Five-try All Blacks XV cruise to comfortable victory over Japan XV in Tokyo

The All Blacks XV got their two-match series against the Japan XV off to a fantastic start when they sealed a 38-6 win over their hosts at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a comfortable victory for the visitors who dominated for long periods, especially in the second half as they scored 27 unanswered points during that period after holding an 11-6 lead at half-time.

Fly-half Stephen Perofeta led the way for the All Blacks XV as he scored 16 points courtesy of a try, a conversion and three penalties.  Their other points came via tries from Jack Goodhue, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Alex Nankivell and Folau Fakatava, while Brett Cameron also added a conversion.

For the Japan XV, Rikiya Matsuda succeeded with a couple of penalties.

The home side were fastest out of the blocks when Matsuda opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Perofeta crossed for the All Blacks XV’s first try 10 minutes later, after Christian Lio-Willie laid the groundwork with a powerful run in the build-up off the back of a scrum.

Perofeta was off target with the conversion attempt but then traded penalties with Matsuda which meant the visitors held a slender 8-6 lead midway through the half.

The rest of the half saw All Blacks XV upping the ante on attack but another Perofeta three-pointer off the kicking tee was their only reward before the teams changed sides at the interval.

Full time here in Tokyo!

Arigato gozaimasu 🖤 pic.twitter.com/mPOb16yV1B

― AllBlacksXV (@AllBlacksXV) July 8, 2023

The second half saw Perofeta adding another penalty before Goodhue crossed for a converted try in the 54th minute which gave his side a 21-6 lead.

The next 10 minutes saw the visitors continuing with their dominance and during that period Nanai-Seturo and Nankivell also dotted down, although Cameron failed with both conversion attempts.

Despite having the match in the bag, the All Blacks XV did not take their foot off the pedal and just before full-time Fakatava also crossed the whitewash, with Cameron adding the extras to seal an emphatic win for the New Zealand outfit.

Damian McKenzie stars as tourists ease past Ireland 'A'

Shaun Stevenson scored two tries as the All Blacks XV comfortably beat Ireland ‘A’ 47-19 in an entertaining match at the RDS on Friday.

It was a result that saw the tourists cross seven times as Brodie McAlister, Ruben Love, Braydon Ennor, AJ Lam and Damian McKenzie also scored.

McKenzie added six conversions as Leon MacDonald’s men showed their class in possession in Dublin, with Ireland ‘A’ struggling with the visitors.

Ireland ‘A’s try-scorers were Ciaran Frawley, Marty Moore and Max Deegan, with Frawley and Jack Crowley slotting a conversion apiece on the night.

All Blacks XV dominated the game

Stevenson would open the scoring on 12 minutes after a perfectly weighted cross-kick from McKenzie found the wing, who beat Craig Casey in the air before racing over.  McKenzie would add the extras and the All Blacks XV had got the scoreboard moving.

The visitors would cross again on 21 minutes after opting to go for the corner, hooker McAlister finding his way to the try-line via the back of the maul.

Five minutes later they were over again, this time from a loose Irish lineout downfield as McKenzie raced clear before Love found Stevenson for 19-0.

Ireland ‘A’ did have something to cling to though going into the break as a lovely passage of handling led to Frawley crashing over just before half-time.

However, their joy was short-lived once the game restarted after the break when Stevenson turned provider for Love to make it 26-7 after 42 minutes.

Ennor would be the All Blacks XV’s next to cross the try-line 12 minutes later, but Ireland would hit back through replacement Moore from a metre out.

McKenzie picked up a deserved try

MacDonald’s side would regroup though and further scores from Lam and the impressive McKenzie on the 61st and 72nd minute took them 47-12 up.

Ireland ‘A’ did have the final say again before the whistle, however, as a moment of offloading magic from wing Calvin Nash led to back-row Deegan going over late on, with Crowley kicking the extra two points on a night that belonged to a slick All Blacks XV side.