ＲＵＧＢＹ　ＪＥＲＳＥＹ

 (Written by Azul: October 14, 2024)

The PNC, which began in late August of this year, finally reached its final on September 21. The first match of the day, Samoa vs USA, started at 19:00, about an hour after the match for 3rd place was over.

At the time of the first match, it was a daytime game, but by the time the second match started, the sun had set and it became a night game.

It was expected that the Fiji national team would win from Block A based on their world ranking, but honestly, I did not know if the newly formed Japan national team would be able to beat the Samoan team in the semifinals. However, the Japanese national team played an impressive semifinal match, showing the strongest winning attitude in the test matches played this season.

It will be interesting to see how far they can go against the Fiji national team.

Now, let me introduce the two teams that played in the final.

First, let’s talk about the home team, the Japanese national team.

Japan is ranked 13th in the world. They have won the PNC (2006-2024, held 17 times so far) 3 times. This year’s tournament will be held in their hometown, and they are aiming to win for the first time since 2019. In this year’s tournament, all teams are aiming for the RWC 2027, and each team will be led by young players.

The national team’s wins and losses in test matches this season are as follows.

	Date	Opponent	match venue	Result
1	6/22	England	Tokyo	17-52●
2	6/29	Maori All Blacks	Tokyo	10-36●
3	7/6	Maori All Blacks	Toyoda	26-14○
4	7/13	Georgia	Sendai	23-25●
5	7/21	Italy	Sapporo	14-42●
6	8/25	Canada	Bancouver	55-28○
7	9/7	USA	Saitama	41-24○
8	9/15	Samoa	Tokyo	49-27○
9	9/21	Fiji	Osaka
10	10/26	All Blacks	Tokyo
11	11/9	France	Paris
12	11/24	England	London

Up until before the PNC finals, they had won 4 and lost 4. Reflecting this performance, the number of visitors at each stadium this season has led to a poor sales performance, with 60-70% of the visitors coming in. After all, when the Brave Blossoms, Japan’s top team, is weak, attendance declines throughout the Japanese rugby world.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Shogo MIURA	180cm	108kg	29	12
2	Mamoru HARADA	175cm	101kg	25	6
3	Shuhei TAKEUCHI	183cm	115kg	26	7
4	Epineri　ULUIVITI	198cm	118kg	28	0
5	Warner DEARNS	201m	117kg	22	16
6	Amato FAKATAVA	195m	117kg	29	8
7	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	25	8
8	Faulua MAKISI	187cm	112kg	27	10
9	Shinobu FUJIWARA	171cm	76kg	25	4
10	Harumichi TATEKAWA	180cm	94kg	34	57
11	Malo TUITAMA	182cm	91kg	28	2
12	Nicolas MCCURRAN	188cm	93kg	28	2
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	27	22
14	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	24	11
15	Seungsin LEE	176cm	86kg	23	16

One of the bright spots for the team was the semifinal match against Samoa, where for the first time “super-fast rugby” worked throughout the match. Rugby that finds an opening in the opponent, and the entire team comes together as one to attack and defend with vigor. The team was able to keep moving in the 30+ degree heat of the semi-finals, and I expect to see a repeat of that in this final.

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

Harumichi TATEKAWA. 180 cm, 94 kg, 34 years old. Position = SO, CTB; Team = Kubota Spears. He was the main BK player in Japan’s national team at RWC2015 and was a starter in the team’s first ever defeat of South Africa. He was not selected for the RWC 2019 and 2023, but returned to the Japan national team this season. He is a master of the parallel pass on the verge of slow forward, and shows his high skill while crossing with the opposing defense.

Next, I would like to introduce the Visitor Team, the Fiji National Team.

They are ranked 10th in the world, nicknamed the Flying Fijians. They have won 6 PNC titles and have reached the final of the RWC 3 times. Until around the RWC2019 tournament, the team had a pattern of taking a big lead from the start of the game with a series of furious attacks, only to run out of energy in the second half and score more and more goals. However, nowadays, the team has shown a stable game style, showing solid set plays throughout the match without running out of stamina in the middle of the game.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

	Fiji
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Fiji Caps
1	Eroni MAWI	180cm	131kg	28	31
2	Tevita IKANIVERE	183cm	113kg	25	13
3	Sameula TAWAKE	183cm	120kg	28	8
4	Isoa NASILASILA	197cm	117kg	25	12
5	Temo MAYANAVANUA	197cm	120kg	26	15
6	Meli DERENALAGI	190cm	84kg	25	5
7	Kitione SALAWA	192cm	95kg	23	0
8	Elia CANAKAIVATA	185m	104kg	28	0
9	Frank LOMANI	180m	81kg	28	31
10	Caleb MUNTZ	176cm	86kg	24	2
11	Ilaisa DROASESE	187cm	103kg	26	1
12	Inia TABUAVOU	185cm	101kg	22	0
13	Iosefo BALEIWAIRIKI	190cm	84kg	26	4
14	Vuate KARAWALEVU	193cm	104kg	23	0
15	Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula	175cm	86kg	20	0

** Player to watch **

（No.9 Player）Frank LOMANI. 180 cm, 81 kg, 28 years old. Position = SH. caps for Fiji = 31. club = Fijian Drua. played in RWC 2019 and 2023.

He has played professionally for SUPER RUGBY with Rebels, Reds and Fijian Drua, and also for Northampton Saints in England.

Lomani’s ability to break through will come in handy when the Fiji national team dominates in the scrums.

Now, the first half of the match is about to begin.

The attendance for the day was 14,437. It is about 60% of the full house. For a final of the Japanese national team, this is a bit of a sad number.

Prior to the start of the match, a pre-match ceremony was also held in the second match.

Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko, Honorary President of the Japan Rugby Union, gave a pep talk to the players of both teams.

Just before kickoff, the War Cry of the Fiji national team, Cibi, was performed, heightening the pre-match tension.

5 minutes into the first half:

From the beginning of the match, there were many occasions when the physical pressure of the Fiji national team was felt. Their scrums were strong, they were pushed into mauls, and they steadily cut the gain line even around the densely packed field.

In response, the Japanese national team made many advances in the enemy territory by quickly moving the ball out in dense formation, developing quickly, and moving forward by taking advantage of small spaces in successive attacks, and so on. About 20 meters in front of the goalposts, the Fiji team committed an infringement, and the Japanese team opted to go for the PG. Japan’s FB LEE succeeded in scoring the first goal for the Japanese team. The score was 3-0.

8 minutes into the first half:

Fiji’s team was able to get behind the defenders in a tight game, but unlike the other South Seas teams, Fiji’s team was not as aggressive in the contact play, they commit few penalties in contact play. The Fiji team was able to get a PG opportunity after drawing a foul on the Japanese team 25 meters in front of the goalposts. Here, Fiji national team SO　

MUNTZ scored the PG and the score was tied 3-3.

19 minutes into the first half:

From a scrum in the middle of the field, Japan’s national team went left and the ball went to CTB RILEY, who cut in, got behind the enemy defenders, and made a quick gain, going close to the enemy’s in-goal. There, he was surrounded by Fiji’s national team defenders, but rolled a golo punt behind them, and when it rolled to the left side of the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal, RILEY held it himself and scored a try.

CTB RILEY, who is playing very well for PNC, scored another solo try in this match. He once again showed off his speed and physicality in front of a huge crowd. This was his sixth try in a row.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-3.

30 minutes into the first half:

In this match, Fiji’s national team had not shown their Fijian Magic, a combination of FW and BK, until this point in the match, but at this time, the physicality that has been the hallmark of Fiji’s national team in recent years came to the fore. However, at this time of the game, the Fiji national team showed their physicality, which has been a characteristic of theirs in recent years, by scoring a series of tries when the ball carrier was caught by the Japan team’s defense until a follow-up player came running in. The try was scored by CTB TAVABO.

However, a video call was made and the Fiji team was found guilty of a knock-on infringement, dropping the ball forward in the process, so the try was cancelled out.

31 minutes into the first half:

The Fiji national team resumed the game with the ball, and after a short break into their own territory, the Fiji national team moved to the right and tried to pass the ball from the CTB to the WTB. The ball was caught by the enemy defense and spilled by Fiji’s WTB KARAWALEVU, who kicked the ball deep into the enemy territory. Then KARAWALEVU caught the ball himself and scored a try just below the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was tied 10-10.

The first half ended with the same score. However, at the end of the first half, Japan’s hooker Harada was sent off for 10 minutes for a high tackle, which was expected to have an impact on the second half of the match.

Compared to the semifinal match against Samoa, the Fiji national team showed stronger set pieces, densely-packed battles, and individual contact play, and the fact that the Japanese team ended the first half tied was a fairly healthy performance. If the Japanese national team can continue their winning ways, it will be a testament to the growth of the team as a whole. Fans of the Japan national team should keep their eyes on the second half to see if they can hold off the world’s top-ranked team like this.

Let the second half begin.

The Japanese national team had been getting pushed around in the scrums and other set plays, and it was becoming increasingly noticeable that they were being outplayed. In addition, the strong pressure from the Fiji national team made it impossible for the Japanese team to play counter rucks and jackals in dense battles, which the team had shown several times in the first half. When the Japanese team lost in a series of close quarters battles, the other team would gain a mental edge and began to smoothly execute another series of attacks, allowing for big gains.

15 minutes into the second half:

With the Fiji team gradually gaining the upper hand in the physical battle, the Japanese team committed an infringement in front of their own goal posts at a distance of about 30 meters, giving the Fiji team a PG opportunity. Fiji’s SO MUNTZ scored to make the score 10-13.

19 minutes into the second half:

At this point in the half, the Japanese team began to tire from the physical battle, and Fiji was able to gain a numerical advantage by attacking out wide. From there, WTB Loganimasi, who came on as a substitute, scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-20.

23 minutes into the second half:

For the first time in the second half, the Japanese national team had their own lineout deep in enemy territory. However, the Japanese team could not catch the ball, and SO MUNTZ kicked the ball deep into the enemy territory, and went over the 22-meter line. This gave the Fiji national team the opportunity to reverse the 50-22 rule and close in on the opposition’s in-goal.

This was a pinch for the Japan national team as none of their BK players were where they should have been to cover defensively.

26 minutes into the second half:

The expressions on the Japan national team players’ faces on the big screen in the stadium were clearly showing signs of fatigue. In the second half, Japan’s team was almost exclusively on the defensive. In such a situation, the Fiji national team gained the upper hand in a tight battle in front of the enemy’s in-goal, and finally, substitute FW Tuisue scored a try in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal on the left side.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-27.

28 minutes into the second half:

The Japanese national team seemed to have run out of steam somewhat as they were down by 17 points and finding it difficult to turn the game around in the remaining time. The restart kickoff was kicked back to SO MUNTZ of the Fiji national team, and a very ordinary high punt fell to WTB OSADA, who made a painful knock-on. OSADA is the least mistake-prone BK player in the Japan national team, but he seemed to be under a lot of mental pressure to make such a mistake.

29 minutes into the second half:

The Japanese team tried to recover from this phase by making some strong tackles, but they could no longer stop Fiji, who had gained momentum. Fiji’s national team once again gained a numerical advantage when they moved to the right and WTB KARAWALEVU scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The score was 10-34 after the try, with the conversion goal coming from a difficult angle.

