26 October 2024: G: Nissan Stadium (Japan) ; R: Jordan Way (RA)(Rugby Australia)
●Japan 19-64 NZ (All Blacks)○
Data:
26/10/2024, Challenge Cup 2024
Japan 19 – 64 NZ (All Blacks)
Nissan Stadium (Japan)
Half-time 12 – 43
Refree: Jordan Way (RA)(Rugby Australia)
Crowd: 60,057
JAPAN: 15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Jone Naikabula, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Nicholas Mccuran, 11 Malo Tuitama (22 Tomoki Osada 54), 10 Harumichi Tatekawa (capt) (23 Takuro Matsunaga 55), 9 Shinobu Fujiwara (21 Daiki Koyama 71), 8 Faulua Makisi(7 Kazuki Himeno 61(HIA)) , 7 Kazuki Himeno (20 Kanji Shimokawa 46), 6 Amato Fakatava, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Sanaila Waqa (19 Epineri Uluiviti 45), 3 Shuhei Takeuchi (18Opeti Helu 46), 2 Atsushi Sakate (16 Mamoru Harada 46), 1 Takato Okabe (17 Takayoshi Mohara 62).
Reserves:
HIA: 8 Faulua Makisi (7 Kazuki Himeno 52)
Coach: Eddie Jones.
Tries: Jone Naikabula, Faulua Makisi, Opeti Helu. Conversions: Harumichi Tatekawa, Takuro Matunaga; Penalty Goals: Nothing; Drop Goals: Nothing Red Cards: , Yellow Cards: Mamoru Harada (38 Dangerous play)
NZ: 15 Stephen Perofeta, 14 Sevu Reece(23 Ruben Love 59) , 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown (22 David Havili 59), 11 Mark Tele’a, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cam Roigard (21 TJ Perenara 51), 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Sam Cane (20 Peter Lakai 51), 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu (capt), 4 Sam Darry (19 Josh Lord 51), 3 Pasilio Tosi (18 Fletcher Newell 51), 2 Asafo Aumua (16 George Bell 51), 1 Tamaiti Williams (17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi 51).
Reserves:
HIA:
Coach: Scott Robertson
Tries: Mark Tele’a, Patrick Tuipulotu, Billy Proctor, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau, Pasilio Tosi, Asafo Aumua, Cam Roigard, Ruben Love(2), ; Conversions: Damian McKenzie(7) ;Penalty:; Drop Goals:.
Yellow Cards:
Scoring sequence (Japan’s score shown first): 5min-try Japan, Jone Naikabula-5-0; conv. Harumichi Tatekawa-7-0, 12min-try NZ, Mark Tele’a-7-5; conv. Damian McKenzie-7-7, 16min-try NZ, Patrick Tuipulotu-7-12; conv. Damian McKenzie-7-14, 19min- try Japan, Faulua Makisi-12-14; conv. Harumichi Tatekawa(missed)-12-14, 22min-try NZ, Billy Proctor-12-19; conv. Damian McKenzie-12-21, 25min-try NZ, Sam Cane-12-24; conv. Damian McKenzie(missed)-12-24, 31min-try NZ, Samipeni Finau-12-29; conv.Damian McKenzie(missed)-12-29, 34min-try NZ, Pasilio Tosi-12-34; conv.Damian McKenzie-12-36, 40min-try NZ, Asafo Aumua-12-41; conv.Damian McKenzie-12-43, 44min-try NZ Cam Roigard-12-48; conv.Damian McKenzie-12-50, 68min-try Japan, Opeti Helu-17-50; conv. Takuro Matsunaga-19-50,77min-try NZ, Ruben Love-19-55; conv.Damian McKenzie-19-57, 81min-try NZ, Ruben Love-19-62; conv.Damian McKenzie-19-64.
In this match, the new Eddie Japan will challenge the All Blacks for the first time. Himeno, who had been absent due to injury, returned for the first time since last year's RWC, and fullback Yazaki will only play in Japan's match against the All Blacks. The monster Opeti Helu was also called up for the first time and was on the reserves along with Toshiba's Matsunaga (utility back).
