21 September 2024: G: Hanazono Rugby Stadium (Japan) ; R: Nic Berry (RA)(Rugby Australia)
●Japan 17-41 Fiji○
Data:
21/9/2024, Pacific Nations Cup 2024
Japan 17 – 41 Fiji
Hnazono Rugby Stadium (Japan)
Half-time 10 – 10
Refree: Nic Berry (RA)(Rugby Australia)
Crowd: 14,437
JAPAN: 15 Seungsin Lee, 14 Tomoki Osada, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Nicholas Mccuran (22 Yusuke Kajimura 61), 11 Malo Tuitama , 10 Harumichi Tatekawa (capt) (23 Junta Hamano 52), 9 Shinobu Fujiwara (21 Daiki Koyama 54), 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Kanji Shimokawa (20 Tiennan Costley 61), 6 Amato Fakatava, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Epineri Uluiviti (19 Isaiah Mapusua 54), 3 Shuhei Takeuchi (18 Keijiro Tamefusa 46), 2 Mamoru Harada (16 Kenta Matsuoka 69), 1 Shogo Miura (17 Takato Okabe 46).
Reserves:
HIA:
Coach: Eddie Jones.
Tries: Dylan Riley, Malo Tuitama. Conversions: Seungsin Lee (2); Penalty Goals: Seungsin Lee; Drop Goals: Nothing
Red Cards: , Yellow Cards: Mamoru Harada (38 Dangerous play)
Fiji: 15 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 14 Vuate Karawalevu, 13 Iosefo Baleiwairiki (22 Apisalome Vota 32), 12 Inia Tabuavou, 11 Ilaisa Droasese (23 Ponipate Loganimasi 57), 10 Caleb Muntz, 9 Frank Lomani (21 Peni Matawalu 71), 8 Elia Canakaivata (20 Albert Tuisue 63), 7 Kitione Salawa (20 Albert Tuisue 28-32,8 Elia Canakaivata 76-80), 6 Meli Derenalagi, 5 Temo Mayanavanua (19 Mesake Vocevoce 57), 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 3 Samuela Tawake (18 Meli Tuni 68), 2 Tevita Ikanivere (capt) (16 Mesulame Dolokoto 71), 1 Eroni Mawi (17 Haereiti Hetet 57).
Reserves:
HIA:
Coach: Vern Cotter
Tries: Vuate Karawalevu (2), Ponipate Loganimasi (2), Albert Tuisue; Conversions: Caleb Muntz (5) ;Penalty: Caleb Muntz (2); Drop Goals:.
Yellow Cards:
Scoring sequence (Japan’s score shown first): 7min-pg Japan, Seungsin Lee-3-0, 10min-pg Fiji, Caleb Muntz-3-3, 20min- try Japan, Dylan Riley-8-3; conv. Seungsin Lee-10-3, 32min-try Fiji, Vuate Karawalevu-10-8; conv. Caleb Muntz-10-10, 46min-pg Fiji, Caleb Muntz-10-13, 59min-try Fiji, Ponipate Loganimasi-10-18; conv. Caleb Muntz-10-20, 67min-try Fiji, Albert Tuisue-10-25; conv. Caleb Muntz-10-27, 70min-try Fiji, Vuate Karawalevu-10-32; conv. Caleb Muntz-10-34, 75min-try Fiji, Ponipate Loganimasi-10-39; conv. Caleb Muntz-10-41, 78min-try Japan, Malo Tuitama-15-41; conv. Seungsin Lee-17-41.
The Japanese national team has been significantly rejuvenated under Head Coach Eddie, but the Fiji national team has also replaced many members from last year's RWC2024 France best eight members. Will the super-fast rugby that is beginning to bear fruit tire out the Fiji national team and play at the Japanese national team's pace? If the high talented Fiji national team does whatever they want, an exhausted Japan may suffer a one-sided game. I hope that they will tire out Fiji and win with a strategy that allows Japan to continue its pace centered around captain Tatekawa.
