Wales pain ends with first victory since Rugby World Cup after Japan win

Wales ended almost two years of pain and claimed their first victory since the 2023 Rugby World Cup by securing a 31-22 triumph over Japan on Saturday.

They have gone on a run of 18 consecutive defeats, including last weekend’s reversal against the Brave Blossoms, but that anguish was finally over in Kobe.

The visitors were excellent in the first half, going 21-3 ahead through Josh Adams’ try and Kieran Hardy’s brace, but they had to withstand another Japanese fightback.

Shuhei Takeuchi, Warner Dearns and Dylan Riley all touched down to reduce the arrears to two points.  However, Wales would not be denied this time as Dan Edwards made sure of a victory which brought some positivity back to Welsh rugby.

Confidence must have been low in the Welsh camp after their latest dispiriting defeat, but it did not show in the opening period of the second Test.

Like they did in the opener, Matt Sherratt’s men began the match impressively and showed real intent with ball in hand.

In the first 10 minutes, Wales showed their willingness to shift the ball wide as off a turnover Ben Thomas received the ball, made a half-break and sent Blair Murray scampering clear.  The full-back then drew the final defender and enabled Adams to cross the whitewash.

Although the Brave Blossoms reduced the arrears with a Lee penalty, the visitors were creating the majority of the chances, while their maul was also working effectively.

A couple of dominant drives took them to within metres of the line and Hardy was on hand to reward their pressure by touching down.

With their opponents down to 14 men, Wales then went over for a third time as Adams made the break and found his scrum-half, who completed his brace.

Last week, Sherratt’s side moved found themselves in a dominant position before faltering in the second period and a try just shy of the interval from Takeuchi would have increased those fears of it happening again.

The start of the final 40 minutes was promising, however, as the visitors controlled the game and earned a penalty which Edwards kicked to move them 14 points ahead.

But, perhaps understandably, the Welsh players went into their shells and Japan came back into the contest, getting themselves over the line through Dearns.

Riley soon followed and just two points separated the teams going into the latter stages.  Worries of a 19th successive defeat would have crept into their minds but Wales showed impressive composure to get back on the front foot and get over for match-sealing try when Edwards dotted down to end almost two years of Welsh misery.

The teams

Japan:  15 Ichigo Nakakusu, 14 Kippei Ishida, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Shogo Nakano, 11 Halatoa Vailea, 10 Lee Seungsin, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Jack Cornelsen, 6 Michael Leitch (c), 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Epineri Uluiviti, 3 Keijiro Tamefusa, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Yota Kamimori
Replacements:  16 Hayate Era, 17 Sena Kimura, 18 Shuhei Takeuchi, 19 Waisake Raratubua, 20 Ben Gunter, 21 Shinobu Fujiwara, 22 Sam Greene, 23 Kazuma Ueda

Wales:  15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Josh Macleod, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Freddie Thomas, 3.Archie Griffin, 2 Dewi Lake (c), 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements:  16 Liam Belcher, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Christian Coleman, 19 James Ratti, 20 Taine Plumtree, 21 Tommy Reffell, 22 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 23 Keelan Giles

Referee:  Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant referees:  Karl Dickson (RFU), Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO:  Glenn Newman (NZR)
FPRO:  Ian Tempest (RFU)

Wales' misery continues as Japan condemns them to 18th successive loss

Japan made an outstanding start to their two-Test series against Wales when they clinched a 24-19 triumph in their first clash in Kitakyushu on Saturday.

The result is a momentous one for the Brave Blossoms as it is only their second-ever win in 15 matches against Wales and their first triumph in this fixture since 2013.

Japan‘s head coach Eddie Jones, who also masterminded that win in Tokyo, will be delighted that his side managed to repeat that feat and will be full of confidence ahead of next weekend’s second Test in Kobe.

Meanwhile, Wales‘ horrific run at international level continues as they have now lost a record 18 Tests in a row and they only have themselves to blame for this defeat as they held a 19-7 lead at half-time.

Japan launched a stunning comeback in the second half, however, and were deserved winners in the end.

Both sides scored three tries apiece with Takuro Matsunaga, Ichigo Nakakusu and Halatoa Vailea crossing the whitewash for the home side while Seungsin Lee finished with nine-point contribution after succeeding with three conversions and a penalty.

For the visitors, Ben Thomas and Tom Rogers dotted down while they were also awarded a penalty try while Sam Costelow added a conversion.

Wales were fastest out of the blocks and opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute when they won possession at a lineout deep inside Brave Blossoms territory.

From the set-piece, Taulupe Faletau launched an attack and drew in a couple of defenders before offloading to the on-rushing Thomas, who crashed over for a deserved try.

Costelow added the extras before Japan struck back in the 16th minute when Matsunaga crossed for his five-pointer after excellent work from Kippei Ishida in the build-up.

Midway through the half, Wales extended their lead courtesy of a penalty try after Ichigo Nakakusu deliberately slapped the ball out of Josh Adams’ hands close to Japan’s try-line and Nakakusu was also yellow carded for his indiscretion.

Two minutes later, Rogers got over for his try after finding himself in space down the left-hand touchline and showing the defence a clean pair of heels with a blistering run before dotting down.

The rest of the half was characterised by plenty of thrilling action but neither side managed to score further points until half-time.

The second half was a completely different story as the Brave Blossoms soon took control of proceedings and they were rewarded in the 59th minute when Nakakusu crossed in the left-hand corner.

Lee added the extras and slotted a penalty five minutes later which meant the match was evenly poised with Wales holding a slender 19-17 lead.

Japan continued to attack as the half progressed and in the 70th minute they went ahead when Vailea crossed for his converted try off the back of a maul deep inside the visitors 22.

That gave the hosts the lead for the first time in the match and although Wales tried desperately to strike back in the game’s closing stages, it wasn’t to be as the Brave Blossoms held for a deserved victory.

The teams

Japan:  15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Kippei Ishida, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Shogo Nakano, 11 Malo Tuitama, 10 Seungsin Lee, 9 Shinobu Fujiwara, 8 Amato Fakatava, 7 Jack Cornelsen, 6 Michael Leitch (c), 5 Warner Deans, 4 Epineri Uluiviti, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Yota Kamimori
Replacements:  16 Hayate Era, 17 Sena Kimura, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Waisake Raratubua, 20 Ben Gunter, 21 Shuntaro Kitamura, 22 Ichigo Nakakusu, 23 Halatoa Vailea

Wales:  15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Josh Macleod, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Ben Carter, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Dewi Lake, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements:  16 Liam Belcher, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 James Ratti, 20 Aaron Wainwright, 21 Tommy Reffell, 22 Rhodri Williams, 23 Joe Roberts

Referee:  Damian Schneider (UAR)
Assistant Referees:  Karl Dickson (RFU), Luke Pearce (RFU)
TMO:  Ian Tempest (RFU)

England seal dominant victory over Eddie Jones’ Japan to round off disastrous Autumn Nations Series as defensive concerns remain

England ended a run of five successive defeats and concluded their Autumn Nations Series campaign with a dominant 59-14 triumph over Japan.

