutes to hang on (7-6). The second penalty kick was about 50 meters, and the kick was also world-class. Japan also scored a penalty kick in the 17th minute with Lee (10-6). The game was tight with both teams' feelings clashing, but in the 20th minute, trouble occurred during the ball scramble at the ruck for the Japanese ball.
Japan's No. 7 Shimokawa grabbed Georgia's No. 2's upper body and tripped No.2 to try to peel him off, but in the process, the opponent's foot under the knee was trapped, and a yellow card was issued for dangerous play (a red card was issued 8 minutes later as a result of the Foul Play Review Official (FPRO)). Georgia then kicked the penalty kick to touch 5m to the left of the Japanese goal, and showed a furious push in the lineout maul, with No. 2 Karkaze finally scoring a try (No. 10 Matkava's goal failed, making it 10-11). Japan would have to fight for the next 60 minutes with one man down. Japan managed to hang on, and in the 25th minute, they pushed through the scrum and won a penalty kick, and Li scored a penalty goal to turn the game around (13-11). However, in the 28th minute, Georgia showed their tenacity by making a bold move with their backs to penetrate deep into the Japanese half, and showed a continuous attack with the forwards and backs working together, and finally No. 9 Alania, who approached the forward who made a vertical run, scored a try (Matkava's goal made it 13-18), turning the game around again. After that, the Japanese team continued to attack aggressively, but they also had problems with numbers, and the scrum was pushed back and they gave up a penalty kick. On the other hand, Japan also got a penalty kick for Georgia collapsing , but they did not get a try chance and the first half ended.
In the second half, the Japanese team changed their mindset and played with a unified will, and when they had the ball in the scrum, they put their blind wingers in the blind flanker position, stabilizing their possession of the ball and playing super-fast rugby. When the opponent had the ball in the scrum, they were forced to play with seven players, which led to them being pushed back and giving up penalties, but in other plays, they continued to play without feeling outnumbered. In the 12th minute, just before the 10m line in the center of Georgia's half, Lee tried to score a penalty goal obtained by the opponent's foul, but failed. However, the morale of the Japanese team did not drop and they continued to attack boldly. Then, in the 16th minute, Lee kicked a penalty goal from 15m in front of the opponent's goal, almost in the center (16-18). In the 19th minute of the second half, a super-fast attack with runs by Yazaki and Lee entered Georgia's half, and Saito kicked a short punt behind the ruck on the left 22m line, and Tua picked it up and tried to put it into the in-goal, but he was hit by Georgia's strong defense and was unable to ground it. During this series of attacks, Georgia's No. 12 was temporarily sent off with a yellow card for a high tackle. With no longer a numerical disadvantage, Japan went on the offensive. They pinned Georgia in front of the goal and aimed for a try, but Georgia's defense was also very tough and they had a hard time reaching the in-goal. In the 24th minute, Japan continued their tenacious super-fast attack and approached Georgia's goal, and after repeated vertical runs by their forwards, they finally decided that the Georgian defense was concentrated in the center, and SH Saito made CTB Tua run, and from the ruck, he skipped one player to the left and passed the ball to the free WTB Osada, who went around the in-goal and scored a try (23-18 with Lee's goal), turning the game around.
However, the tide turned when Japan's scrum collapsed in the 28th minute, and Georgia continued to attack after a touch kick got in front of the Japanese goal. Japan continued to hold off with all their tackles, but in the 32nd minute of the second half, after Georgia had returned to 15 players, No. 19 Waqa received a yellow card for a deliberate foul in front of the Japanese goal. For the remaining 8 minutes, Japan had to defend against the attacks of Georgia's 15 players with only 13 players. Then, in the 34th minute, Georgia approached the Japanese goal, and No. 5 Javahia jumped over the ruck to squeeze the ball into the in-goal for a try. They also scored a goal and turned the game around (Matkava's goal made it 23-25). Japan also tried to turn the game around with all 13 players' determination for the remaining 5 minutes, but the kickoff was direct, and the passes did not connect in the right situations, and the game ended.
We wish they could play as 15 vs 15 members for 80 minutes, as this was a test match to gain valuable experience. Last year, high tackles resulted in excessive yellow cards, but this year, crocodile rolls at the breakdown (hitting the upper body of an opponent coming at you with a jackal and rolling your body over them to knock them off; however, this play is now subject to cards as it has a high potential for causing serious leg injuries) will likely result in many cards.
I hope that Japan's players will keep this in mind and play with an eye to never committing this foul. I also hope that many young players will gain valuable test match experience and become the core of the Japan team. I look forward to seeing a Japan team that has grown significantly in the test matches against New Zealand, England, and France this autumn.