34 minutes into the second half:

In the final minutes of the match, the Japanese team tried to score a try from deep in their own territory, but the ball was tackled and dropped by WTB Loganimasi, who was substituted by the Fiji national team.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-41.

37 minutes into the second half:

With no points scored in the second half, Japan’s national team attacked to get one last shot at revenge. From a lineout in their own half, substitute SH KOYAMA passed the ball to CTB RILEY. RILEY flowed sideways and created space for WTB TUITAMA, who scored a try in the left corner at the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 17-41.

With this score, the 2024 PNC was decided with Fiji as the winner and Japan as the runner-up, with Fiji showing the ability of the 10th ranked team in the world, and Japan using the weaknesses they showed in the second half of the match as food for growth in the upcoming test match series The Japanese national team will now look forward to the next test match series in October and onward.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: October 2, 2024)

The PNC has finally reached its final round. This time, the venue was Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka, the sacred ground of rugby in the west of Japan.

Kick-off time was 4:00 p.m., so I left at 10:00 a.m. on the Shinkansen bullet train from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo.

I arrived at Higashi Hanazono Station on the Kintetsu Line in Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture, at 15:00, one hour before kickoff.

I had not been to Hanazono Rugby Stadium since the RWC 2019 match between Argentina and Tonga. It was my first rugby match at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in about 5 years.

It took me about 10 minutes to walk from Higashi Hanazono station to Hanazono Rugby Stadium.

This day’s game was also a double-header as last week. Now, let’s enter the stadium.

As I sat in my seat, I once again thought that Hanazono Rugby Stadium is a stadium with a nice atmosphere. Capacity = 27,346. As a rugby-specific stadium, there is no track for athletic competitions on the ground, so the distance between the spectators and the players seems closer.

The only roof covering the stadium is on the main stand, which is a little annoying. If the spectator stands were covered with a roof, the spectators would be able to watch the game safely even in bad weather, which would have a positive effect on attracting more spectators.

The weather forecast for the day was cloudy with a chance of rain, but it somehow managed to stay dry.

The day of the game, September 21, 2024, was a hot and humid day with lingering summer heat, but since the weather was cloudy, it was relatively comfortable to watch the game without the harsh direct sunlight of lingering summer heat.

When I entered the stadium, both teams were already warming up.

Let me introduce the opposing teams of the day.

First, let me introduce the Samoan team, ranked No. 2 in Group A. The team is ranked No. 14 in the world.

Their record so far in the PNC is as follows.

August 23 vs Fiji 16-42 ●

August 30 vs Tonga 43-17〇

September 15 vs Japan 49-27●

Samoa has participated in 9 consecutive RWC tournaments from the 2nd RWC in 1991 to the 10th RWC. In the RWC 1991 and 1995, Samoa surprised all the leading rugby nations by making it to the finals of the tournament in consecutive years. However, due to financial problems, the Samoan Rugby Union has been unable to provide enough support to strengthen the national team, and the team’s ranking in international competitions has gradually declined. However, since the Moana Pacifica team began competing in Super Rugby in 2022, the team has visibly improved and is aiming to reach the finals for the third time in the next tournament. In order to do so, the entire team would be looking for a win in this day’s match.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

	SAMOA
No.	Name	height	weight	age	SAMOA Caps
1	Aki SEIULI	184cm	118kg	27	3
2	Sama MALOLO	183cm	109kg	26	3
3	Marco FEPULEAI	183cm	127kg	29	1
4	Benjamin Petaia Nee-NEE	198cm	116kg	31
5	Michael CURRY	196cm	115kg	30	4
6	Theodore McFarland	198cm	115kg	28	8
7	Izaiha MOORE-AIONO	183cm	99kg	28
8	Iakopo　PETERO	184m	110kg	26
9	Melani MATAVAO	171m	73kg	28	14
10	Rodney IONA	177cm	89kg	33	8
11	Elisapeta ALOFIPO	173cm	82kg	26
12	Alapati LEIUA	185cm	100kg	35	34
13	Lalomilo LALOMILO	189cm	106kg	25
14	Tuna TUITAMA	187cm	95kg	24	2
15	Tomasi ALOSIO	185cm	92kg	32	2

Next, I would like to introduce the United States National Team.

The United States National Rugby Team, known as the American Eagles, is ranked 19th in the world and has participated in 8 of the 10 RWC tournaments. Their record at the RWC is 3 wins and 26 losses.

Their record so far in the PNC is as follows.

September 1 vs Canada 28-15 〇

September 7 vs Japan 41-24 ●

September 14 vs Fiji 22-3 ●

Most of the rugby players in the U.S. have experience in American football, the most popular sport in the U.S., so it is not surprising that the more talented players have a background in the sport. Therefore, players with more potential aim to become professionals in American Football, and those who could not become professionals in American Football have switched to Rugby.

Although rugby has not become a major sport in the United States, the number of players is gradually increasing, and women’s rugby and 7-a-side rugby, in particular, have become world powerhouses. The potential athletic ability of individual players is unquestionably high, and there is a possibility that the country will be ranked high in the world in the near future. Hopefully, they will want to fulfill that ambition before RWC 2031 is held in their home country, so they could not afford to lose this day’s match.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.

	American Eagles
No.	Name	height	weight	age	USA Caps
1	Jake TURNBULL	189cm	117kg	31
2	Kapeli PIFELETI	183cm	110kg	25	12
3	Alex MAUGHAN	178cm	122kg	29	4
4	Jason DAMM	195cm	113kg	29
5	Greg PETERSON	206cm	125kg	33	32
6	Paddy RYAN	188cm	111kg	25	8
7	Cory DANIEL	188cm	104kg	28	4
8	Jamason Fa’anana SCHULTZ	188m	122kg	28	12
9	JP SMITH	187m	93kg	30
10	Luke CARTY	183cm	91kg	26	19
11	Mitch WILSON	174cm	77kg	28	3
12	Tommaso BONI	185cm	103kg	31	7
13	Dominic BESAG	180cm	91kg	20	2
14	Conner MOONEYHAM	183cm	93kg	26	2
15	Toby FRICKER	186cm	98kg	29	0

Before the start of the match, Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko, Honorary President of the Japan Rugby Football Union, visited the venue to encourage the players of both teams.

Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko’s encouragement heightened the atmosphere that each player was representing his/her country in an international match.

Next, both teams sang their national anthems. Finally, the atmosphere of the test match reached its climax with the performance of Siva Tau, the War Cry of the Samoan national team.

The match began.

First, it was the Eagles who took the lead. 3 minutes into the first half, the Eagles broke into the enemy territory, and after a sharp start, they lured their opponents into a passing error and had a chance for a PG. Eagles’ SO CARTY scored to make the score 3-0.

After the Samoan team’s restart, the two teams exchanged high punts, and Eagles’ FB WILSON, with a little momentum, caught a high punt, ran behind the enemy defense, and ran 40 meters at a stretch to score a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-0.

The Eagles made a successful dash for the stat.

The Samoan national team began their counterattack in the 15 minutes of the first half. Once in the enemy territory, the Eagles used the strength of their individual contact play to push forward and cross the 22-meter line. The Eagles were unable to hold back and committed an infringement, giving the Samoan national team a PG opportunity. The Samoan team had a chance to score a PG, which SO IONA scored to make the score 10-3.

The Samoa national team continued to fight back. 41 minutes of the first half, the Samoan national team broke down their opponents in a scrum and drew a collapsing foul from the Eagles.

Here, the Samoan national team opted for a PG, and SO IONA succeeded with a PG from about 40 meters to make the score 10-6.

The first half ended with the score at this point, and halftime arrived.

The Eagles, like the Fiji national team the week before, were solid defensively and had no major breakdowns. This time, the Eagles were successful in scoring from a counter attack, and kept the lead going into the second half.

Second half:

In the second half, it was the Samoan national team that first got the ball rolling. In 2 minutes of the second half, after breaking into enemy territory, Lock CURRY succeeded in jackaling the ball for the opposing team. From there, No.8 PETERO, while getting tangled up in the enemy’s day defense, rushed forward and scored a try right under the enemy’s goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 10-13, and the Samoan national team succeeded in reversing the score.

However, the Eagles did not back down. In the 13th minute of the second half, SO CARTY scored the equalizing PG after a foul by the opponent gave the Eagles the right to a PG.

After this, both teams were deadlocked on the score. However, as far as the game was concerned, the Samoan team had several scoring chances, but the Eagles managed to survive the attacks.

The Samoan team repeatedly attacked deep into enemy territory, but their best chance came in the 37th minute of the second half. After a series of attacks inside the enemy 22 meters, Samoan substitute WTB NANAI scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 13-18, giving Samoa a five-point lead.

With time remaining, the Eagles also made a desperate attempt to catch up the score, but the score remained unchanged and the Samoan national team finished the third place in the PNC.

Despite the loss, however, credit must be given to the Eagles for their tenacious defense. When the attacking decisiveness is in place, we can expect a potential whirlwind in the RWC 2027.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: September 24, 2024)

The PNC Cup semi-finals 2^nd game was held on September 15 at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Rugby is usually played in the cooler months of fall and winter, so it was unusual for the semifinals to be held during the hottest part of the summer, as it was on this day.

The temperature that day was 33 degrees Celsius, making it a very tough game for the fans watching the game. The attendance for the day was 14,893, about 70% of the full attendance.

After yesterday’s match, Fiji, ranked first in Group A, advanced to the finals, but could the Japanese national team, ranked first in Group B, advance to the finals? The Japanese team, ranked No. 1 in Group B, will face a strong Samoan team that has been competing with the Japanese team on an equal footing for the past several years.

Let us introduce you to the two teams that will be competing on this day. First, let us introduce the Visitor Team, the Samoa National Team.

The Samoa team was ranked 13th in the world before this match, one rank higher than the Japan team. The overall record between Japan and Samoa is 6 wins and 12 losses for Japan, with Samoa winning by a wide margin. Samoa has had a period of declining strength, though,

Samoa has been steadily improving since joining the professional rugby league Super Rugby in 2022 under the name Moana Pasifika. Most of the regular members of this year’s team belong to Moana Pasifika.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

	SAMOA
No.	Name	height	weight	age	SAMOA Caps
1	Aki SEIULI	184cm	118kg	27	3
2	Sama MALOLO	183cm	109kg	26	3
3	Marco FEPULEAI	183cm	127kg	29	1
4	Benjamin Petaia Nee-NEE	198cm	116kg	31
5	Samuel SLADE	195cm	118kg	27	4
6	Theodore McFarland	198cm	115kg	28	8
7	Izaiha MOORE-AIONO	183cm	99kg	28
8	Iacopo MAPU	184m	110kg	26
9	Melani MATAVAO	171m	73kg	28	14
10	Rodney IONA	177cm	89kg	33	10
11	Elisapeta ALOFIPO	173cm	82kg	26
12	Alapati LEIUA	185cm	100kg	35	34
13	Lalomilo LALOMILO	189cm	106kg	25
14	Tuna TUITAMA	187cm	95kg	24	2
15	Tomasi ALOSIO	185cm	92kg	32	2

** Player to watch **

Rodney IONA. 177cm, 89kg, 33 years old. Samoa national team cap=10.