It provided a brief respite for their under pressure head coach Steve Borthwick, who saw his side control the game from start to finish.

The Englishmen were too strong for a poor an underpowered Japan side as they moved into a 35-7 advantage at the interval thanks to tries from Ben Earl, Sam Underhill, Jamie George (twice) and Ollie Sleightholme.

Naoto Saito touched down for the Brave Blossoms and Kazuki Himeno went over in the second period, but Eddie Jones’ men were comprehensively outplayed at Twickenham.

England scored four more tries after the break as George Furbank, Luke Cowan-Dickie (twice) and Tom Roebuck went over to complete an easy and much-needed win.

England were looking for a positive end to their Autumn Nations Series and, on the scoreboard at least, they got it.  They overpowered Japan and had the game won by half-time.

Most of the hard work was done by those up front, although there was the odd positive sign from the backline.

That included Ollie Lawrence, who created the first try, as the centre broke through the middle and found Earl to go over unopposed.

England’s forwards then went to work and, following a series of close-range surges, Underhill crossed the whitewash and was awarded a try, despite appearing to lose control of the ball.  It was awarded, however, and the Red Rose moved 14-0 ahead.

Japan were already on the back foot and they struggled to stem the tide, particularly at the set-piece.  The Red Rose scrum was consistently doing damage and setting up the position for the hosts to set up the maul, where George was the beneficiary.

Twice the captain went over after their pack charged towards the line, handing them a dominant 28-0 advantage after just half-an-hour.

Jones’ men had failed to truly fire a shot but, in the 34th minute, they finally got outside of that fallible English rush defence and scored a magnificent try.

Once again, the home side got it wrong, leaving their wide channel exposed, but that shouldn’t detract from the work of Dylan Riley, whose wonderful run was finished by Saito.

That was the visitors’ only positive in the first half, though, as England extended their buffer at the interval through Sleightholme after a wonderful pass from tighthead Will Stuart.

The second period continued in much the same fashion as the first, albeit the Red Rose were not quite as clinical as the first, while their defence continued to struggle when Japan were able to shift the ball wide.

Borthwick’s outfit registered two tries in the third quarter, with the first coming via a particularly special off-load from Tommy Freeman, as the wing’s superb piece of skill was collected and score by Furbank.

Cowan-Dickie then touched down before Japan manufactured another wonderful try, which was finished off by Himeno.

Their joy did not last long, though, as the hosts’ replacement hooker made it brace by scoring for a second time from close range.

It was all a bit too easy for England, who rounded off the victory when Fin Smith’s crossfield kick was well finished by Roebuck.

The teams

England:  15 George Furbank, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Henry Slade, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Tom Curry, 5 George Martin, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Jamie George (c), 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements:  16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Tom Roebuck

Japan:  15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Tomoki Osada, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Siosaia Fifita, 11 Jone Naikabula, 10 Nicholas McCurran, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Kazuki Himeno, 6 Kanji Shimokawa, 5 Epineri Uluiviti, 4 Sanaila Waqa, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Takato Okabe
Replacements:  16 Seunghyuk Lee, 17 Yukio Morikawa, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Daichi Akiyama, 20 Tevita Tatafu, 21 Ben Gunter, 22 Shinobu Fujiwara, 23 Yusuke Kajimura

Referee:  Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant Referees:  Andrea Piardi (Italy), Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
TMO:  Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Antoine Dupont shines on return, Les Bleus a class apart

France captain Antoine Dupont bagged two try assists in his return for Les Bleus, who dismantled Eddie Jones’ Japan 52-12 on Saturday.

The hosts scored eight tries through Louis Bielle-Biarrey (2), Emilien Gailleton, Alexandre Roumat, Peato Mauvaka, Jean-Baptiste Gros and a double from Paul Boudehent.  Fly-half Thomas Ramos added six conversions from the tee.

Japan could only manage two tries via Harumichi Tatekawa and Tevita Tatafu with Naoto Saito kicking a conversion.

The hosts shot out of the blocks with Bielle-Biarrey the first to score a try after just three minutes.  Ramos did not get the kick on this occasion.

The full-back turned fly-half would not make that mistake again as he had the chance to convert Gailleton’s try which came six minutes later after a lovely cross-kick.

Momentum was well and truly with France despite a few flashy moments from Jones’ Japan.  Les Bleus scored a converted try through Roumat after 18 minutes before Mauvaka rounded out the scoring in the first half with his try in the 33rd minute.

The second period followed the first with Gros scoring after a minute.  However, this time Japan would strike back with their first crossing as Tatekawa scored a converted try in the 49th minute.

As expected France responded a minute later as Boudehent scored two tries, one either side of Japan’s final Tatafu score on the hour mark.

The teams

France:  15 Leo Barre, 14 Théo Attissogbe, 13 Émilien Gailleton, 12 Yoram Morgana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Thomas Ramos, 9 Antoine Dupont (c), 8 Grégory Alldritt, 7 Alexandre Roumat, 6 François Cros, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Tevita Tatafu, 2 Peato Mauvaka, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros
Replacements:  16 Julien Marchand, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Georges-Henri Colombe, 19 Mickaël Guillard, 20 Paul Boudehent, 21 Maxime Lucu, 22 Matthieu Jalibert, 23 Gaël Fickou

Japan:  15 Malo Tuitama, 14 Jone Nakiabula, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Siosaia Fifita, 11 Tomoki Osada, 10 Harumichi Tatekawa (c), 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Faula Makisi, 7 Kazuki Himeno, 6 Kanji Shimokawa, 5 Warner Deans, 4 Epineri Uluiviti, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Takato Okabe
Replacements:  16 Kenta Masuoka, 17 Yukio Morikawa, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Amato Fakatava, 20 Tevita Tatafu, 21 Shinobu Fujiwara, 22 Yusuke Kajimura, 23 Takuro Matsunaga

Referee:  Damian Schneider (Argentina)
Assistant Referees:  Angus Gardner (Australia), James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO:  Richard Kelly (New Zealand)

All Blacks overcome slow start to seal easy win over Eddie Jones’ Japan

New Zealand overcame a slow start to produce a dominant display against Japan as they sealed a comfortable 64-19 victory in Yokohama.

The Brave Blossoms were impressive in the opening quarter and were only 14-12 in arrears after 20 minutes thanks to Jone Naikabula and Faulua Makisi tries.

However, the All Blacks ultimately proved too strong and were in control at the break as Billy Proctor, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau, Pasilio Tosi and Tamaiti Williams touched down to add to earlier scores from Mark Tele’a and Patrick Tuipulotu.

Cam Roigard then went over at the start of the second period as they continued to go at a point a minute, but New Zealand were unable to maintain that intensity.

It would be a stretch to say their second-half issues had returned but coaches and players alike would have been disappointed that they only went over twice more in the final 37 minutes, via a brace from debutant Ruben Love.

Scott Robertson named a makeshift outfit for this encounter and it very much showed in the opening quarter as they struggled on both sides of the ball.

