25 August 2024: G: BC Place Stadium (Canada) ; R: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
○Japan 55-28 Canada●
Data:
25/8/2024, Pacific Nations Cup 2024
Japan 55 – 28 Canada
BC Place Stadium (Canada)
Half-time 38 – 7
Refree: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Crowd: ---
JAPAN: 15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Jone Naikabula, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Nicholas Mccuran, 11 Malo Tuitama (23 Tomoki Osada 63), 10 Seungsin Lee (22 Harumichi Tatekawa 63), 9 Shinobu Fujiwara (21 Daiki Koyama 63 ), 8 Faulua Makisi (20 Isaiah Mapusua 54), 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 6 Tiennan Costley, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Sanaila Waqa (19 Eisin Kuawno 65), 3 Keijiro Tamefusa (18 Shuhei Takeuchi 47), 2 Atsushi Sakate (capt) (16 Mamoru Harada 47), 1 Shogo Miura (17 Takayoshi Mohara 47).
Reserves:
HIA:
Coach: Eddie Jones.
Tries: Malo Tuitama, Warner Dearns (2), Kanji Shimokawa, Dylan Riley, Seungsin Lee, Jone Naikabula, Tomoki Osada ; Conversions: Seungsin Lee (6); Penalty Goals: Seungsin Lee ; Drop Goals: Nothing
Red Cards: , Yellow Cards:
Canada: 15 Cooper Coats (23 Takoda McMullin 60), 14 Andrew Coe (22 Mark Balaski 69), 13 Ben LeSage, 12 Talon McMullin, 11 Nic Benn, 10 Peter Nelson, 9 Jason Higgins (21 Brock Gallagher 71), 8 (c) Lucas Rumball, 7 Ethan Fryer (20 Matthew Owuru 65), 6 Mason Flesch, 5 Kaden Duguid, 4 Izzak Kelly (19 James Stockwood 63), 3 Conor Young (18 Cole Keith 57), 2 Andrew Quattrin (16 Dewald Kotze 57), 1 Calixto Martinez (17 Djustice Sears-Duru 57).
Reserves: ZE
HIA:
Coach: Gonzalo Quesada
Tries: Andrew Coe, Lucas Rumball, Talon McMullin, Takoda McMullin ; Conversions: Peter Nelson (4) ;Penalty Goals: ;
Yellow Cards:
Scoring sequence (Japan’s score shown first): 4min-try Japan, Malo Tuitama-5-0; conv. Seungsin Lee-7-0, 7min-try Japan, Warner Dearns-12-0; conv. Seungsin Lee-14-0, 22min-try Japan, Kanji Shimokawa-19-0; conv. Seungsin Lee-21-0, 26min-pg Japan, Seungsin Lee-24-0, 28min-try Japan, Warner Dearns-29-0; conv. Seungsin Lee-31-0, 30min-try Japan, Dylan Riley-36-0 ; conv. Seungsin Lee-38-0, 37min-try Canada, Andrew Coe-38-5 ; conv. Peter Nelson-38-7, 43min-try Japan, Seungsin Lee-43-7; conv. Seungsin Lee-45-7, 45min-try Canada, Lucas Rumball-45-12 ; conv. Peter Nelson-45-14, 50min-try Canada, Talon McMullin-45-19 ; conv. Peter Nelson-45-21, 68min-try Japan, Jone Naikabula-50-21 ; conv. Harumichi Tatekawa(missed)-50-21, 80min-try Canada Takoda McMullin-50-26 ; conv. Peter Nelson-50-28, 80+1min-try Japan, Tomoki Osada-55-28; conv. Harumichi Tatekawa(missed)-55-28.
New members have been actively used in the past, but this time, WTB Maro Tuitama and CTB Nicholas McCarran, who are making their national team debut, started in the lineup, and FW Isaiah Mapusua was in the reserves. The game captain was No. 2 Sakate, who was a starter for the first time in a while (the expedition captain was Tachikawa).