Born in Melbourne, Australia. After playing for professional clubs in Australia, France, Spain, and England, IONA now plays for New Orleans Gold, a professional team in North America. If you have a preconceived notion of the normal Samoan style, i.e., hard contact and physicality up front to break through, opposing teams are in for a world of hurt. His line-breaking technique is something to watch out for.

Next, an update on the home team, the Japanese national team.

Since the PNC in August, the Japanese national team has replaced some of its players, and the team is now made up mainly of young players. Tatekawa himself is a 34-year-old veteran player, having played in the RWC 2015 and 2019. When he next competes at RWC 2027, it will be his first time back after 3 tournaments. It will be interesting to see how TATEKAWA, the new Skipper, will lead the team.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

** Player to watch **

(The player on the left in the photo is FUJIWARA)

Shinobu FUJIWARA. 171 cm, 76 kg, 25 years old. He is a graduate of Tenri University and plays for Kubota Spears. He is aiming to be a regular SH for PNC after SAITO, a regular SH for Japan’s national team, left the team temporarily due to an overseas transfer. One of the most notable features of this team is its quick switching between offense and defense when attacking. When he sees a gap in the opposing team, he instantly goes for it with his aggressiveness. Since FUJIWARA became the starter, Japan’s national team has been on a winning streak, and it will be interesting to see how far they can extend their winning streak.

Let the games begin.

Just before the start of the match, Siva Tau, the War Cry of the SAMOA national team, was performed.

Kickoff for the second semifinal match was at 15:05. On this day, the match was played from the hottest time of the day.

6 minutes into the first half:

Since the JONES HC team came into power, the Japanese national team has been scoring points at once from the start of the game.

From the kickoff, the team took the ball and attacked deep into the enemy territory, launching a series of attacks. The Samoan team did not allow the Japanese team to break the in-goal, as the Japanese team attacked hard from the beginning of the game. However, the Japanese team took the ball out of the opponents’ lineout on the left side, and after an attempt by the FW side attack, the ball was deployed to the right side, where FB LEE rolled a golo punt behind the opposing defense, which CTB RILEY caught, and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also a success.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 7-0, giving the Japanese team the lead for the first time.

10 minutes into the first half:

The Japanese national team was able to push deep into the enemy territory due to some infringements by the Samoan national team. The Japanese team moved to the right deep in the enemy territory, and as they approached the enemy in-goal, SH FUJIWARA released a pass that was intentionally knocked down by WTB ALOFIPO of the Samoan national team.

The video judgment resulted in a certified try for the Japanese team.

7 points were added for the authorized try, and the score was 14-0.

13 minutes into the first half:

Here, the Samoan team showed their true strength. The Samoan team moved into the enemy territory, and individual players made repeated advances through contact play. Then, MAPU, the No. 8, broke through the enemy defense and made a big gain.

The Samoan team then moved to the right when MAPU was caught by the defense, and finally WTB TUITAMA scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-7.

16 minutes into the first half:

After an infringement by the opponents, Japan’s national team advanced into the enemy territory with a penalty kick, and from a lineout on their own ball, hooker HARADA made a quick move forward. Hooker Harada’s advance was caught by the opposing defense just before the in-goal, but from there, the Japanese team moved to the right and FB Lee kicked a pass to the right space, which was caught by WTB OSADA, who scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 21-7.

25 minutes into the first half:

The SAMOA national team drew an offside foul by the opposing defense near the 10-meter line. The SAMOA team then opted for a PG, which was scored by SO IONA to make the score 21-10.

29 minutes into the first half:

At about 30 meters from the goal post, the Japanese team was fouled for Not Release the Ball. The SAMOA team opted to go for the PG, which SO IONA converted to make the score 21-13.

39 minutes into the first half:

Toward the end of the first half, Japan’s national team entered the enemy territory due to a foul by the opposing defense, and developed a series of attacks, mainly open attacks. After swinging left and right, the Japanese team finally created a numerical advantage on the left side of the field, and FB LEE ran in to score a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left side.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 28-13. The first half ended here, and the Japanese national team headed into the second half with a 15-point lead.

Here, it was half time.

In this extremely hot weather, the game was physically demanding for both teams’ players and spectators.

The Japanese national team scored consecutive tries from the first half, and from there they were able to seize control of the match. It will be interesting to see how the Samoan team will come back in the second half, and whether the Japanese team will be able to hold on for victory.

Let’s start the second half.

4 minutes into the second half:

From their own line, SH FUJIWARA broke through the narrow side and got behind the enemy line, and FB LEE rolled in a golo punt, which WTB OSADA advanced and caught. After this, OSADA was caught by the opposing defense and with an offload pass, he passed to FB LEE. LEE was caught by the defense 7 to 8 meters before the in-goal, but he made an off-load pass to FL SIMOKAWA, who scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 35-13.

12 minutes into the second half:

The Samoan national team was down by a few points at this point, but the backs showed some excellent passing work to break down the left flank of the opposition line and connect for a try. The final try was scored by SH MATAVAO.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 35-20.

18 minutes into the second half:

At this time of the game, almost all of the players in the game were showing signs of fatigue. In particular, the Samoan FW players were noticeably breathing on their shoulders.

The Japanese national team moved deep into the enemy territory, and after a foul by Samoa, instead of going for a penalty kick to touch kick, SH FUJIWARA started a series of attacks from a tap kick. As the Japanese national team deployed their attack, they gradually closed in on the enemy in-goal, and SH FUJIWARA took advantage of a momentary lapse in the opposing defense to score a try in the right corner at the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 42-20.

32 minutes into the second half:

Toward the end of the match, the SAMOA national team began to tire more and more, as they were continuously attacked in their own territory, especially at set pieces and lineouts where they lost the ball. However, from deep in their own territory, the SAMOA BK picked up the kicked ball and counter-attacked from there, connecting with WTB ALOFIPO from SO IONA, who got behind the enemy defense and passed the ball to CTB LALOMILO who followed up and ran over 50m! He overtook the Japan national team lock DEARNS who was chasing him, and scored a try in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 42-27.

39 minutes into the second half:

The score difference indicated that the Japanese national team had almost won the game, but the Japanese national team continued to attack in front of the enemy’s in-goal to score more points. The ball was passed to WTB TAKAHASHI, who took over for the substitute, and he was able to score a try despite being tangled up in the opposing defense.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 49-27, and the game ended with this score.

The fitness of the Japanese national team stood out in this match, despite the extremely hot weather conditions. The team’s ability to run around even in the final minutes of the match showed that Japan’s team strength has improved.

How will they fare against the powerful Fiji team, ranked 10th in the world, in the PNC finals in a week’s time? We look forward to watching with great anticipation.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: September 23, 2024)

September 14 and 15, 2024 The PNC Cup reached its semi-finals, and the results of the PNC matches so far are as follows

Group A = Fiji, Samoa, Tonga

August 23: Fiji vs Samoa 42-16

August 30: Samoa vs Tonga 43-17

September 6: Tonga vs Fiji 19-50

As a result, Group A is as follows

1st : Fiji

2nd : Samoa

3rd : Tonga

Fiji and Samoa will advance to the semifinals, while Tonga will play for 5th and 6th place on September 14.

Next,

Group B: Japan, USA, Canada

August 26 : Canada vs Japan 28-55

September 1: USA vs Canada 28-15

September 7: Japan vs USA 41-24

As a result, Group B is as follows

1st : Japan

2nd : USA

3rd : Canada

Japan and USA will advance to the semifinals, while Canada will play for 5th and 6th place on September 14.

On September 14 and 15, the fifth- and sixth-place matches and two semifinal matches were held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo. I went to watch the matches on both days.

The first match on September 14 was the PNC 5th and 6th place deciding match between Tonga and Canada.

Both Tonga and Canada did not put up a good fight and ended up in last place in their group. However, international training matches like the PNC are a valuable opportunity for the team to qualify for the RWC 2027, and they would like to bring back some results.

Tonga’s world ranking is 16th, while Canada’s is 22nd. Tonga’s team’s weakness is its high frequency of foul play, while Canada’s challenge is its low scoring ability.

It was Canada who scored first. A PG in the first 6 minutes put them ahead by 3 points.

However, it was Tonga that took control of the attack in the first half. With a strong FW attack, the BK showed determination when they saw an opportunity, scoring tries in the 10th and 15th minutes of the first half to lead 14-3.

However, Canada also showed their strength in the set play scrum, breaking down the opponent’s scrum in enemy territory and scoring a try and conversion goal in successive attacks to close the gap to 4 points, 14-10.

Then, 25 minutes into the first half, SO PELLEGRINI kicked a kick from his own line that put the Canada team in front of the enemy in-goal 50-22. From there, Canada’s national team scored a try after a series of side attacks by the strong FW, with the FB running in from the opposite side.

The score was 19-10, and the first half ended.

In the second half, Tonga scored first with a PG in the 7th minute.

The score was 22-10, and Tonga led by 10 points, after which the game was deadlocked for a while.

27 minutes into the second half, Canada won the ball in a tight battle in enemy territory, and CTB MCMULLIN broke through the Tongan defensive net and scored a try in the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-17 to 5 points.

However, shortly after Canada scored, FL FRYER was fouled for a dangerous tackle and was temporarily sent off. After this, Tonga was pushed into the game more and more due to the disadvantage in numbers, and scored 3 points by PGs and 7 points by try and conversion goals to make the score 30-17.

The game was competitive until the middle of the second half, when a foul by Canada resulted in a temporary sending off, and the game tilted in Tonga’s favor. The match ended as it did, with Tonga in fifth place and Canada in sixth place in PNC 2024.

The first game ended at 18:00, and after a one-hour interval, the second game, the PNC 2024 semifinal Fiji vs USA, kicked off.

The world ranking of the two countries.

Fiji is ranked 10th and USA is ranked 19th.

The latest news from Fiji:

At RWC2023, Fiji has reached the finals and is ranked 8th.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

	Fiji
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Fiji Caps
1	Eroni MAWI	180cm	131kg	28	31
2	Tevita IKANIVERE	183cm	113kg	25	13
3	Sameula TAWAKE	183cm	120kg	28	8
4	Isoa NASILASILA	197cm	117kg	25	12
5	Temo MAYANAVANUA	197cm	120kg	26	15
6	Meli DERENALAGI	190cm	84kg	25	5
7	Kitione SALAWA	192cm	95kg	23	0
8	Elia CANAKAIVATA	185m	104kg	28	0
9	Frank LOMANI	180m	81kg	28	31
10	Caleb MUNTZ	176cm	86kg	24	2
11	Ilaisa DROASESE	187cm	103kg	26	1
12	Inia TABUAVOU	185cm	101kg	22	0
13	Iosefo BALEIWAIRIKI	190cm	84kg	26	4
14	Vuate KARAWALEVU	193cm	104kg	23	0
15	Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula	175cm	86kg	20	0

The USA team, on the other hand, failed to qualify for the RWC 2023 tournament after losing in the regional qualifying rounds, and as the hosts of RWC 2031, they will be looking for a good showing in the next tournament.