Japan have been fast starters under Eddie Jones and they once again put their opponents under significant pressure by playing at a high tempo.

New Zealand did not help themselves with Asafo Aumua’s errant throw and Roigard’s poor box-kick allowing the hosts to get into the game.

The Brave Blossoms duly took advantage and stunned the visitors when Naikabula took a neat inside ball and sprinted away to score.

Robertson’s men hit back, however, and 10 minutes later were ahead.  Firstly, Tele’a touched down on his return to the side before Tuipulotu powered over with an impressive finish as the lock shrugged off the attentions of several would-be tacklers to score.

Despite that response, there were still some structural issues for New Zealand, especially defensively, and they were breached once again when Makisi sauntered across the whitewash unopposed.

The All Blacks’ frustrations were almost compounded as Warner Dearns latched onto a loose ball following a huge hit on Damian McKenzie and showed his athleticism to outpace Sevu Reece and go over.  However, it was ruled out and it was the type of fortune the visitors needed to finally hit their stride.

A brutal 10-minute period, in which the away side’s off-loads all seemed to stick, proved to be the Brave Blossoms’ undoing.

McKenzie controlled the game nicely from fly-half while Proctor and Wallace Sititi made some significant contributions to help take the game away from their opponents.

The centre was rewarded for his efforts with a try and he was followed over the line by Cane, Finau and Tosi in that devastating spell.

They completed an ultimately positive half with another score from Williams before they began the second period in the same fashion.

This time it was Roigard who proved too strong for the Japanese defence as the scrum-half fended off some weak tackles to cross the whitewash.

However, the match became scrappy and the All Blacks struggled to find the same fluency, allowing the hosts to score for a third time through Opeti Helu.

But Robertson’s team did finish with a flourish as Love touched down twice to complete a comfortable win for the All Blacks.

The teams

Japan:  15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Jone Naikabula, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Nicholas McCurran, 11 Malo Tuitama, 10 Harumichi Tatekawa (c), 9 Shinobu Fujiwara, 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Kazuki Himeno, 6 Amato Fakatava, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Sanaila Waqa, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Atsushi Sakate, 1 Takato Okabe
Replacements:  16 Mamoru Harada, 17 Takayoshi Mohara, 18 Opeti Helu, 19 Epineri Uluiviti, 20 Kanji Shimokawa, 21 Taiki Koyama, 22 Tomoki Osada, 23 Takuro Matsunaga

New Zealand:  15 Stephen Perofeta, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Mark Tele’a, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 4 Sam Darry, 3 Pasilio Tosi, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 Tamaiti Williams
Replacements:  16 George Bell, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 David Havili, 23 Ruben Love

Referee:  Jordan Way (Australia)
Assistant Referees:  Nic Berry (Australia), Reuben Keane (Australia)
TMO:  Damon Murphy (Australia)

More misery for Eddie Jones as Japan suffer big home loss against Italy

Italy proved too strong for Japan in their mid-year international in Sapporo on Sunday as they clinched a convincing 42-14 victory over their hosts.

In a fast-paced and entertaining encounter, the Azzurri were full value for their win as they dominated for long periods and eventually outscored the Brave Blossoms by five tries to two.

For Italy, Ange Capuozzo, Martin Page-Relo, Andrea Zambonin, Alessandro Garbisi and Ross Vintcent crossed the whitewash with Paolo Garbisi (3) and Leonardo Marin succeeding with conversions while Page-Relo also slotted three penalties.

Meanwhile, Dylan Riley scored a brace of tries and Rikiya Matsuda added a couple of conversions for Japan.

The result was another setback for Japan’s new head coach Eddie Jones as the Brave Blossoms are yet to win a Test since he took over the coaching reins at the start of the year.

Japan also suffered a heavy defeat against England last month before losing narrowly to Georgia last weekend. Meanwhile, Italy lost their first mid-year Test to Samoa before bouncing back with back-to-back victories over Tonga and Japan.

On Sunday, the Azzurri raced into a 10-0 lead after Page-Relo opened the scoring early on with a penalty before Capuozzo crossed for the opening try in the eighth minute.

The visitors continued to dominate as the half progressed and were rewarded with further converted five-pointers from Page-Relo and Zambonin before Riley crossed for his first try in the latter stages of the first half which meant Italy held a 24-7 lead at the interval.

The Brave Blossoms were fastest out of the blocks after the break and were rewarded soon after the restart when Riley crossed for his second try.

Concern over Paolo Garbisi

The next 25 minutes was a tight affair as the sides battled to gain the ascendancy but the Azzurri suffered a big blow in the 68th minute when star fly-half Garbisi was forced off the field due to a blow to his head after an accidental clash with Riley.

Despite that setback, Italy came to the fore with a strong finish and secured the result thanks to late tries from replacement scrum-half Garbisi and Vintcent.

Eddie Jones suffers stunning setback as Japan lose AT HOME to Georgia

A late try from Giorgi Javakhia cemented a famous 25-23 away victory for Georgia over Eddie Jones’ Japan, condemning the former England boss to his third defeat as Japan coach.

The Brave Blossoms got off to the perfect start, as Jone Naikabula crossed in the third minute of the game, but things quickly turned sour.

In the 18th minute of the game, Kanji Shimokawa was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle, which was later upgraded to a red card. The Lelos quickly rubbed salt into the wound too, as Vano Karkadze and Mikheil Alania crossed twice in the space of 10 minutes to give them the lead heading into half-time.

14-man Japan rallied though at the start of the second-half, with Seung Sin Lee’s boot and Tomoki Osada’s try combining to give Japan a 23-18 advantage going into the final minutes of the game.

Not going down without a fight though, Georgia ensured they had the last laugh as Javakhia crossed in the 75th minute, and allowing Luka Matkava to cement a famous victory for his nation with the conversion.

Japan look to Italy clash to end mini-slump

Speaking after the game, Japan captain Michael Leitch said:  “We played the way Japan are known for and I’m proud of the team, but we’re not satisfied with the result. We’re looking ahead to the Italy game and we want to prepare well for that.”

“We tried to stay positive (after the red-card),” Leitch continued. “Just because you’re playing with a man less, it doesn’t mean you’re going to lose.”

Since Jones returned to the role of Japan head coach, he has won just once in his first four matches, including the heavy 52-17 defeat to England last month.

That defeat was compounded by another loss to the Maori All Blacks, but he secured his first win last weekend against the same opposition.

Jones and his Japan team now prepare for a tough test with Italy next weekend, with the Azzurri also coming into the game off the back of a solid 36-14 win over Tonga on Friday night.

Marcus Smith shines as England put 50 past Japan in Tokyo

England proved too strong for Japan in their mid-year international in Tokyo on Saturday as they sealed a 52-17 victory, with Marcus Smith leading the way with a fine individual performance.

As the scoreline suggests, England were full value for their win as they outscored their hosts by eight tries to two with Smith, Chandler Cunningham-South, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade, Alex Mitchell, Ben Earl, Harry Randall and Sam Underhill all crossing the whitewash for the visitors.

Smith added four conversions while Slade also succeeded with a couple of two-pointers off the kicking tee.