The match started with a kickoff from the Canadian team, and the Japanese team dominated the ball with their super-fast rugby engines at full throttle, repeating phases. In the fourth minute, they moved to the left in front of the Canadian goal, and a return pass was made from SO Lee to No. 11 Tuitama, who was following inside, and Tuitama immediately scored the opening try in his national team debut (Lee's goal made it 7-0). Japan again used super-fast rugby to approach the left of the Canadian goal, and No. 5 Warner this time made a forceful vertical rush to score a try (Lee's goal made it 14-0). In the 22nd minute, Tuitama broke through the ruck side in the midfield, and from the ruck that had made a large gain, fullback Yazaki made a good run, passing the ball to no marked No. 7 Shimokawa for a try (21-0 with a goal from Lee). After Lee's penalty goal (24-0) in the 26th minute, No. 5 Warner carried the ball from a ruck in a series of attacks in the midfield in the 28th minute, using his impressive speed to shake off the Canadian DF and score a try (31-0 with a successful goal from Lee). Then, in the 30th minute, in a left development in their own half, Costley didn't make a pass to open the space as he had done many times before, and No. 12 McCarran, who ran vertically, received the pass and broke through, running into the Canadian half. No. 13 Riley, who was following on the right, received the pass as no mark and made a quick run to score a try (38-0 with a successful goal from Lee).
Japan and Canada played out hard-fought draws in RWC 2007 and 2011, and a close 26-22 match in 2016, and so it's hard for us not to feel keenly how far the gap has grown.
However, it became a one-sided game, and Japan's play was starting to get a little looser and Japan dropped the ball during an attack, which was picked up by Canada, who kicked it into the in-goal and scored a try by No. 14 Koh (Nelson's goal, No. 10) for 38-7. The first half ended after that, but it was a little disappointing end to a game of great rugby.
Three minutes into the second half, Warner broke through the ruck side, and Shimokawa, who received an offload pass, ran alone and created a ruck in front of the goal, which Lee picked up and scored a try right under the goal post (Lee's goal for 45-7). Just when it seemed like the second half would be one-sided again, five minutes into the game, the Japanese team made a mistake in the kickoff and the ball entered their own territory, and they were finally pinned in front of the goal, allowing Canada's No. 8 Runball to score a try (Nelson's goal for 45-14). Then, 10 minutes into the second half, Canada's No. 2 carried the ball from a lineout on the right 22m line of the Japanese side, and No. 12 McMullin ran vertically and ran through the in-goal for a try (Nelson's goal for 45-21). This seemed to wake up the Japanese team, and their awareness improved, and they continued to stop Canada's attacks with tackles, resulting in a stalemate. Then, in the 28th minute of the second half, substitute No. 23 Osada ran backwards to catch a kick from Canada's No. 10, which was kicked straight into the Japanese half from within the 22m line, and passed it to No. 14 Naikabula, who had space in front of him. Naikabula used his natural speed to shake off the Canadian defenders who were chasing him and ran more than 60m to score a try (Tachikawa's missed goal made it 50-21). After that, the game was again in a stalemate, but Japan's attack from a lineout by No. 7 Shimokawa, who tried to peel off his opponent, was judged to have no connection to the ball, and a penalty kick was awarded. After that Canada kicked touch kick to enter Japan area, the Canadians were back on the pace, and after 13 phases, the Canadian team attacked in front of the Japanese goal, and in the 40th minute, No. 23 McMullin brilliantly suppressed No. 10 Nelson's punt into the in-goal for a try (it was a close call, but the try was allowed after the TMO's decision. Nelson's goal made it 50-28). After the game resumed, the whistle was called immediately to end the game, but Canada continued to attack in search of a try. A pass was made to the right from a ruck in the center of their own half, but Japan's No. 23 Osada read it and intercepted it, leading to a try (Tachikawa's missed goal made it 55-28). The game then went to full time.
Looking back, Japan's super-fast rugby was very effective in the early stages, and it was enough to tire out the Canadian team, allowing them to score tries without letting them do anything. However, if their play becomes light and they make mistakes, the opponent will take advantage of that and counterattack, and if they are able to score a try in their own way, they will regain their energy and take the momentum. After all, the ironclad rule of victory in rugby is to avoid making mistakes and fouls. I hope that in the future, Japan will continue to hone their super-fast rugby and work hard to become a perfect Japanese team that does not make mistakes or fouls.