The Eagles’ starting lineup was as follows

	American Eagles
No.	Name	height	weight	age	USA Caps
1	Jack ISCARO	185cm	122kg	27	8
2	Kapeli PIFELETI	183cm	110kg	25	12
3	Alex MAUGHAN	178cm	122kg	29	4
4	Viliami HELU	193cm	107kg	28	8
5	Greg PETERSON	206cm	125kg	33	45
6	Paddy RYAN	188cm	111kg	25	8
7	Cory DANIEL	188cm	104kg	28	4
8	Jamason Fa’anana SCHULTZ	188m	122kg	28	12
9	Ruben de HAAS	183m	90kg	25	31
10	Luke CARTY	183cm	91kg	26	19
11	Nate AUGSPURGER	173cm	82kg	34	44
12	Tommaso BONI	185cm	103kg	31	7
13	Tavite LOPETI	180cm	91kg	25	13
14	Conner MOONEYHAM	183cm	93kg	26	2
15	Mitch WILSON	175cm	81kg	24	9

Kickoff for the first semifinal game was set for 19:00.

Just before the kickoff, a shimbi, Fiji’s War Cry, was performed.

Then, the match started.

The attendance for this match was 3,681. This was slightly less than the average number of spectators per League One game last season. The reason for this may be that the Japanese national team did not participate in the match, and the Japanese national team’s record this season has not been good, I guess.

In the match of the day, the U.S. national team put up a good fight. At last year’s RWC 2023, Fiji was more than evenly matched against the world’s top nations. Pre-match predictions called for Fiji to win by a wide margin over the 19th-ranked U.S. team after a convincing victory over Samoa, ranked 14th in the world.

The first goal was scored by the U.S. team on a PG, and by the end of the first half, Fiji had a 7-point lead, 3-10. Looking at the first half of the match, the U.S.’s fighting style was a defensive-oriented one. The U.S. did not use the double tackle that the Japanese national team often uses, and there were many occasions when they were able to beat Fiji one-on-one, a defensive approach that eliminated Fiji’s strengths. This meant that Fiji’s individual players could not connect with off-load passes while being tangled up with the opposing defenders in attack.

The U.S. national team’s tactic was to keep attacking in the enemy territory, while eliminating Fiji’s strengths, inducing penalties, and scoring through PGs. However, the team missed a PG in a relatively easy target position in the 17th minute of the first half, which was painful.

Still, the U.S. national team had a chance to turn things around in the second half, as they finished the first half with a 7-point lead.

And so the second half began.

In the second half, the U.S. team persisted in cutting off Fiji’s attacks. In the 11th minute of the second half, however, the Fiji national team attacked into enemy territory, secured the ball in a lineout, and connected passes for a gain, with WTB KARAWALEVU breaking through the enemy’s defensive net and going close to the in-goal, SH LOMANI received a pass, and

finally, the ball was connected to No.8 CANAKAIVATA, who scored a try in the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 17-3, giving the Fiji team a 14-point lead.

Fiji’s first goal of the second half, scored in ideal fashion, gave the Fiji team momentum, while the U.S. team began to feel tired.

In the 20th minute of the second half, Fiji’s attack became bolder, and the Fijian Magic team began to move the ball more aggressively from their own line, with the FW and BK working in unison. This made the Fijian Magic unstoppable, and SH LOMANI almost scored the winning try for the Fiji national team on the right edge of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 22-3.

The U.S. national team continued to attack, trying to get their revenge, even if it did not lead to victory, but in the end, the score remained 22-3.

Looking back on the match, the Fiji national team’s strength in set pieces, their strong defense after being attacked, and their attacking ability based on the physical strength of the individual players were outstandingly impressive. The current Fiji national team is also a very difficult opponent for the current Japanese team, as they have shown so much strength by bringing in many new players to replace old and new players. The second semifinal match on September 15 will be a lot of fun.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: September 14, 2024)

On September 7, 2024, Japan’s Test Match Series reached its seventh match. The results so far are as follows.

	Date	Opponent	match venue	Result
1	6/22	England	Tokyo	17-52●
2	6/29	Maori All Blacks	Tokyo	10-36●
3	7/6	Maori All Blacks	Toyoda	26-14○
4	7/13	Georgia	Sendai	23-25●
5	7/21	Italy	Sapporo	14-42●
6	8/25	Canada	Bancouver	55-28○
7	9/7	USA	Saitama
8	9/14 or 15	(Pacific Nations Cup Semi Final)	Tokyo
9	9/21	(Pacific Nations Cup Final or 3rd Place Game)	Osaka
10	10/26	All Blacks	Yokohama
11	11/9	France	Paris
12	11/24	England	London

Japan has played 6 matches so far, winning 2 and losing 4 (the Maori All Blacks match was not a test match, but it was in fact a Japan match, so I was including it in the same category).

The Japanese national team is currently participating in the Pacific Nations Cup, aiming to win the championship. Here is a brief explanation of the Pacific Nations Cup.

The Pacific Nations Cup is a rugby tournament in which six countries from the Pacific Rim region participate. The following six countries are participating in this year’s tournament.

Group A: Fiji, Samoa, Tonga

Group B: Japan, USA, Canada

Each group will play a round-robin tournament to determine their ranking, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the final tournament.

The schedule for the final tournament is as follows

9/14:

*Semifinals 1 : Group A 1st place vs Group B 2nd place

*5, 6 Ranking game: Group A 3rd place vs Group B 3rd place

9/15:

Semifinals 2 : Group A 2nd place vs Group B 1st place

9/21:

*3rd place match: Loser of each semi-final

*Final: Winners of each semifinal match

This PNC Cup is expected to be a qualifier for RWC 2027 next season; Fiji and Japan have already qualified for RWC 2027, but the other teams will need to finish high in the PNC to qualify.

Let me introduce the two teams that will be competing on this day.

First, let me introduce the Visitor Team, the United States National Rugby Team, also known as the American Eagles.

American Eagles:

Ranked 19th in the world (as of September 10, 2024), the American Eagles have participated in 8 of the 10 RWC tournaments. In the RWC tournament, they have been eliminated in the group leagues and have never made it to the finals tounament. In North America, a professional rugby league has been established in recent years, and the number of players is expanding. In addition, the U.S. is the host country of the RWC 2031, and is making efforts to strengthen its players. The U.S. team has won 10 games, lost 13, and drawn one against Japan, with the U.S. team winning more games than Japan. However, in the last 10 matches, Japan leads with 7 wins and 3 losses.

In this year’s PNC, the U.S. team won its first match against Canada 28-15 on August 31. The winner of today’s match against Japan will finish first in their group and advance to the semi-finals.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

	American Eagles
No.	Name	height	weight	age	USA Caps
1	Jack ISCARO	185cm	122kg	27	8
2	Kapeli PIFELETI	183cm	110kg	25	12
3	Alex MAUGHAN	178cm	122kg	29	4
4	Viliami HELU	193cm	107kg	28	8
5	Greg PETERSON	206cm	125kg	33	45
6	Paddy RYAN	188cm	111kg	25	8
7	Cory DANIEL	188cm	104kg	28	4
8	Jamason Fa’anana SCHULTZ	188m	122kg	28	12
9	Ruben de HAAS	183m	90kg	25	31
10	Luke CARTY	183cm	91kg	26	19
11	Nate AUGSPURGER	173cm	82kg	34	44
12	Tommaso BONI	185cm	103kg	31	7
13	Tavite LOPETI	180cm	91kg	25	13
14	Conner MOONEYHAM	183cm	93kg	26	2
15	Mitch WILSON	175cm	81kg	24	9

** Player to watch **

Jamason Fa’anana SCHULTZ. 188 cm, 122 kg, 28 years old. Position = FL, No. 8. caps for USA = 12.Born and raised in Australia, he played for the Queensland REDS of Super Rugby and the Red Hurricanes of Japan, and is currently a regular for Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby in North America. He is currently a regular player for Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby in North America.

In the American Eagles, he is the nucleus of the FW attack and has a strong offensive and defensive presence. For the Japanese national team, this is the player to look out for when they are attacked deep in their own territory.

Next, I would like to introduce the Japanese National Team, Brave Blossoms, which is the Home Team.

Brave Blossoms

Ranked 14th in the world (as of September 10, 2024), they have participated in all 10 RWC tournaments. In its own RWC 2019, the Japanese national team reached the final tournament for the first time. At the most recent RWC 2023, the team did not advance to the finals after winning two games and losing two games in the qualifying pool.

Starting in the 2024 season, the team will be led by world-class coach Eddie Jones, and will be aiming for a top-four finish at RWC 2027.

The immediate task is to change the team from the old to the new and to expand the player base. In the inaugural season of the new team, the team will actively use young players to gain experience while also aiming to win as a national team.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Shogo MIURA	180cm	108kg	29	11
2	Atsushi SAKATE	180cm	104kg	31	45
3	Keijiro TAMEFUSA	180cm	108kg	22	4
4	Sanaira WAQA	202cm	120kg	29	6
5	Warner DEARNS	201m	117kg	22	15
6	Tiennan COSTLEY	192m	102kg	24	3
7	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	25	7
8	Faulua MAKISI	187cm	112kg	27	9
9	Shinobu FUJIWARA	171cm	76kg	25	3
10	Seungsin LEE	176cm	86kg	23	15
11	Malo TUITAMA	182cm	91kg	28	1
12	Nicolas MCCURRAN	188cm	93kg	28	1
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	27	21
14	Jone NAIKABULA	177cm	95kg	30	12
15	Takuya YAMASAWA	176cm	84kg	29	7

** Player to watch **

Malo TUITAMA. 182 cm, 91 kg, 28 years old. Position = WTB. caps for Japan = 1.He is a native of Samoa, ranked No. 1 in the 2023-2024 League One try rankings, and was selected to start against Canada on August 25 after fulfilling Japan’s national team eligibility requirements in August, a long-awaited move by fans. He excels in decisiveness as a WTB and is always involved in the attack when there is a chance to score points, and does a decisive job. The Japanese national team is currently in a fierce competition with five players vying for the WTB position, and TUITAMA was immediately selected as a starter for two consecutive games after he decided to join the national team, which shows the high expectations of the leadership.

We look forward to seeing TUITAMA score a lot of tries in the upcoming test matches.

Now, let the match begin.

The match of the day was held at the Kumagaya Rugby Ground, the home ground of the Saitama Wild Knights. The attendance for the day was 10,677.

The stadium has a capacity of 15,000, and even though it was a national team game, the seats were a bit empty.

The attendance was a little sad because of the poor results of the test matches between June and August.

Now, let the games begin.

５ minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms started the match with a series of attacks from an early ball by SH FUJIWARA, and continued to play in the opponent’s territory. From the center of the enemy position, the ball was developed to the left side and passed to WTB TUITAMA, who ran down the left side and grounded it to the left center of the enemy’s in-goal for the first try. However, a VTR decision revealed that TUITAMA had run off his feet off the line midway through the game, and it was a no try.