For the Brave Blossoms, Koga Nezuka and Samisoni Tua scored tries which were both converted by Rikiya Matsuda while Seungsin Lee slotted a penalty.

Despite a fine all-round performance from the Red Rose, their victory was soured somewhat when Charlie Ewels was sent off for a dangerous hit on Michael Leitch in the game’s latter stages. Ewels initially received a yellow card but it was upgraded to red upon review.

He became the nation’s first player to be sent off twice following his dismissal in his last international against Ireland two years ago.

A pleasing performance saw Steve Borthwick’s men pick up where they left off in the Six Nations by playing smart and ambitious rugby that was well executed, particularly close to the whitewash.

Smith was at the heart of the enterprise shown, justifying his selection ahead of Fin Smith by orchestrating play intelligently until he was replaced having been shown a yellow card in the 55th minute.

Tougher challenges lie ahead on tour in the form of two Tests against New Zealand, who will give Smith far less room to work his magic than an accommodating Japan defence, but the Harlequins fly-half pointed to a future that does not include George Ford and Owen Farrell.

Borthwick will have taken satisfaction from winning his personal duel with Eddie Jones, his former boss with England and Japan.

There was early evidence of the humidity that England had trained for as the ball squirted out of the hands of both sides, but Japan made the faster start that was rewarded with a penalty from fly-half Lee.

FULL TIME

A dominant win for England in Tokyo 🌹#JPNvENG pic.twitter.com/WctNNxQpQe

― England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) June 22, 2024

The tourists’ first meaningful attack produced a try, however, as a series of pick and goes underlined the greater carrying power of their forwards until the excellent Cunningham-South muscled over with help from Earl.

A slick line-out move that saw Jamie George find Ollie Lawrence with a long throw ended when Smith ghosted through the midfield to score and the Harlequin then turned provider with a long pass for Feyi-Waboso.

Smith was at the heart of England’s growing control of the game, also catching the eye with a 50-22, and pleasingly for Borthwick every visit to the 22 saw their lead increase.

His vision sent a leaping Slade over via a crossfield kick in another clinical finish and the second half was only two minutes old when Mitchell exploited a gap around the ruck to glide over.

Japan launched a rare attack that was foiled by an Underhill turnover and the home defence was then back in grave peril as Smith pinned them back with a kick that was followed by Feyi-Waboso and Dan Cole going close.

Earl succeeded soon after, helped by an offload from Mitchell who sucked in two tacklers, but England then had to regroup when Smith was sent to the sin-bin for an early tackle on Yoshitaka Yazaki.

Despite being a man down, scrum-half Randall darted over with ease and he was joined off the bench by Tom Curry, who was making his first Test appearance since the World Cup because of hip surgery.

The replacements streamed off England’s bench and Japan took advantage of the comings and goings to run in classy tries through Nezuka and Tua.

But there was one last try for Underhill as England finished with 14 men after Ewels’ dismissal.

The teams

Japan:  15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Jone Naikabula, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Tomoki Osada, 11 Koga Nezuka, 10 Seungsin Lee, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Tiennan Costley, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Sanaila Waqa, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Takayoshi Mohara
Replacements:  16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Shogo Miura, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Amanaki Saumaki, 20 Kai Yamamoto, 21 Shinobu Fujiwara, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Samisoni Tua

England:  15 George Furbank, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ollie Lawrence, 11 Tommy Freeman, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 5 George Martin, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Jamie George (c), 1 Bevan Rodd
Replacements:  16 Theo Dan, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Tom Roebuck

Referee:  Luc Ramos (France)
Assistant Referees:  Eoghan Cross (Ireland), Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
TMO:  Eric Gauzins (France)

Argentina advance to quarter-finals with hard-fought win over Japan

Argentina got the job done but were made to work hard for their 39-27 bonus-point victory over Japan in their Rugby World Cup encounter in Nantes on Sunday.

The result was a momentous one as it means Los Pumas advance to the global showpiece's quarter-finals as the runners-up in Pool D ― behind table-toppers England ― while the Brave Blossoms' campaign has come to an end after finishing third in the group.

In a fast-paced and highly entertaining game, Argentina were full value for their win as they outscored Japan by five tries to three with Mateo Carreras leading the way for Los Pumas with a well-taken hat-trick.

Santiago Chocobares and Emiliano Boffelli scored the South Americans' other tries and Boffelli finished with a 14-point haul after slotting three conversions and a penalty, while Nicolas Sanchez also succeeded with a conversion and a penalty.

For Japan, Amato Fakatava, Naoto Saito and Jone Naikabula crossed the whitewash while Rikiya Matsuda added three conversions and a penalty, and Lomano Lomeki slotted a drop goal.

With both sides knowing victory would see them advance to a quarter-final against Wales at the other's expense, Los Pumas sealed the spot with Carreras the star man.

A fast start by Michael Cheika's side saw Chocobares burst through a crowd of players to cross in the second minute, with Boffelli successfully converting.

Jamie Joseph's Japan hit back in the 16th minute when Fakatava chipped over a defender, reclaimed the ball and touched down, and Matsuda kicked the extras, before the Brave Blossoms were reduced to 14 men by a yellow card for Lappies Labuschagne.

Carerras then registered his first try to put Argentina back in front in the 28th minute and a subsequent penalty from Boffelli ― who had missed one earlier, along with his second conversion attempt ― made it 15-7.

Japan again rallied, with Saito crossing and Matsuda converting to leave a point in it heading into the interval.

🇦🇷 LOS PUMAS QUALIFY FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS WITH A BREATHLESS WIN OVER JAPAN. #JPNvARG #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/e3kn7teSzK

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) October 8, 2023

Carreras registered his second try, converted by Boffelli, early in the second half, before a Matsuda penalty and Lemeki's drop goal closed the gap to two points at 22-20.

Argentina then wrapped things up as Boffelli scored a try and converted, and Carreras subsequently completed his treble, with Sanchez kicking that conversion and a further penalty with five minutes left.

They will now take on Wales in Marseille on Saturday.

The teams

Japan:  15 Lomano Lemeki, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Siosaia Fifita, 10 Rikiya Matsuda, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Kazuki Himeno (c), 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Amato Fakatava, 4 Jack Cornelsen, 3 Jiwon Gu, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Keita Inagaki
Replacements:  16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Craig Millar, 18 Asaeli Ai Valu, 19 Warner Dearns, 20 Amanaki Saumaki, 21 Kenta Fukuda, 22 Ryohei Yamanaka, 23 Jone Naikabula

Argentina:  15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 2 Julian Montoya (c), 1 Thomas Gallo
Replacements:  16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Joel Sclavi, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Pedro Rubiolo, 21 Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Matías Moroni

Referee:  Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees:  Paul Williams (New Zealand), James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO:  Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)

Japan edge 14-man Samoa to set up winner-takes-all clash with Argentina

Japan picked up their second win of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, beating a 14-man Samoa 28-22 on Thursday, which gives their knockout hopes a boost.

With Argentina expected to claim five points against Chile over the weekend, the Brave Blossoms will then face Los Pumas in a winner-takes-all showdown.

