Canada 7 Japan 39

In the third-place play-off in the Pacific Rim Championship, Japan thrashed Canada 39-7 at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo.

A year ago, at Markham in Canada, Canada thrashed Japan 62-18.  This Tokyo result is a remarkable turn-around.

In the semi-finals Japan had been thumped 47-8 by Samoa, which made this victory over Canada all the sweeter.  In their semi-final Canada had been well beaten by Fiji, 52-23.

Japan were simply too fast and too skilful for the Canadians.  They scored five tries to one.

Wing Toru Kurihara scored two tries and Yuya Saito, Hideki Namba and Luatangi Vatuvei scored one each.  Kurihara added another 14 points with the boot.  Phil Murphy, the Canadian No.8, scored his team's only try.

The teams:

Canada:  1 Rod Snow, 2 Harry Toews, 3 Kevin Wirachowski, 4 Ron Johnstone, 5 Ed Knaggs, 6 Brad Major, 7 Colin Yukes, 8 Phil Murphy, 9 Morgan Williams, 10 Bobby Ross, 11 Jeremy Cordle, 12 John Cannon, 13 Shane Thompson, 14 Sean Fauth, 15 Jeff Williams
Reserves:  Ryan Banks, Garth Cooke, Mike Danskin, Pat Dunkley, Kyle Nichols, Kevin Tkachuk

Japan:  1 Shin Hasegawa, 2 Masaaki Sakata, 3 Ryo Yamamura, 4 L. Vatuvei, 5 Hiroyuki Tanuma, 6 Kouichi Kubo, 7 Yuya Saito, 8 Takeomi Ito, 9 Yuji Sonoda, 10 Syotaro Oonishi, 11 Toru Kurihara, 12 Yukio Motoki, 13 Hideki Nanba, 14 Terunori Masuho, 15 Hirotoki Onozowa
Reserves:  Sinichi Tsukida

Referee:  Aiolupotea a.

Points Scorers:

Canada
Tries:  Murphy P. 1
Conv:  Ross R.P. 1

Japan
Tries:  Vatuvei 1, Kurihara T. 2, Nanba H. 1, Saito Y. 1
Conv:  Kurihara T. 4
Pen K.:  Kurihara T. 2