The Brave Blossoms then continued to attack continuously in the enemy territory, gradually advancing. The Eagles were then fouled for offside in front of the goal post, 15 meters away. The Brave Blossoms opted to go for the PG, and SO LEE made steady progress to score the first points of the game.

The score was 3-0 and the Brave Blossoms took the lead.

15 minutes into the first half:

The Brave Blossoms had been consistent in their scrum and lineout set plays up until this time, and were successful in winning the ball in the tight battle. After a series of attacks, Brave Blossoms’ SO LEE gave up a short punt deep into the enemy territory, which CTB RILEY re-captured and passed to CTB MCCURRAN, who fo llowed up. He scored a try in the middle of the in-goal.

The try was a perfect example of the Brave Blossoms’ slogan for this year, “Super Fast Rugby”. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-0.

18 minutes into the first half:

The Eagles kicked off after the try, and the scrum was on their own ball, but the Brave Blossoms were fouled at the scrum.

The Eagles elected to go for the PG, which SO CARTY converted to make the score 10-3.

23 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms kicked the ball deep into their own territory, and FB Yamasawa kicked it back to the back right corner. The Eagles then won the ball in their own lineout from deep on their own left flank. However, SO CARTY made a knock-on on a pass from SH HAAS, resulting in a Brave Blossoms scrum just in front of the in-goal. Despite it being a night game, the hot and humid weather with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius seemed to have a negative effect on the handling of the ball.

From this position, the Brave Blossoms relentlessly attacked on the flanks with their FWs and went for the try by force. As they reached the enemy goal posts, LO WAQA dived through the opposing day defense and scored a try at the side of the goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 17-3, giving the Brave Blossoms a 14-point lead.

30 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms committed an infringement in their own half, giving the Eagles a chance to attack inside their own 22m line, where the Eagles, a physical and confident team, persisted in a flank attack by their flanks. The Brave Blossoms were forced to commit an infringement, and the Eagles came in looking for a try instead of a PG. The Eagles had a chance to take the ball out of their own line inside the enemy 22m line, and from there, they formed a maul, shifted to the right, and rushed into the enemy in-goal.

No.8 SCHULTZ scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was difficult to score in the right corner, but SO CARTY of the Eagles succeeded brilliantly to make the score 17-10.

38th minute of the first half:

The Brave Blossoms showed their team focus in the final minutes of the first half as they launched a series of attacks in the enemy territory in the final minutes of the first half, a time of increasing fatigue. In the continuous attack, each player of Brave Blossoms gradually made progress and approached the enemy’s in-goal. In the narrow area where the sideline was close, with skillful passing, substitute hooker HARADA scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

After the try, SO LEE scored the conversion goal from a difficult position in the right corner. Here, the first half ended with the score 24-10, Brave Blossoms leading by 14 points.

Here, it was halftime.

The first, middle, and no score were ideal for Brave Blossoms in the first half, but Eagles also scored more points when they got into the enemy’s territory, so we can expect another heated game in the second half.

Let’s get the second half underway.

５ minutes into the second half:

The Brave Blossoms were deep in their own territory, and under pressure from their opponents, they deployed to the right. CTB RILEY received a pass, and after crossing their own 22-meter line, he flew past the opposing defenders one after another with his fast feet, and scored a solo try about 80 meters out. He replicated the Big Gain he had shown in the previous match against Italy.

Once RILEY creates space in front of the ball, he is becoming a monster player who cannot be stopped by anyone.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-10.

11 minutes into the second half:

The Eagles took the momentum in this period, and once they got into the enemy territory, they continued to push forward with a series of flank attacks by their FWs.

The Eagles were able to secure possession of the ball from a lineout deep in enemy territory on the left flank, and from there they were able to be physical and score a try. The Brave Blossoms did well to hold off the attackers, and a tight battle ensued. However, the Eagles were able to move to the left and WTB AUGSPURGER came around and ran in for a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-17.

18 minutes into the second half:

In a scrum in the centre of the ground, Japan committed a collapsing infringement. Here, the Eagles opted for a penalty kick, and SO HAAS kicked an exquisite touch kick, and the Eagles quickly closed in on the opposition in-goal. Brave Blossoms defended hard to prevent the try, but from near the goal post, Eagles substitute SH SMITH moved to the left, and WTB AUGSPURGER went around the outside and scored his second try of the day.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-24, and the Eagles were finally within 7 points. At this point, the game was turning in the Eagles’ favor.

22 minutes into the second half:

From the restart kickoff after the try, the Brave Blossoms attacked in succession, making steady progress and advancing to the 22-meter line. Here, the Eagles committed an infringement and the Brave Blossoms elected to go for the PG. Since the Eagles were now trailing by 7 points, it seemed that the Brave Blossoms intended to use the PG to steadily add points to their lead and make sure that they would not be caught up in a one-chance game. Brave Blossoms’ SO LEE made a steady kick and the score was 34-24, a 10-point lead for Brave Blossoms.

This score brought a sense of calmness to the entire Brave Blossoms team.

26 minutes into the second half:

Brave Blossoms won a scrum in the center of the field, forcing their opponents into an infringement, from which they pushed deep into the enemy territory with a PK. From there, the Brave Blossoms took the ball out of their own lineout, and SO TATEKAWA, a substitute, brilliantly broke through the enemy’s defensive net. The ball was then passed from CTB RILEY to WTB TUITAMA, who grounded it just under the goal posts for a try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 41-24, giving the Brave Blossoms a 17-point lead over the Eagles and deciding the game.

The Brave Blossoms went on to win the match and their second straight test match victory.

The Eagles, however, were also able to close the gap to seven points in the final 20 minutes to put the Brave Blossoms on their heels.

The semifinals to follow will be played in the following combinations

9/14: Fiji (Group A, 1st place) vs USA (Group B, 2nd place)

9/15: Japan (Group B 1st) vs Samoa (Group A 2nd)

In this PNC, the teams in Group A are stronger in terms of world ranking, so there is a strong possibility that the Japanese team will lose in the semi-finals. As a fan of the Japanese team, I hope that the semifinals will be a match of equal strength.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: July 23, 2024)

On this day (July 6, 2024), Japan’s national rugby team played its third match. The opponent this day is Maori All Blacks, the same as the previous week.

First, let’s take a look back at the results of Japan’s games so far.

	Date	Opponent	match venue	Result
1	6/22	England	Tokyo	17-52　●
2	6/29	Maori All Blacks	Tokyo	10-36　●
3	7/6	Maori All Blacks	Toyoda
4	7/13	Georgia	Sendai
5	7/21	Italy	Sapporo
6	8/25	Canada	Bancouver
7	9/7	USA	Saitama
8	9/14 or 15	(Pacific Nations Cup Semi Final)	Tokyo
9	9/21	(Pacific Nations Cup Final or 3rd Place Game)	Osaka
10	10/26	All Blacks	Tokyo
11	11/9	France	Paris
12	11/24	England	London

In the two matches played so far, the Japanese team has lost two games in a row. I hope that the Japanese team will be able to rally in the third round.

The venue for today’s match is TOYOTA Stadium in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. We drove from Hachioji City, Tokyo, to the venue, which was about 300 km away and took about 5 hours.

The number of spectators on that day was 14,613, which was a little sad for a match of the Japanese national team.

It was a pity that the crowd was smaller than expected, since Aichi Prefecture had over 30,000 spectators when Toyota Berblitz, a local team, played in Aichi Prefecture. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the Japanese national team had lost two consecutive games.

The game started at 18:00 on this day, so the sun had not yet set. However, the temperature was over 30 degrees Celsius, which was quite harsh for the players in terms of rugby match conditions.

Now, let me give you an update on both teams for the day’s matches.

First, let me introduce the Visitor Team, MAORI All Blacks.

The Maori All Blacks traveled to Aichi Prefecture after playing in Tokyo the week before, where the temperature was over 35 degrees Celsius the day before the game. Before coming to Japan, the players had practiced in their home country of New Zealand, so they had to move from their home country in midwinter to Japan in mid-summer. This difference in temperature is very harsh on the Maori All Blacks players. It may affect them in the second half of the match.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Maori All Blacks
No.	Name	height	weight	age	NZ Caps
1	Pouri RAKETE-STONES	183cm	118kg	27
2	Kurt EKLUND	180cm	103kg	32
3	Marcel RENATA	187cm	121kg	30
4	Isaia WALKER-LEAWERE	197cm	122kg	27
5	Laghlan McWhannell	198cm	120kg	25
6	Tekamaka HOWDEN	196cm	118kg	26
7	Billy HARMON	187cm	104kg	29
8	Cameron SUAFOA	196m	118kg	26	1
9	Sam NOCK	178m	85kg	28
10	Rivez REIHANA	189cm	94kg	24
11	Bailyn SULLIVAN	187cm	89kg	22
12	Quinn TUPAEA	186cm	102kg	25	14
13	Rameka POIHIPI	187cm	105kg	25
14	Joshua MOORBY	188cm	96kg	25
15	Cole FORBES	180cm	91kg	24

They have not changed almost all the members from last week’s game. The combination of the players in the game should improve.

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Bailyn SULLIVAN, 187 cm, 89 kg, 22 years old, plays for Pacific Hurricanes of Super Rugby. Position = WTB, CTB.

In his professional career, SULLIVAN has played a decisive role in deciding winners and losers in important matches.

In the previous week’s match, he left a strong impression on Japanese fans with his powerful tackle to deny Japan XV WTB TUIDORAKI’s almost certain try.

Japan XV will need to be careful not to let the ball get to SULLIVAN at the decisive moment.

And now, an update on the home team, JAPAN XV.

Pictured above is Eddie JONES, HC of the national team. This was the third game for the new team, and although HC JONES’ slogan of “super-fast rugby” has not been realized in total matches, glimpses of it have been shown from time to time. In this match, the team’s ability to score steadily in front of the enemy’s in-goal will be tested.

The starting lineup for the day was as follows.

No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Shogo MIURA	180cm	108kg	29	10
2	Mamoru HARADA	175cm	101kg	25	1
3	Keijiro TAMEFUSA	180cm	108kg	22	1
4	Eishin KUWANO	193cm	112kg	29
5	Naohiro KOTAKI	194m	110kg	32	11
6	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	187cm	106kg	25	5
7	Kai YAMAMOTO	177cm	98kg	24	1
8	Amanaki SAUMAKI	189cm	108kg	27	4
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	75kg	26	20
10	Takuya YAMASAWA	176cm	84kg	29	7
11	Koga NEZUKA	173cm	82kg	25	2
12	Samisoni TUA	182cm	108kg	28	1
13	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	24	8
14	Taiti TAKAHASHI	180cm	91kg	28	1
15	Yoshitaka YAZAKI	180cm	85kg	20	1

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Taichi TAKAHASHI is 28 years old, 180cm, 91kg. Position = WTB, plays for Toyota VERBLITZ, and is a graduate of Meiji University. He is a big, decisive WTB who was called up to the national team training camp early on, but was not selected for the RWC 2023 team. In the 2023-2024 season, he also played FB for his team Verblitz, and was a League One try king contender. This season will be a year of competition to see if he can win a regular position in the new Japan national team.

Let’s get the match underway.