This result at the Stadium de Toulouse means that England will finish as Pool D winners due to their head-to-head record against both Japan and Argentina.

Samoa are subsequently out of the running for the knockout stages, with this their second defeat out of three games ahead of facing England on October 7.

Japan, who reached the last eight for the first time four years ago as hosts, opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Lappies Labuschagne stretched over in the corner and Rikiya Matsuda converted.

A penalty from D'Angelo Leuila got Samoa, without captain Chris Vui through a late change, on the board, but Matsuda's kick soon restored Japan's advantage.

Michael Leitch added another try in the corner before Samoa's Jonathan Taumateine was sent to the sin bin after a shoulder barge in the build-up.

Japan hooker Shota Horie was then shown a yellow card for making head-on-head contact as he stood up in a challenge with Seilala Lam, which went to the TMO for a bunker review but was not upgraded.

Samoa ― whose final pool match with England is in Lille next weekend ― made the most of their man advantage, Lam touching down following a driving maul to go into the break trailing 17-8.

Samoa soon found themselves a man down when Ben Lam was sent to the sin bin after the TMO spotted a high tackle into the side of Labuschagne's head.

Japan extended their lead as Kazuki Himeno was driven over in the corner, but the usually reliable Matsuda failed to convert.

Things then got worse for Samoa when Lam's card was upgraded to a red before Matsuda again found his range to push Japan further in front at 25-8.

Kotaro Matsushima sprinted clear for what Japan thought was a bonus-point try, but it was ruled out for the slightest of knock-ons from Dylan Riley in the build-up.

🇯🇵 Michael Leitch finishes off a lovely Japan try. #JPNvSAM #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/yplw3Zw8mz

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 28, 2023

Samoa, though, kept themselves in touch as Duncan Paia'aua went over in the corner, which Leuila converted from a tight angle only for fly-half Matsuda to push Japan clear again with another long-range penalty.

The 14 men battled on and pulled the deficit back again when Christian Leali'ifano dived over and then converted his own try, but Japan held out to set up a potential winner-takes-all clash with Argentina in Nantes.

The teams

Japan:  15 Lomano Lemeki, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Jone Naikabula, 10 Rikiya Matsuda, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Kazuki Himeno (c), 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Amato Fakatava, 4 Jack Cornelsen, 3 Jiwon Gu, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Keita Inagaki
Replacements:  16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Craig Millar, 18 Asaeli Ai Valu, 19 Warner Dearns, 20 Kanji Shimokawa, 21 Kenta Fukuda, 22 Seungsin Lee, 23 Tomoki Osada

Samoa:  15 Duncan Paia'aua, 14 Ed Fidow, 13 Tumua Manu, 12 D'Angelo Leuila, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Christian Leali'ifano, 9 Jonathan Taumateine, 8 Sa Jordan Taufua, 7 Fritz Lee (c), 6 Taleni Seu, 5 Theo McFarland, 4 Steven Luatua, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 2 Seilala Lam, 1 James Lay
Replacements:  16 Sama Malolo, 17 Jordan Lay, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Brian Alainu'u'ese, 20 Alamanda Motuga, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 Neria Fomai, 23 Danny Toala

Referee:  Jaco Peyper (SARU)
Assistant Referees:  Ben O'Keeffe (NZR), Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO:  Marius Jonker (SARU)

Laboured England beat Japan to move a step closer to the quarter-finals

England made it two victories out of two in the 2023 Rugby World Cup as they overcame Japan on Sunday, winning 34-12 at Stade de Nice in the pool game.

It was far from pleasing on the eye but the Red Rose got the job done as they backed up their opening triumph over Argentina with a bonus-point success.

Tries from Lewis Ludlam, Courtney Lawes, Freddie Steward and a late crossing from Joe Marchant were added to by 14 points off the kicking tee from George Ford, but there was plenty of fortune in two of their scores especially in Nice.

For Japan this was their first loss in this year's tournament after beating Chile last weekend, with Rikiya Matsuda slotting all their points via four penalties.

Lawes' try came after the ball had taken a comical bounce off Joe Marler's head and while England celebrated their first World Cup tries since their 2019 semi-final victory over New Zealand, a madcap evening posed fresh questions.

Early in the second half they were booed by their own fans as they continued to kick the ball away at every opportunity, only to then throw the kitchen sink at enterprising opponents ranked 14th in the world.

The ambition paid off and with Ben Earl and Steward propelling them forward as well as impetus coming from Marcus Smith's arrival off the bench, they stormed out of sight.

After routing Argentina 27-14 with 14 men in their Pool D opener, they at least avoided a potential banana skin and with fixtures against Chile and Samoa to come, they are destined to reach the last eight.

The ball squirted around unpredictably because of the humidity and while Japan produced the more glaring mistakes in the first half ― including one costly line-out blunder ― they also adapted better in attack.

It took England half an hour to fire their first shots, launching Manu Tuilagi in midfield and Earl into the wall of red and white shirts, but until then they had displayed little endeavour.

Half-backs Ford and Alex Mitchell seemed content to continuously kick the ball away, perhaps convinced that the greasy conditions meant it was wiser to wait for Japan to make a mistake.

That is exactly what happened in the 25th minute when Ford steered a clever chip into the left corner and the underdogs botched the line-out, enabling Ludlam to pounce from short range.

All the ambition was being shown by Japan as they strung phases together, mixing up a handful of kicks with slick passing and cute running lines, although at times they were guilty of playing too much.

Full-back Semisi Masirewa had been lost to an innocuous injury in the eighth minute but with Matsuda kicking three penalties, they trailed just 13-9 at the interval.

The second half started at a ferocious pace, but the ball continued to slip out of the hands of players from both sides.

England's first instinct remained to kick, with Mitchell drawing boos when he booted the ball dead, but they were at least pinning Japan back in their own half and showing signs of building momentum.

Tension mounted as the Brave Blossoms escaped their own territory and claimed three more points from Matsuda, but when Earl went tearing down the right wing and the ball was recycled for Lawes to collect and score, their chances seemed to be fading.

Joe Marler's Mohawk, the playmaker England didn't know they needed. 😂#ENGvJPN #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/HgyOuN8PK3

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 17, 2023

Play swung from end to end and suddenly England were scrambling furiously, but Japan missed their chance and were made to pay when Steward caught Ford's kick and strolled over.  Marchant delivered the final blow in the closing moments.

The teams

England:  15 Freddie Steward, 14 Jonny May, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Lewis Ludlam, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Courtney Lawes (c), 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie George, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements:  16 Theo Dan, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 George Martin, 20 Billy Vunipola, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Ollie Lawrence

Japan:  15 Semisi Masirewa, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Tomoki Osada, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Jone Naikabula, 10 Rikiya Matsuda, 9 Yutaka Nagare, 8 Kazuki Himeno (c), 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Amato Fakatava, 4 Jack Cornelsen, 3 Jiwon Gu, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Keita Inagaki
Replacements:  16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Craig Millar, 18 Asaeli Ai Valu, 19 Warner Dearns, 20 Kanji Shimokawa, 21 Naoto Saito, 22 Dylan Riley, 23 Lomano Lemeki

Referee:  Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referees:  Nic Berry (RA), Andrea Piardi (FIR)
TMO:  Joy Neville (IRFU)

Bonus-point Japan down historic Chile in exciting Rugby World Cup clash

Japan powered to a 42-12 win over Chile in an electric Rugby World Cup Pool D clash in Toulouse on Sunday.