The match started with a kickoff from the New Zealand team, and as expected, the Japanese team continued to attack with super-fast attacks. No. 8 Maxi took the lead and tried to break through, biting into the New Zealand defense, and SH Fujiwara handled the ball brilliantly to make the backs run. After two minutes, they moved to the right from a ruck almost in the center of the halfway line, and Riley's pass was deflected by New Zealand, but Naikabula caught it and attracted the mark with his speed, then passed it to fullback Yazaki. Yazaki also ran vertically, and Waqa on the far outside ran alone along the line, but he knocked on the return pass and unfortunately it was not a chance. In the 5th minute, Warner caught a lineout on the right of the New Zealand 10m line and moved it to the left. Maxi, who was in the back line, cut into the New Zealand DF and made a ruck. Naikabula picked up the ball and passed it to Fujiwara on the left, who ran vertically and returned the ball to Naikabula without looking. Naikabula, who was left unmarked, ran 35m with his speed and was tackled by New Zealand's No. 10 and No. 15 at the end, but he continued his momentum and successfully grounded the ball, scoring a brilliant first goal (Tachikawa's goal was successful, making it 7-0). The Japanese national team put together a good scrum that day, making it seem like a good game, but in the 12th and 16th minutes, they allowed the New Zealand national team to make consecutive attacks in front of the Japanese goal, and in the end, several players tackled No. 11 Terea and No. 5 Tuipulotu, who were waiting on the left outside, but they were unable to stop the strong core-based rush and allowed tries in the left corner (both were successful with Mackenzie's goal, making it 7-14). However, in the 19th minute, a penalty touch kick gave Japan a lineout 7m to the left of NZ goal, and Waqa caught the ball, which was passed to Himeno and Maxi, who then approached the goal. Himeno swung to the right and charged forward, and from the ruck, Maxi was left unmarked on the left and dove into the in-goal (Tatekawa failed goal to make it 12-14).Then, in the 21st minute, when the New Zealand swung to the left from a central ruck around 10 meters from the Japanese area, Maxi made a hard tackle on No. 10 McKenzie, and Warner kicked the loose ball high into the enemy's territory, catching it just before the 22m line and running to the goal. And he shook off New Zealand's fast wing Sevu Reece and dived into the in-goal. It seemed like Japan was on the pace, but the TMO ruled that Maxi had flicked the ball forward before the tackle, and Japan was ruled a knock-on, so the try was cancelled. As if their concentration had been lost, the Japanese team allowed consecutive tries from New Zealand's consecutive attacks at the 22nd, 25th, 31st, 34th, and 40th minutes (McKenzie's two successful goals made it 12-43) and the first half ended. In any case, the New Zealand players all had strong cores, did not easily fall down or lose control of the ball, so they were able to continue their consecutive attacks without making any mistakes. The first half showed the difference between Japan and NZ, who made mistakes at close moments and missed try chances. Four minutes into the second half, New Zealand started a series of attacks from a lineout 10 meters to the right of Japan's half, and Japan were unable to stop No. 2 Aumua's charge, and No. 9 Roygard, who supported him, catched the ball to rush. Though Roygard is a scrum half, he was tackled by several Japanese players but managed to control the ball and dive into the in-goal without falling (Mackenzie's goal made it 12-50). However, from this point on, Japan seemed to wake up and show their fighting spirit. They steadily stopped New Zealand's attacks with organized defense and waited for an opportunity. In the sixth minute, Opeti Helu, who was making his first cap, was substituted for Takeuchi, and in the 15th minute, Matsunaga, also making his first cap, was substituted for Tatekawa. Immediately after that, at a ruck near the 22-meter line in the center of New Zealand's half, Fujiwara passed to Matsunaga, who then skipped Riley to pass to Yazaki, who ran alone in the space. At the end, he attracted Mackenzie and passed to Naikabula, but Mackenzie also drifted and tackled Naikabula, who was stopped at 3 meters in front of the goal. From this ruck, the Japanese national team went to get a try with phase 7, but in the end, the New Zealand national team took the ball. In the 17th minute, New Zealand attacked with a long throw from a lineout on the right 22m of the Japanese half, but Japan's No. 16 Harada picked it up and moved forward to ruck. Matsunaga received the pass from here, skipping McCarran and passing to Riley, who cut out and evaded New Zealand's CTB. He attracted New Zealand's fullback at the halfway line and passed to the unmarked Yazaki. Yazaki ran alone and crossed the 22m line, was tackled by Mackenzie at 5m to the right of the goal and was unable to score a try. In the 28th minute of the second half, Japan attacked near the 22m line in the center of New Zealand's half, and after multiple phases of attacks by the forwards and backs, Himeno was tackled and his desperate pass was disrupted, but No. 18 Opeti Heru picked it up and broke through the middle of the crowds, finding himself one-on-one with Mackenzie, but he easily stepped around and dodged him and jumped right under the goal post (Matsunaga's goal was successful, making it 19-50). He showed off his monster talent brilliantly. Japan continued to fight well after that, but in the 37th minute, New Zealand attacked Japan's side, pushed a lineout maul 5m in front of the left goal, then spread to the right, and after an effective attack with skipping passes, No. 23 Love, who had been substituted as right wing, dodged a Japanese tackle and touched down in the in-goal (Mackenzie's successful goal made it 19-57). Then, in the 41st minute, just before the end of the game, Japan launched a forceful open attack from a lineout on the right beyond their own 22m line, but the ball was dropped during a pass from Riley to Yazaki, who kicked it into their own side, but New Zealand's No. 23 Love picked it up and dived around the center of the in-goal (Mackenzie's successful goal made it 19-64), and then full time began. They will soon embark on a European tour, playing test matches against France, Uruguay, and England, and I hope they will use the lessons they learned in today's match against New Zealand to take on the challenge of ultra-fast rugby.