10 minutes into the first half:

In the previous matches, JAPAN XV has been stable in set plays such as scrums and lineouts, and has often attacked in enemy territory, but after crossing the 22-meter line, they have made a series of mistakes and missed scoring opportunities.

At the start of the match, JAPAN XV was able to advance the game in the opponent’s territory after attacking into the enemy territory. After a foul by the opposing team, Japan XV’s SH Saito quickly turned the ball to the left, and the ball was passed to CTB TUA who ran up the left line, bounced off the opposing defense, and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal failed, and the score was 5-0.

22 minutes into the first half:

Maori All Blacks attacked deep into enemy territory. From a scrum, the Maori All Blacks attacked deep into enemy territory, but from a scrum on their own ball, JAPAN XV took the ball to the left and launched a series of attacks, including a touch kick by Japan XV’s SO Yamasawa that extended to the enemy 22-meter line, where it went off the line. From there, it was Maori All Blacks’ own ball lineout, and they started to attack, but committed an offside infringement. From this position near the enemy 22m line, JAPAN XV chose to go for the PG, and SO Yamasawa scored steadily to add to their tally. The score was 8-0.

In previous training matches of the Japan national team, there were many occasions when the opposing team scored goals consecutively from the first 20 minutes onward. In this match, however, JAPAN XV’s defense did not break down and held their opponents scoreless.

Also on this day, both teams seemed to slide on the ball due to the heat and humidity, resulting in many knock-on penalties during consecutive attacks, which prevented them from scoring. Thus, the first half ended with the score at 8-0.

With a score difference of only 8 points, both teams have a good chance to win the game, but who will be the first to score in the second half and take control of the match?

Let’s get the second half underway.

5 minutes into the second half:

Maori All Blacks attacked from their own half and steadily pushed deep into the enemy territory. Maori All Blacks tried to advance with a maul from a lineout on their own ball. Japan XV had been unbeatable in set plays up to this point, but Maori All Blacks broke down their opponents with a maul and advanced nearly 10 meters to score a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal. The try was scored by hooker EKLUND.

Maori All Blacks scored early in the second half to pull the game back in their favor.

10 minutes into the second half:

Japan XV attacked deep into the enemy territory and launched a series of attacks. Maori All Blacks committed an infringement just beyond the enemy 22-meter line, and Japan XV opted to go for the PG about 20 meters away, almost in front of the enemy goal.

Japan XV’s SO Yamasawa converted the PG to make the score 11-7.

13 minutes into the second half:

The game was getting close, and either team could have won. Here, Japan XV showed a high level of movement by all players, as if this was their chance to win the game. They attacked continuously across the enemy 22-meter line, and showed continuous high intensity contact play from the left edge of the field to the right. During this period, Maori All Blacks seemed to be on the receiving end somewhat. As they approached the enemy’s in-goal, a tight group formed, and prop TAKEUCHI rose up from the middle of the group to score a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 18-7.

27 minutes into the second half:

With the Japan XV try, the Maori All Blacks went into battle mode. However, Maori All Blacks were a little outclassed in the FW set pieces and when they did get going, they were outmuscled in contact play. The only thing they were winning was the maul attack, and they seized the opportunity at this time. After a Japan XV foul in enemy territory, the Maori All Blacks were awarded a penalty kick and came within inches of the enemy in-goal, mauled their way forward, and finally took the lead when substitute Hooker TOMPSON scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 18-14.

33 minutes into the second half:

Japan XV attacked into enemy territory and went slightly on the offensive, and the game was suspended for a foul. A video review confirmed that Maori All Blacks had committed a Crocodile Roll in a tight group. This is when a player pulls an opponent out of a tight group. It is so named because it resembles the way a crocodile rolls when it attacks its prey. The use of the Crocodile Roll was banned this season because of the high possibility of serious injury to the opponent.

The infringement caused the Maori All Blacks to temporarily eject the offending player, giving Japan XV the right to play PG. FB YAZAKI scored the PG for Japan XV to make the score 21-14.

36 minutes into the second half:

Japan XV had a lineout opportunity on the right side just in front of the enemy’s in-goal. The Japan XV team then took the ball and moved forward in a maul to score a try.

The conversion attempt failed and the score was 26-14.

The score remained 26-14, and the match ended with Japan XV’s first win in the long-awaited series of training matches.

Can JAPAN XV build on this victory with more wins in the following week’s matches? We look forward to the next week’s matches and beyond.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: July 15, 2024)

The second of the series of test matches and training matches for the Japan national rugby team in 2024 took place on June 29, 2024 at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Here is a recap of the Japan national team’s match schedule and results so far this season.

	Date	Opponent	match venue	Result
1	6/22	England	Tokyo	１７－５２ ●
2	6/29	Maori All Blacks	Tokyo
3	7/6	Maori All Blacks	Toyoda
4	7/13	Georgia	Sendai
5	7/21	Italy	Sapporo
6	8/25	Canada	Bancouver
7	9/7	USA	Saitama
8	9/14 or 15	(Pacific Nations Cup Semi Final)	Tokyo
9	9/21	(Pacific Nations Cup Final or 3rd Place Game)	Osaka
10	10/26	All Blacks	Tokyo
11	11/9	France	Paris
12	11/24	England	London

In the first match on June 22, the team suffered a complete defeat against the England national team. The second match was against Maori All Blacks.

Maori All Blacks is not an official national team, so the players are not given a national CAP, but the Japanese team that will be playing against Maori All Blacks is, in effect, the national team of Japan. team. Like the England team, the Japanese team has never won against the Maori All Blacks. It was interesting to see how the Japan XV team fares against this powerful team.

Here is the latest information on both teams.

First, let’s look at the home team, Japan XV.

One of the goals of the new Japan XV team this season is to strengthen its roster. That is, to give young players opportunities to play and gain experience in international matches, and to develop at least three players in each position.

The starters for the day were as follows.

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Shogo MIURA	180cm	108kg	29	10
2	Mamoru HARADA	175cm	101kg	25	1
3	Keijiro TAMEFUSA	180cm	108kg	22	1
4	Eishin KUWANO	193cm	112kg	29
5	Naohiro KOTAKI	194m	110kg	32	11
6	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	187cm	106kg	25	5
7	Kai YAMAMOTO	177cm	98kg	24	1
8	Amanaki SAUMAKI	189cm	108kg	27	4
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	75kg	26	20
10	Takuya YAMASAWA	176cm	84kg	29	7
11	Koga NEZUKA	173cm	82kg	25	2
12	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	24	8
13	Samisoni TUA	182cm	108kg	28	1
14	Viliame TUIDRAKI	184cm	99kg	27	0
15	Yoshitaka YAZAKI	180cm	85kg	20	1

In this Japan XV team, there were seven players under the age of 25, numbered 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, and 15. As they grow into the mainstay class of RWC 2027, they will raise the level of the Japan national team. (Although OSADA, number 12, has already grown into one of the mainstays of the Japanese national team.)

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

Viliame TUIDORAKI. 184 cm, 99 kg, 27 years old. Position = WTB, FB. team = TOYOTA Verblitz. hometown = Fiji. His father, Patiliai, was a famous player who got 7 caps for Fiji and 19 caps for Japan. His position was WTB.

As a native of Fiji, his weapon of choice is his outstanding speed, and he has been a member of TOYOTA since 2022, where he has been a regular WTB player. He is also a big man, which is in line with the recent world rugby trend, and has scored many tries for his team, TOYOTA. He was selected for the Japan XV for the first time, but will he be able to establish himself as a regular player in the Japanese national team?

Next, I would like to introduce Maori All Blacks, the Visitor Team of the day.

Maori All Blacks was first formed in 1888. It is not a subordinate team of the All Blacks, and in New Zealand, being selected as a Maori All Blacks is considered an honor in itself. The following are some of their major past victories.

1946: Complete victory over the Australian national team: 20-0

1961: Defeat the French national team: 5-3

1981 Draw against South Africa: 12-12

2005 Defeat British & Irish Lions: 19-13

2010: Defeat England: 35-28

2022: Defeat Ireland: 32-17

(The team has won all three of its previous matches against Japan)

The Maori All Blacks are not a national team, so they are not qualified for the RWC, and their matches are not recognized as test matches, but they are considered to be more than a top 8 RWC team in terms of their abilities.

The starting lineup for the day was as follows.

Maori All Blacks
No.	Name	height	weight	age	NZ Caps
1	Ollie NORRIS	195cm	126kg	25
2	Kurt EKLUND	180cm	103kg	32
3	Marcel RENATA	187cm	121kg	30
4	Isaia WALKER-LEAWERE	197cm	122kg	27
5	Laghlan McWhannell	198cm	120kg	25
6	Cameron SUAFOA	196cm	116kg	26
7	Billy HARMON	187cm	104kg	29
8	Cullen GRACE	193m	105kg	24	1
9	Sam NOCK	178m	85kg	28
10	Rivez REIHANA	189cm	94kg	24
11	Bailyn SULLIVAN	187cm	89kg	22
12	Quinn TUPAEA	186cm	102kg	25	14
13	Daniel RONA	187cm	97kg	23
14	Joshua MOORBY	188cm	96kg	25
15	Cole FORBES	180cm	91kg	24

＊＊ Player to watch **

Rivez REIHANA. 189 cm, 94 kg, 24 years old. He was selected for the U20 New Zealand national team at the age of 19, and has been rapidly improving his career since then. He will lead his team to victory with his advanced skills as a SO, accurate and long-distance kicking, and strong mentality.

Now, the game is about to begin. Kick-off time was 19:00. The weather was sunny. The temperature was 30 degrees Celsius. The attendance was 13,565.

6 minutes into the first half:

Japan XV kicked off the match. Japan XV kept the ball deep in the enemy territory and attacked in succession, getting as close as the enemy 22-meter line through SO Yamasawa’s cut-in play and FB YAZAKI’s line break.

Also in this match, JAPAN XV continued their dominance in set pieces, as they did against England last week. They pushed forward in the scrum, drew an infringement from their opponents, and took advantage of a penalty kick opportunity to advance their position in front of the enemy in-goal on the left side of the field.

After a lineout in front of the enemy in-goal, JAPAN XV secured the ball and formed a maul to score a try.

Japan XV’s advance was blocked by Maori All Blacks, but from there, Japan XV attacked on the side, CTB TUA moved forward, and the ball was passed to hooker Harada, who scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left side.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but JAPAN XV scored first. The score was 5-0.

9 minutes into the first half:

From the kickoff after the try, Maori All Blacks attacked in succession and moved to the right, where the ball was passed to WTB MOORBY, who quickly moved forward to close in on the enemy’s in-goal. From there, Maori All Blacks came out of a tight battle and FL SUAFOA took the ball out and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

After the try, the conversion goal failed and the score was even at 5-5.

After that, both teams remained close on the score.

28 minutes into the first half:

Maori All Blacks showed great determination to score as they crossed the enemy 22m line. Then hooker EKLUND broke out of a tight pack just in front of the in-goal and burst past two opposing defenders to score a try in the middle of the field on the right.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 5-12.