The game was filled with running from start to finish with the sharp-shooting boot of fly-half Rikiya Matsuda and six tries enough to secure the Brave Blossoms their first victory of this year’s tournament.

It was a dream start for Chile in their first World Cup game as Rodrigo Fernandez crossed early on for their maiden try which Santiago Videla converted.

🇨🇱 CHILE SCORE THEIR FIRST #RWC2023 TRY!! #JPNvCHI pic.twitter.com/sRAXn1TcJO

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 10, 2023

Japan did not sit around as they responded in the eighth minute through Amato Fakatava, who crashed over for a converted try.

A back-and-forth period loaded with running and a yellow card for Chilean prop Matias Dittus did not see any change in the scoreline until Jone Naikabula crossed for a try on the half-hour mark that Matsuda had no problems converting.

Japan had the final say of the first half to widen the deficit as Fakatava powered over to complete his brace which was converted from the touchline.

The second period began in the same fashion as the first with an early Chile try as Alfonso Escobar scored in the 48th minute with the conversion missed.  Typical of the clash, Japan responded quickly through veteran Michael Leitch who scored under the posts on 53 minutes.  Matsuda made no mistake from the tee again.

The scoreline held for a decent period as Chile worked hard to try to get within striking distance but it was not to be as Ryoto Nakamura crossed for a converted try in the 71st minute which effectively secured the result.

Japan had the final say of the game as Nakamura secured his brace right at the end of play with Matsuda making no mistake from the tee.

🇯🇵🇨🇱 Japan comes out on top in an all-action clash against a brave Chile side. #JPNvCHI #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/JdWuVTcS42

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 10, 2023

The teams

Japan:  15 Semisi Masirewa, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Jone Naikabula, 10 Rikiya Matsuda, 9 Yutaka Nagare, 8 Kazuki Himeno (c), 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Amato Fakatava, 4 Jack Cornelsen, 3 Jiwon Gu, 2 Atsushi Sakate, 1 Keita Inagaki
Replacements:  16 Shota Horie, 17 Craig Millar, 18 Asaeli Ai Valu, 19 Warner Dearns, 20 Shota Fukui, 21 Naoto Saito, 22 Tomoki Osada, 23 Lomano Lemeki

Chile:  15 Inaki Ayarza, 14 Santiago Videla, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 12 Matias Garafulic, 11 Franco Velarde, 10 Rodrigo Fernandez, 9 Marcelo Torrealba, 8 Alfonso Escobar, 7 Raimundo Martínez, 6 Martín Sigren (c), 5 Javier Eissmann, 4 Clemente Saavedra, 3 Matias Dittus, 2 Diego Escobar, 1 Javier Carrasco
Replacements:  16 Augusto Bohme, 17 Salvador Lues, 18 Inaki Gurruchaga, 19 Pablo Huete, 20 Santiago Pedrero, 21 Ignacio Silva, 22 Lukas Carvallo, 23 José Ignacio Larenas

Referee:  Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referees:  Karl Dickson (RFU), Andrea Piardi (FIR)
TMO:  Tom Foley (RFU)

Italy underline their class with positive win over Japan in Treviso

Italy claimed a 42-21 win over Japan in a frenetic Test in Treviso, giving Kieran Crowley’s men momentum going into the Rugby World Cup.

The Azzurri’s wings Ange Capuozzo and Monty Ioane were on song as they caused huge problems throughout the clash, which led to some beautiful tries.

It was the hosts who opened the scoring as in-form playmaker Paolo Garbisi added another try assist to his resume as he played in his half-back partner Steven Varney in for a try in the seventh minute.  Tommaso Allan made no mistake from the tee.

Japan responded 10 minutes later as Jone Naikabula benefited from a well-worked move to crash over and score.  The extras were not added on this occasion.

The see-saw game swung back in the favour of Italy who scored arguably the try of the game, started by Ioane who played Capuozzo into some space down the right-hand side.  The superstar made good ground down the touchline before kicking it infield where Ioane won the ball and scored.  Allan was on hand again to kick the conversion.

🤯 Ange Capuozzo with a typically beautiful try assist! #ITAvJPN pic.twitter.com/ERItuJiUG7

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 26, 2023

Seung Sin Lee of Japan kicked two penalties whilst Allan added one before the break as the hosts carried a 17-11 lead.

Allan was on hand again to kick a penalty after the break before a neat offload played Japan full-back Kotaro Matsushima in for the try in the 52nd minute.  The conversion was missed again.

Italy did not wait to respond as Ioane scored a fantastic try only four minutes later with Allan missing on this occasion.

Allan was on the scoresheet again in the 65th minute as he kicked another penalty to give his side some breathing room.

Japan tightened the game up just after the clock struck 70 minutes through an unconverted try scored by Dylan Riley.

The hosts held on for the win and will be happy to be gathering momentum going into the global showpiece in France.

Ioane completed his hat-trick in the final few minutes as Allan added the two extras off the tee before substitute Martin Page Relo scored a fortuitous converted try right at the end of time.

Five-try Fiji beat 14-man Japan to claim Pacific Nations Cup title

Fiji secured their sixth Pacific Nations Cup title after they beat Japan 35-12 in their final-round match at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Tries from Waisea Nayacalevu, Eroni Mawi, Simi Kuruvoli and a double from Frank Lomani helped the islanders to an impressive win over the Brave Blossoms.

Ben Volavola added eight points off the tee, while for Japan, their scores came via Jone Naikabula and Semisi Masirewa, meaning they finish third on the table.

Strong start from Fiji

After withstanding an early attack from Japan, the Fijians broke downfield, and with just three minutes on the clock, centre Nayacalevu raced under the uprights.

Volavola added the simple conversion to move his outfit 7-0 to the good in a score that settled any nerves whilst denting the confidence and noise in the crowd.

The hosts’ dismal start was compounded soon after when Lappies Labuschagne was red-carded for making head-on-head contact with Vilimoni Botitu in a tackle.

Fiji would make them pay on 17 minutes as prop Mawi claimed their second try of the game as he crashed over before Volavola made it a 14-point advantage.

The Flying Fijians weren’t done in the first half either as scrum-half Kuruvoli scooted over, with Volavola’s conversion sending the visitors in 21-0 in the lead.

Volavola would miss a long-range penalty attempt shortly after the resumption, but he would convert replacement Lomani’s try from in front on 58 minutes.

The islanders then had two tries disallowed by the match officials due to obstruction and a knock-on which kept the scoreline at 28-0 with 17 minutes to play.

Japan got on the board

And with nine minutes remaining, Japan finally had something to show for their hard work, wing Naikabula getting to his feet after not being held for the try.