Fiji kicks off the game. The ball kicked into the far right crosses the 22m line, and Japan's fullback Lee makes a fair catch without hesitation and cuts back with a brilliant touch kick that crosses the halfway line. Fiji secures a lineout 10m in front of their own right line and advances with a maul, then launches successive attacks and repeats the phase. Japan also holds off well with all of them, mainly using well-coordinated double tackles, and invites knock-ons and penalties from the opponent. When Fiji knocked on, they launched a bold counter attack, and from the penalty touch lineout, they played a bold, continuous, super-fast rugby, creating a chance to score a try, but they made mistakes such as knocking on. Then, everyone was paying attention to how they would deal with Fiji's powerful scrum, which had upset the United States in the semi-finals, but in the 5th minute, in front of the Fiji goal, Fiji had the first scrum. Fiji wanted to push over the scrum and get a penalty, but Japan's scrum did not move at all. Japan's aggressive consecutive attacks invited a penalty from Fiji, and in the 7th minute, Lee easily scored a penalty goal in the center of the 22m line (3-0). After that, Fiji launched consecutive attacks, and Japan held off with a well-coordinated DF, but in the 10th minute, Japan was penalized for over-the-top foul 30m into the Japanese half, and Fiji's No. 10 Mantu successfully scored a penalty goal (3-3). It was the final, and both teams were aiming for victory and were aiming for a sure score. After that, Fiji launched aggressive attacks, but Japan held them off with well-coordinated defense, and when they stole the ball, they launched aggressive counter attacks. Then, in the 20th minute, Japan started a scrum on the right just before the halfway line, with No. 9 Fujiwara taking the ball to the left and passing shallowly to No. 10 Tachikawa, who passed the ball over the gain line to No. 13 Riley. Riley read the Fiji defense, which was slightly overlapping, and ran inside, dodging three players, and saw the backup of Fiji's fullback and wing, and raised a short punt. This was a perfect try that got into Riley's pocket in front of the goal and jumped into the in-goal (Lee's goal made it 10-3). With confidence, the Japanese team launched even more aggressive and super-fast attacks. Even during Fiji's counter-attack, persistent defense induced Fiji to make mistakes and did not allow a try. In the 31st minute, it looked like Fiji had scored a try from consecutive attacks in front of the Japanese goal, but the TMO checked and there was a knock-on, so the try was cancelled. In the 32nd minute, Fiji spread out from a lineout on the left beyond the halfway line to the right, but Japan's No. 11 Tuitama brilliantly intercepted a pass from the CTB to the FB, and moved forward despite being caught by the DF. However, from that ruck, Tachikawa checked the space behind and made a grubber kick, but it hit the Fiji DF and bounced back. Samoa's No. 12 Tavuavu kicked the loose ball forward, and it went into the chest of No. 14 Kalawalevu, who shook off the backing up Osada and jumped into the in-goal (Mantu's goal made it 10-10). Japan continued to show no signs of flinching, and showed aggressive attacks such as Lee's counter attack. Fiji also showed a spread attack, and their fast players on the outside posed a threat to Japan. Then, in the 38th minute, Harada's tackle on Fiji's No. 10 Mantu was deemed high and dangerous, and a yellow card was issued (FPRO applied). With 14 men, Japan was able to defend to the end of the first half, with No5 Warner stealing the ball from the opponent's lineout and all the players in the DF working together to unify their focus. The second half began with a kick-off from Japan (Lee). Japan would do whatever it took to keep the score at zero until Harada returned after the seventh minute. Fiji pushed from the scrum, and when they earned a penalty kick, they kicked for touch to penetrate deep into the Japanese half. In the sixth minute, Fiji appeared to have scored a try in the right corner with a series of attacks, but the TMO ruled that there had been obstruction during the previous backs attack, and the try was not allowed. Japan then withstood Fiji's aggressive attacks with disciplined tackles, and in the 8th minute, Harada returned to the field. In the 12th minute, Hamano, who was making his first cap of the day, substituded for Tachikawa (Li at SO, Tuitama at FB, and Hamano at WTB). However, because the second player was slow to approach the point, Japan began to get jackaled several times. In the 16th minute, Fiji took the lead for the first time with a penalty kick from No. 10 Mantu, just beyond the 10m line. (10-13). The Japanese national team was determined to get the next point, but they started to make mistakes little by little in the connections between the forwards and backs. In the 19th minute, the Fiji backs won consecutive rucks near the center of the Japanese 22m line, and No. 23 Longanimasi ran through the in-goal at high speed (Mantu's goal made it 10-20). In the 21st minute, in an attempt to change the flow of the game, No. 20 Costley (substitute for Shimokawa) and No. 22 Kajimura (substitute for McCarran) were brought in to replace the ball. In the 23rd minute, Japan earned a penalty kick for a foul and Lee kicked the ball beyond the 22m line to the right of the Fiji line, resulting in a lineout. However, the long throw failed, and Fiji kicked the ball from their own half to the left of the Japanese line, making the score 50-22. Japan's disciplined defense withstood the consecutive attacks from Fiji's lineout. However, it was only five days after the fierce battle with Samoa in the semi-final, and the Japanese players began to show signs of fatigue. Then, in the 27th minute, Fiji launched a consecutive attack from a sign play at a lineout beyond the 22m line to the left of the Japanese line, and in the end, they were pressed in front of the goal and scored a goal by No. 20 Teisue (10-27 with a goal from Mantu). Still not giving up, the Japanese team had Tuitama and Riley boldly charged forward to create chances, but they made mistakes at the most crucial moment. Fiji scored a try in the 30th minute, as if they could score if they swung it wide (10-34 thanks to a goal from Mantu). Japan did not give up, and Fakatava and Kajimura made strong charges, but made mistakes and did not get a chance. Then in the 35th minute, after successive attacks, No. 23 Longanimasi broke through the ruck side and scored a solo try (10-41 thanks to a successful goal from Mantu). Japan continued to fight until the end, and in the 38th minute, Warner caught a lineout on the right of the halfway line, pushed the maul, and then moved left. Riley passed it to Tuitama, who ran all the way into the in-goal (17-41 thanks to a goal from Li). Japan kept trying to get a try until the end, but the game ended like this.
Japan's super-fast rugby, which worked quite well against Samoa, proved to be insufficient against Fiji. And the reality that you can never win with one-on-one speed will probably continue forever. If we want to get into the top 8 in the RWC, we have to be able to fight Fiji for more than 5 minutes. To do that, we need to reduce mistakes to the minimum. Every mistake in the second half led to a big chance for Fiji. We look forward to the Japanese national team raising the level of their ultra-fast rugby and defeating strong countries without making any mistakes.