36 minutes into the first half:

Maori All Blacks had a penalty kick opportunity in front of the goal at the 10m line. Maori All Blacks had a lineout on their own ball, secured the ball, and then a maul was set up and FL HARMON rushed through for an easy breakaway and a try right in the middle of the field.

After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 5-17.

The first half ended with the score at 5-17. As in the previous week’s match against England, Japan XV was unable to score more points, as they had problems with coordination deep in the enemy territory. Will they be able to get back on track by the second half of the match?

Let’s start the second half.

3 minutes into the second half:

Maori All Blacks kicked off the second half. JAPAN XV caught the ball, and SH KOYAMA tried to recover their position by raising the box kick from a tight position, but it was a missed kick that went almost straight up. Japan XV was fouled and the MAORI All Blacks were awarded a penalty kick, leading to a lineout near the enemy 22m line, from where WTB BAILING penetrated the crowded side and easily went in-goal for a try in the left center.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 5-22.

Looking at JAPAN XV’s game up to this point, the following problems can be seen.

In the attacking phase, JAPAN XV was too conscious of the early development of the game in the vicinity of the enemy’s 22m, resulting in many minor mistakes such as knock-ons, which made it impossible for them to score points.

The team runs out of energy around the midway point of the match, and the opponent easily breaks through the dense side of the field, resulting in many points being scored.

21 minutes into the second half:

JAPAN XV received the ball on the halfway line, and FB YAZAKI tried to counter-attack first. NEZUKA cut in deep into enemy territory, where he was caught by the defense, and MAORI All Blacks counter attacked. The CTB POIHIPI, who came on as a substitute, ran into the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal and scored a try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 5-29.

29 minutes into the second half:

MAORI All Blacks got into the enemy territory, the ball was spread out from a tight group, the SO got behind the enemy defense, and the ball was spread to the right, CTB POIHIPI got the ball and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal. It was POIHIPI’s second try of the day.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 5-36.

40 minutes into the second half:

The JAPAN XV had not been able to score at all after opening the scoring early in the first half. Looking ahead to the next round and beyond, JAPAN XV wanted to score a try at the end.

A penalty kick by the opposing team led to a lineout on their own ball deep in enemy territory, from which they surged forward in a maul and went in for a try, but the maul was crushed and a tight battle ensued. From this position, Japan XV substitute SH Saito passed the ball to WTB Nezuka, who was waiting in the left corner, and Nezuka scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the final score of the match was 10-36.

This was the second straight loss for Japan in the national team’s training matches that began on June 22, and they have yet to even come close to winning a game. Will the Japanese national team be able to win the next week’s matches? The road ahead is a difficult one, but we will keep our eyes on them.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: July 3, 2024)

6 months have passed since the conclusion of the RWC 2023 and rugby teams around the world have begun to prepare for the next RWC 2027.

Japan’s national rugby team began a series of test matches against world powers this past week.

The schedule for the national team this season is as follows. The team is scheduled to play 12 matches in the next six months until November.

	Date	Opponent	match venue	Result
1	6/22	England	Tokyo
2	6/29	Maori All Blacks	Tokyo
3	7/6	Maori All Blacks	Toyoda
4	7/13	Georgia	Sendai
5	7/21	Italy	Sapporo
6	8/25	Canada	Bancouver
7	9/7	USA	Saitama
8	9/14 or 15	(Pacific Nations Cup Semi Final)	Tokyo
9	9/21	(Pacific Nations Cup Final or 3rd Place Game)	Osaka
10	10/26	All Blacks	Tokyo
11	11/9	France	Paris
12	11/24	England	London

The challenges for not only the Japanese national team but also the teams of other countries are to replace old and new members of the team, and to discover and develop young players.

Eddie Jones, who served as the head coach of Japan from 2011 to 2015, was appointed as the head coach of the new Japan national team this season, and was the Japan’s head coach at the RWC 2015, which was the biggest upset in the history of sports at the time, Japan’s victory against South Africa. He was the HC of Japan in what was then considered the biggest upset in the history of the sport. He was reappointed HC of Japan in 2024.

Jones is a world-class general who has served as head coach not only of the Japan national team, but also of the Australia and England national teams. How he will strengthen the Japan national team over the next four years is the focus and expectation of rugby fans all over Japan.

The first match of the national team’s Test Match Series was held on June 22, 2024, at the National Stadium in Shibuya, Tokyo. The start time of the match was 14:50.

The seats I reserved on the day were the cheapest Category 4 seats, but they were on the second floor behind the goal, and the price was 5,000 yen. However, they were reserved seats, so even though I arrived at the stadium just before the game, I was able to be seated with plenty of time to spare.

Let me introduce the two teams that played that day.

First, let me introduce the England team, the Visitor Tam.

The England national team, the birthplace of rugby, is a strong team from the northern hemisphere that won the RWC 2003 and came in third in the RWC 2023.

In the past, the Japanese national team has lost all 11 matches it has played against England.

The basic tactic of the English national team has traditionally been to use the Up and Under tactic, which is to high punt the ball up, put pressure on the opponent who is trying to catch the ball, re-gain the ball, and attack again. This tactic is more effective against teams that are less physical than England.

It will be interesting to see how the Japanese national team will fare against the traditional English team.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

England
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Caps
1	Bevan RODD	183cm	118kg	23	6
2	Jamie GEORGE	178cm	113kg	33	70
3	Dan COLE	190cm	123kg	37	105
4	Maro ITOJE	195cm	115kg	28	57
5	George MARTIN	198cm	118kg	23	10
6	Chandler CUNNINGUM-SOUTH	193cm	120kg	24	6
7	Sam UNDERHILL	186cm	103kg	27	23
8	Ben EARL	183cm	107kg	26	26
9	Alex MITCHELL	178cm	89kg	27	13
10	Marcus SMITH	170cm	82kg	25	33
11	Tommy FREEMAN	188cm	92kg	23	9
12	Ollie LAWRENCE	180cm	101kg	24	22
13	Henry SLADE	191cm	96kg	31	35
14	Immanuel FEYI-WABOSO	180cm	94kg	21	5
15	George FURBANK	182cm	92kg	27	10

After this match, the England team will travel to New Zealand to play two test matches against the All Blacks, the national team of New Zealand.

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Marcus Smith. 170 cm, 82 kg, 25 years old. Position = SO, FB, a player Eddie Jones used heavily when he was the head coach of the England national team. He is an Asian Englishman from the Philippines. He plays the traditional up-and-under tactics of the English national team, but his real strength lies in his ability to find the opposing team’s flaws and make a run play. He is a player with a wide vision, so the back three of the Japanese team will have to be careful.

Next, I would like to introduce the home team, the Japan National Team.

The national team is a new team and is currently undergoing a transition from old to new. The average age of the team is significantly younger, and university student players have been prominently selected. the team’s tactical concept, advocated by Head Coach Eddie Jones, is described in terms of “super-fast rugby.

* Teams ranked higher than Japan in the world rankings are naturally stronger than Japan in terms of physicality. To compensate for this power difference, the entire team will increase the speed of their decision making and counter the power difference with speed.

Basically, the above concept will be the basis of Japan’s national team from this season onward. However, it will take time for these team tactics to mature. If the team continues to lose too many matches, it will be necessary to make changes in the course of the game. In professional sports, results are everything.

The starting lineup for this match was as follows

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Takayoshi MOBARA	188cm	125kg	24	1
2	Mamoru HARADA	175cm	101kg	25	1
3	Shuhei TAKEUCHI	183cm	115kg	26	4
4	Sanaila WAQA	202cm	120kg	28	3
5	Warner DEARNS	201m	117kg	22	12
6	Michael LEITCH	190cm	105kg	35	85
7	Tiennan COSTLEY	191cm	100kg	24	1
8	Faulua MAKISI	186cm	108kg	27	6
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	75kg	26	20
10	Seungsin LEE	176cm	88kg	23	12
11	Koga NAZUKA	173cm	82kg	25	2
12	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	24	8
13	Samisoni TUA	182cm	108kg	28	1
14	Jone NAIKABULA	177cm	95kg	30	9
15	Yoshitaka YAZAKI	180cm	85kg	20	1

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Yoshitaka YAZAKI is 20 years old, 180 cm, 85 kg. Position=FB.He is a sophomore at Waseda University. He participated in the national team selection camp as a trainee, and was selected as a starter for the test match against England after HC Eddie Jones recognized his potential. He has been selected for all the national teams in his age group, and now he will make his debut for the full national team. He is young and still developing, so his physique is not yet complete, and he is sometimes vulnerable in contact, but his outstanding speed is what makes him stand out. His acceleration speed is so fast that there are times when other players cannot keep up with him. It is expected that he will grow within the national team in the future.

Now, let the games begin.

The attendance for the day was 44,029.

Just before kickoff, the sky, which had been cloudy until then, was suddenly filled with the summer sun. The temperature that day was 30 degrees Celsius, a harsh heat for the players actually playing.

2 minutes into the first half:

The game started with the kickoff by the Japanese national team. The ball was kicked deep into enemy territory by the Japan team, and from there, the Japan team caught a lineout of their own ball and expanded to the right. When the Japan team made contact, the England team committed a foul by falling down. The Japan team opted to go for the PG, as they were almost in front of the goal posts.

LEE, the Japan team’s SO, scored the PG to make the score 3-0.

14 minutes into the first half:

At this point, the Japan team had about 75% control of the ball, and was developing a dominant attacking position. The Japan team was also very consistent in their own ball scrums, lineouts, and maul defense.

The England team tried to advance with a maul once they were in enemy territory, but when this was blocked, they switched to a persistent attack on the dense side of the ruck, gradually closing in on the enemy’s in-goal. Then, FL CUNNINGUM-SOUTH scored a try in the right center of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 3-7, England team took the lead.

24 minutes into the first half:

After a series of attacks, the Japan team crossed the 10-meter line and were caught by the opposing team’s defense, where they were penalized. The England team, from a lineout on their own ball, used sign play to get behind their opponents’ defenders. SO Smith of the England team ran in, got the ball, and drove forward more than 30 meters to score a try right under the enemy goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 3-14.

29 minutes into the first half:

The Japanese team was attacked by the English team in their own half, and SO LEE kicked the ball back deep into enemy territory. The ball was kicked back by England’s SO SMITH, but it bounced out beyond the 22-meter line, resulting in a 50-22 rule and a lineout for England. Again, the Japanese team was in trouble.

This was because the Japan team had no one to defend in this space, which was a shortcoming of a hastily built team.

From this position, the England team again attacked on the flanks in a tight formation, and came close to scoring in-goal. Finally, SO Smith received the ball out of the pack and connected with a long pass to WTB FEYI-WABONG for the try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 3-21.

After the horn sounded to end the first half, the Japanese team tried to continue their attack, but perhaps tired from the first half, a monotonous pass went sideways, and the England defenders got involved, resulting in a turnover. From here, the England team made full use of a series of attacks to score the final try. SO Smith took the opponents by surprise and did a kick pass to the right side, where CTB Slade ran in and made a great catch to score a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 3-26.

The first half ended here.

At the end of the first half, the Japanese team did a good job at set pieces and were more than evenly matched, but their key attack was not able to score as they made a series of mistakes in front of the in-goal. In contrast, the English team scored at every opportunity once they crossed the 22-meter line. The difference in decisiveness between the two teams was too obvious. Will the Japanese team be able to correct their attack in the second half and get back in the game?