Masirewa would dive over on the left wing to make it 28-12, with the conversion unsuccessful before Lomani struck in added time to add gloss to Fiji’s victory.

🇫🇯 FIJI ARE PACIFIC NATIONS CUP CHAMPIONS! #FIJvJPN #PNC2023 pic.twitter.com/uR7SxMnoKN

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 5, 2023

The win for Fiji sees them seal the Pacific Nations Cup title with three wins, finishing ahead of second-placed Samoa, who beat Tonga earlier on Saturday.

Fiji are drawn in the same Rugby World Cup pool as Australia, Wales, Georgia and Portugal and kick off their campaign against the Welsh on September 10.

Japan bounce back with hard-fought triumph over plucky Tonga

Japan returned to the victory trail when they clinched a hard-fought 21-16 triumph over Tonga in their Pacific Nations Cup encounter in Higashiosaka on Saturday.

After starting their campaign with a narrow loss to Samoa last weekend, the Brave Blossoms delivered an improved performance and bounced back against the ‘Ikale Tahi to keep their hopes alive of winning the competition.

The home side eventually outscored the Pacific Islanders by three tries to two with Jone Naikabula, Amato Fakatava and Semisi Masirewa crossing the whitewash while their other points came courtesy of penalties from Seungsin Lee and Rikiya Matsuda.

For Tonga, Sonatane Takulua and Samuela Moli scored tries and their other points came via the boot of William Havili, who succeeded with two three-pointers off the kicking tee.

Brave Blossoms strike first

The Brave Blossoms dominated the early exchanges and took the lead in the 19th minute when Naikabula rounded off a flowing backline move ― in which Masirewa was prominent.

Despite that setback, the visitors had the bulk of the possession as the half progressed and they struck back with Takulua’s try three minutes later.

Japan finished the half stronger, however, and after Lee slotted his penalty on the half-hour mark, Fakatava crossed for their second try after a superb offload from Naikabula which gave the hosts a 13-5 lead at the interval.

The second half started brightly for the visitors when Havili reduced the deficit with his first penalty shortly after the restart and in the 46th minute he succeeded with his second one which meant the Brave Blossoms were holding a narrow two-point lead.

Japan needed a response and that came in the 52nd minute when Masirewa went over for his try after running onto a well-timed pass from Ryohei Yamanaka.

No surrender from Tonga

However, Tonga did not surrender and they struck back in the 56th minute when Moli dotted down after a rolling maul from their forwards deep inside the Brave Blossoms’ 22.

The final quarter was a closely fought battle as both sides tried to gain the ascendancy but Japan sealed their victory in the 66th minute when Matsuda slotted the match-winning penalty.

Rugby World Cup concern for Japan following ‘disappointing’ form

Quarter-finalists from 2019, Japan, continue to struggle ahead of the upcoming Rugby World Cup, leaving their head coach Jamie Joseph with plenty to correct.

The Brave Blossoms began the Pacific Nations Cup in frustrating fashion after going down 24-22 to Samoa on Saturday.

Michael Leitch’s red card no doubt played a significant part as the Pacific Islanders touched down three times after the back-row departed the field.

It summed up the Asian side’s struggles since the last World Cup, who have lost their last seven encounters.

Improving the discipline

“I am really disappointed obviously with the result.  It is very difficult to win a Test with a man down with 50 minutes to go,” Joseph told Kyodo News.

“We were confident at half-time in our own ability and playing.  The game was always on edge even though we were a man down all the second half.

“We did well and stayed in the game until the very end but we were not quite good enough.  If we had not lost a player, then I think the result would have been a little different.

“We need to be better all-round in skill and discipline.”

Japan battled well against a talented Samoa side but confidence is evidently low as Joseph blamed the errors from their experienced players for the narrow defeat.

“I thought our forwards kept us in the game,” he said.  “They defended very well against a very direct and physical side.  We put them under pressure at line-outs and that stopped their flow and that kept us in the game.

“The young guys did well and made an impact.  The guys dropping the ball were the experienced players.  In Test matches, there is pressure, and we need to be better under pressure.”

Samoan delight

In contrast to the Japanese, Samoa were delighted with both their result and performance as they opened their Pacific Nations Cup campaign in fine style.

“It was exactly what we needed as a team.  We were put under a lot of pressure and are very happy to come away with the win,” said Samoa coach Seilala Mapusua.

“Our new players were put under a lot of pressure, and it is exactly what I was hoping for.  This was their opportunity to put their hand up for a ticket to France, and some played really well and took their opportunity.

“We achieved what we wanted.  First and foremost, to win and then to test ourselves against a top 10 side in the world.”

France beat Japan to end year with perfect record

France ended 2022 with an unbeaten record as they beat Japan 35-17 in Toulouse, becoming only the third nation ever to finish a year without defeat.

This was Les Bleus’ 13th successive win as they condemned the Brave Blossoms to a fifth straight loss in an entertaining game despite the wet conditions.

France’s tries came via Damian Penaud (2), Charles Ollivon and Anthony Jelonch while Thomas Ramos kicked 15 points in front of his home supporters.

Naoto Saito and Siosaia Fifita crossed for Japan in the second half, with Seung Sin Lee slotting seven points via the tee as the visitors fought until the end.

Japan started the meeting in impressive fashion as Kazuki Himeno burst through non-existent French ruck defence to take his side into the opposition 22.  A penalty soon came for offside and the Brave Blossoms opted for the corner instead of posts and it backfired, with Les Bleus avoiding an early setback on the scoreboard.

France regrouped and on eight minutes did what Japan couldn’t when Romain Ntamack’s kick through was eventually grounded by Penaud for a 5-0 lead.

Ramos couldn’t add the difficult extras but he made amends with a couple of penalties before the 17 minute mark, making it 11-0 to a settled looking France.

Japan did get on the board soon after via a Lee penalty but Ramos was on target again 10 minutes later after Ryoto Nakamura was penalised at a breakdown.

France were calmly building their score by threes as the prospect of an unbeaten year was possibly on their mind.  However, they would have their second try before the break when scrum-half Maxime Lucu ― in for the suspended Antoine Dupont ― weaved his way through the lineout traffic before sending Ollivon over for 21-3.

That was the half-time score but Japan came out from the interval firing, with Saito finishing off a run from Shogo Nakano to reduce the lead to 11 points.

Impact from Matthieu Jalibert

Neither side could trouble the scoreboard for the next 18 minutes until replacement Matthieu Jalibert’s chip and chase led to Penaud scoring on the left wing.

With Ramos’ successful conversion it was now 28-10 but once again the Brave Blossoms would not give up their charge, with hooker Atsushi Sakate’s inside ball to wing Fifita capping a perfectly executed lineout move.  Lee added the conversion and the match was back to an 11-point margin with less than a quarter to play.

An old France side might have started to feel the pressure, but this is a different animal under Fabien Galthie and Les Bleus weren’t deterred, with centre Jonathan Danty going incredibly close to grounding on the right wing before another Jalibert chip kick resulted in Danty finding Jelonch to add the gloss to a fine year.

France’s perfect 2022 stands them in excellent stead going into a Rugby World Cup year and they will rightly enter their home tournament as heavy favourites.

England ease to dominant victory over Japan

England produced an improved performance to easily see off a dangerous Japan outfit with a 52-13 triumph at Twickenham on Saturday.

Coming into the game off the back of a shock 30-29 reversal to Argentina, the pressure was on Eddie Jones and his charges, but they responded well.

Against a side that had run the All Blacks close two weeks ago, the hosts were expected to be given a stern examination of their capabilities.

But although the Brave Blossoms came close to stunning New Zealand, they were overpowered by the Red Rose in London.

Jones’ men took a 24-6 lead into the break thanks to tries from Freddie Steward, Marcus Smith and Guy Porter ― Takuya Yamasawa providing the visitors’ response with a brace of penalties.

England continued to dominate in the second period and passed the 50-point mark as Porter and Smith completed their braces, while Ellis Genge also went over and they were awarded a penalty try.

Japan did cross the whitewash once via Naoto Saito but it was a disappointing display from Jamie Joseph’s team.

England liberated themselves from the overthinking that was identified as the source their problems against the Pumas to give their Autumn Nations Series lift off ― at least until the All Blacks arrive.

Even amid a cagey opening the atmosphere was livelier than against Argentina six days earlier and home fans were soon able to celebrate an early Owen Farrell penalty and Steward try.

Steward raced over in the 13th minute after Japan’s midfield defence became too compressed following a line-out drive and with Farrell converting the lead became 10-0.

England were showing enterprise as Farrell kicked to Jonny May inside his own 22, but they were being assisted by a Japan team that were freely conceding penalties and just could not get going.

Successive knock-ons stemmed the tide of pressure building on the tourists’ line but once Smith had got a couple of low key errors out of the system, he plundered a try in the right corner after Steward had broken from inside his own half.

Japan finally came to life by producing the type of attacking rugby that brought the last World Cup to life, but their reward was limited to two penalties from Yamasawa.

May, making his first Test appearance in a year because of injury and Covid, was sin-binned for killing the ball as the Brave Blossoms seemed destined to score.

First international tries for Guy Porter

Although a man down, England poured forward on the stroke of half-time as their opponents wobbled close to their line and Sam Simmonds crabbed across the pitch to set up an easy run in for Porter.

Cohesion threaded through the hosts’ play as a drive upfield ended with Genge driving over and when Farrell grubbered ahead for Porter to touch down, Japan’s prospects were looking increasingly gloomy.

Warner Dearns capitalised on a ruck error to send Saito scampering over to stem the flow of one-way traffic, but any danger of a fightback has evaporated long ago.

England secured a penalty try and then Smith was over for his second following a move that involved Steward and Henry Slade, driving the final nail into Japan’s coffin.

14-man All Blacks hold onto narrow win in Tokyo

The All Blacks held their nerve against a spirited Japan side to claim a thrilling 38-31 win in Tokyo, after playing the last 14 minutes with a man down due to a Brodie Retallick red card.

New Zealand started strongly in the first half through three tries courtesy of Retallick, Braydon Ennor and Sevu Reece in the opening 32 minutes, with Richie Mo’unga making no mistake with the conversions.  The hosts could only add a penalty through Takuya Yamasawa.

Japan had made a huge number of tackles in the opening period, showing incredible commitment on defence and were rewarded with two tries in the last five minutes of the half through Yamasawa and Yukata Nagare.  Yamasawa kicked both conversions to keep the Brave Blossoms in the game at the break.

The All Blacks got the start they wanted in the second period, with Caleb Clarke going over after only two minutes for a converted try.

Japan responded in the 57th minute through Warner Dearns, who caught the ball in an attempted charge down to score a try converted by Seung Sin Lee.

🤯 How has he done that?! Warner Dearns plucks it out of the air to score for Japan. #JAPvNZLpic.twitter.com/EZ1R4Lgyof

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) October 29, 2022

New Zealand replied quickly through Hoskins Sotutu crashing over for a try in the 60th minute as Mo’unga made no mistake from the tee again.

The Test turned into an arm wrestle as Retallick was sent off in the 66th minute for a dangerous cleanout, opening the door for a late Japanese surge.

The hosts obliged and threw everything they had at the All Blacks, scoring a converted try through Kazuki Himeno, who was excellent on the night.  The five-pointer brought Japan within a try of a famous victory.

However, it was not to be as they conceded a late penalty in front of the posts ― after trying to attack from deep ― which Mo’unga nudged over to improve the scoreline.

The Brave Blossoms reminded the rugby world that they are no longer an easy Test, while All Blacks coach Ian Foster will have much to think about after this encounter.

France given a scare by Japan in Tokyo

France battled back from an eight-point half-time deficit to record a 20-15 victory over Japan in their July international in Tokyo on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a hard-fought battle and Japan will be kicking themselves as they held the lead for long periods until a superb try from Baptiste Couilloud late in the second half sealed France’s win and a 2-0 series triumph.

The visitors’ other points came via a five-pointer from Matthis Lebel, while Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lucu succeeded with a penalty and a conversion apiece.  For Japan, Ryohei Yamanaka scored a brace of tries and Seungsin Lee slotted a penalty and a conversion.

France held the upper hand during the opening exchanges and took the lead in the ninth minute when Lebel rounded off after running onto a skip pass from Virimi Vakatawa.

Lucu added the extras but it didn’t take long for the hosts to respond and they did it in style when Yamanaka crossed for a deserved five-pointer.  This, after Gerhard van den Heever found himself in space and set off on a 30-metre run down the left-hand touchline before offloading to Yamanaka, who dotted down.

Although they failed to convert, that try was a shot in the arm for the Brave Blossoms as they soon took control of proceedings.

Lee succeeded with a penalty midway through the half and with the score 8-7 in their favour, the home side continued to hold the edge as the half progressed.

France battled to gain momentum and seemed shell-shocked by the ferocity of their opponents’ onslaught.  And on the stroke of half-time Yamanaka was rewarded with his second try, scored in similar fashion to his first when he gathered an inside pass close to France’s try-line from Michael Leitch before crossing the whitewash.

That meant Japan were leading 15-7 at half-time but France reduced the deficit to five points by the 45th minute when Lucu added a penalty.  The next 15 minutes were evenly contested with a Jalibert three-pointer off the kicking tee the only points during that period.

With time running out on the clock, Les Bleus desperately needed a five-pointer and that came in the 68th minute courtesy of that moment of magic from Couilloud, who caught the hosts’ defence by surprise when he launched a break off the back of a scrum midway between the halfway line and Japan’s 22 before crossing for a deserved try under the posts.

There was drama in the game’s closing stages when Japan thought they had drawn level after Tevita Tatafu crossed the whitewash off the back of a lineout deep inside France’s 22.  His effort was disallowed, however, when television replays revealed he had lost control of the ball while dotting down.

The closing minutes were frantic as the Brave Blossoms spent most of that time camped in France’s half but the visitors held on for the win.