Let’s begin the second half.

３ minutes into the second half:

England kicked off the second half. Japan’s set pieces are as steady as ever, but they still couldn’t stop the England team from advancing when they get into a tight corner.

The England team came close to scoring a try when SH MITCHELL ran in from the side of the pack and scored just under the goal posts.

The conversion goal was also successful, making the score 3-33.

9 minutes into the second half:

At this point in the game, the Japan team was making almost no headway in attack. Instead of the whole-team development attacks seen at the beginning of the match, the Japan team began to settle for one-shot attacks.

In contrast, the England team was able to exploit the opponents’ infringements, and once they were deep in the enemy territory, they attacked persistently on the crowded flanks. The England team was able to get at least 1m advance after being tackled from each player.And when they found a weak point, they were determined to attack it.

Finally, England’s No. 8 EARL scored a try in the right center of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 3-38.

18 minutes into the second half:

With just over 20 minutes remaining in the match, both teams made a series of player changes. The England team’s relentless flanking attack in the tight quarters left the Japan team helpless, and the players seemed to be gradually wearing down. The England team then moved closer to the enemy’s in-goal, and after a series of side attacks, substitute SH Randall scored a try in the right center.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was finally 3-45.

26 minutes into the second half:

Both teams continued to play in temperatures in excess of 30 degrees Celsius, and fatigue was becoming noticeable. During this time, player changes were made and the newly introduced players were noticeable.

SH FUJIWARA, who came on as a substitute for the Japanese team, showed good energy first, and the Japanese team advanced to about 10 meters from the enemy line with a series of attacks. From a set play, FL YAMAMOTO broke through the England defense and went 5 meters in front of the goalposts. From there, the Japanese team moved to the right, and a long pass by LO DEARNS was reached to WTB NEZUKA, who was waiting in the left corner, and NEZUKA scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

SO MATSUDA, a substitute, succeeded in scoring the difficult conversion goal from the left corner, making the score 10-45. This was the long-awaited first try for the Japanese team.

29 minutes into the second half:

Toward the end of the match, the time had come for Japan to go on the offensive, with a crowd of over 40,000 people waiting for them. Japan’s SH FUJIWARA led a series of attacks into enemy territory, and when the ball was passed to LO DEARNS, he used his 201cm height and tricky handling to get in front of the English defense. Using his quick feet, he made his way to the goal post, and as the English defense was closing in, he passed the ball to the Japan　team’s FB Yamasawa, who followed up and scored a try right under the goal post.

The biggest cheer of the day echoed through the National Stadium. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 17-45.

37 minutes into the second half:

Japan’s maul defense had been strong up to this point, but in the closing minutes of the match, the England team broke through in front of their own in-goal and scored a try. The try was scored by England’s FL Underhill.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 17-52.

The score remained 17-52, and the game went to full time, with England winning the match.

This was the first game for the Japanese national team for the RWC 2027, but they suffered a complete defeat against a strong England team, and the “super-fast Rugby” advocated by HC Eddie JONES is still expected to take time to penetrate the team. However, the set play of the FWs showed progress in this short period of just over a month. This has given me high expectations for Japan’s games in the next week and beyond. I wish Japan’s national team the best of luck for the rematch with England this fall.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: June 11, 2024)

The Japan Rugby League One playoff final to conclude the 2023-2024 season was held on May 25, 2024. The final was held at the National Stadium in Tokyo. The final was held at Tokyo’s National Stadium and attracted 56,486 spectators, the largest attendance in League One’s history.

Judging from last season’s results, I was expecting about 40,000 people to show up, but I was wrong in a good way. I hope that the League One game will continue to develop better and that the Japanese national rugby team, which grew out of this event, will perform well at RWC 2027.

And it was a fair matchup between Wild Knights, who finished first in the league this season, and Brave Lupas, who finished second, who advanced to this final stage.

At the venue, ASANO caster of J Sports, who will broadcast live the day’s broadcast, could also be seen.

By the way, it had been about two months since I had been to the National Stadium, and with such a large crowd, the view and cheering were spectacular.

The temperature that day was 25 degrees, making it a perfect day for spectators to watch the game. For the players, it might have been a little hotter.

Although the main visitors were supporters of both teams, there were many supporters of other teams as well, since this is the highest level of Japanese rugby.

Now, let me introduce the two teams that will be playing in this match.

First of all, let me introduce Panasonic Wild Knights, the first place team in the league.

The Wild Knights’ league record this season was 16 wins and no losses. In addition, they ranked first in total points scored and first in team defense (fewest runs allowed) in the league this season. Last season, the team lost in the finals and regrettably failed to win the league championship for the third consecutive year, but the way they have played this season, they deserve the title of “absolute champions. In addition, HOOKER HORIE and SH UCHIDA, the team’s spiritual pillars, announced their retirement at this game, so this final was a game that the Wild Knights could not afford to lose.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.

Panasonic Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Daniel PEREZ	185cm	108kg	27
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	30	Japan 41cap
3	Taiki Fujii	183cm	114kg	25
4	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	29	Japan 20cap
5	Lood De JAGER	206cm	127kg	30	Soth Africa 65cap
6	Ben GUNTER	195cm	120kg	26	Japan 8cap
7	Lachlan BOSHIER	191cm	110kg	29
8	Shota FUKUI	185cm	101kg	24	Japan 3cap
9	Daiki Koyama	171cm	74kg	29	Japan
10	Rikiya Matsuda	181cm	92kg	29	Japan 37cap
11	Marika KOROIBETE	182cm	96kg	31	Australia 59cap
12	Damian De ALLENDE	190cm	105kg	32	Soth Africa 78cap
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	26	Japan 18cap
14	Kohki TAKEYAMA	175cm	87kg	27	Japan 1cap
15	Takuya YAMASAWA	176cm	84kg	29	Japan 6cap

The best members of the team were all present for the final, with almost no injuries (although INAGAKI, the Japan national team prop, was absent).

＊＊　Player to watch　　＊＊

(The dreadlocks style player on the left in the photo is HORIE)

Shota HORIE. 180 cm, 105 kg, 38 years old. Position = Hooker. He is a graduate of Teikyo University and has played in four consecutive RWC tournaments: RWC 2011 NZ, 2015 England, 2019 Japan, and 2023 France. In recent years, he has made his presence felt as an impact player, often starting in the second half of games. He is known as a “rusbos (=game changer)” among fans for his ability to turn the tide and lead his team to victory even in poor games.

Next up is today’s Wild Knights opponent, TOSHIBA Brave Lupas.

TOSHIBA, formerly known to fans as TOSHIBA FUCHU, is a five-time champion in the Top League, the predecessor to League One, along with Panasonic and SUNTORY. However, in recent years, they have not performed well and have been languishing in the middle of the pack, but this time, they have made it to the finals after a long absence. If they win the championship here, it will be the first time in 14 years. The team is known for its head-to-head aggressiveness, with a focus on the front rows. This season, the team finished in second place in the league standings with a record of 15 wins and 1 loss. It was the Wild Knights who suffered that one loss. Brave Lupas will be looking for a win in this final as a team and as fans.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

TOSHIBA Brave Lupas
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Sena KIMURA	175cm	105kg	24
2	Mamoru HARADA	175cm	101kg	24
3	Yuta KOKAJI	176cm	109kg	25
4	Warner Dearns	202cm	123kg	21	Japan 11caps
5	Jacob PIERCE	201cm	106kg	26
6	Shannon FRIZELL	195cm	114kg	29	New Zealand  33caps
7	Takeshi SASAKI	180cm	101kg	26
8	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	35	Japan 84caps
9	Yuhei Sugiyama	169cm	76kg	26
10	Richie MO’UNGA	176cm	83kg	30	New Zealand  56caps
11	Atsuki KUWAYAMA	183cm	90kg	26
12	Nicholas McCURRAN	188cm	93kg	27
13	Michael COLLINS	187cm	94kg	30
14	Jone NAIKABULA	177cm	95kg	29	Japan 8caps
15	Takuro MATSUNAGA	172cm	82kg	25

Brave Lupas were without No.8 Leach MICHAEL and WTB NAIKABULA (both Japanese national team players) early in the season, and SO MO’UNGA (NZ national team player) was also sidelined at the end of the season, but still managed to hold on to 2nd place in the league. This shows the strength of the team this season, and in this final, they were able to play with their best team members. We expect the team to play a match worthy of being the strongest in the country.

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Richie MO’UNGA. 176cm, 83kg, 30 years old. Position=SO, NZ cap=56. I have mentioned him before as a player to watch, but MO’UNGA is indispensable for Brave Lupas to win the championship. His addition to Brave Lupas this season has clearly changed the team’s attack. For the opposing team, Brave Lupas this season is a threat because of the variety of tactics they use with MO’UNGA at the center, making it difficult to narrow down the target. MO’UNGA has also shown many times this season that it can detect the seeds of danger in advance and prevent it from happening in the event of a pinch for its own team. Going into the finals, MO’UNGA is coming in with a winner’s mentality permeating throughout the team. This man is serious about leading Brave Lupas to the championship.

Let’s start the first half. Kickoff time was 15:05.

５ minutes into the first half:

The Wild Knights gradually made their way forward from the kickoff, deep in enemy territory. However, the Brave Lupas defenders were also checking at each point of contact and were not easily intercepted. However, as they approached the goal line, Wild Knights’ SH KOYAMA went into the enemy’s in-goal and almost scored a try, but the referee ruled that it was a knock-on.

However, when the Wild Knights made a series of attacks in the enemy territory, Brave Lupas committed a foul about 20 meters in front of the goal post, and the Wild Knights opted for a PG.

The score was 3-0.

10 minutes into the first half:

The Wild Knights attacked again, this time from deep in the enemy territory, and as before, they drew a foul on Brave Lupas about 20 meters in front of the goalposts. The Wild Knights were able to get out of the tight pack and move to the left, where the ball was passed to FB Yamasawa, who drove the ball into the in-goal.

He went deep from 1m in front of the in-goal to score a try, but Brave Lupas’ No.8 Michael made a full-body tackle to prevent the try, showing excellent defense that did not allow the opponent to advance even 1mm.　The Wild Knights were unable to score.

20 minutes into the first half:

Despite missing the chance to score a try, Wild Knights continued to dominate the game in enemy territory, and at this point in the half, they drew another infringement about 20 meters in front of the goal posts. At this point, with the Brave Lupas defense looking solid, the Wild Knights opted for the PG, which SO MATSUDA converted to make the score 6-0.

27 minutes into the first half:

Brave Lupas was finally able to get into the game in their own half. Several times they came close to scoring in the opposition’s in-goal, creating chances, and the game became heated and the stadium crowd cheered loudly.

Just past the enemy 22-meter line, Brave Lupas made a move from the left side to the right, and the ball was passed to WTB NAIKABULA on the outside, who got tangled up with two or three opposing defenders in front of the in-goal, but reached out and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

Brave Lupas scored the conversion goal after the try to make the score 6-7 and pull the game back in their favor.

35 minutes into the first half:

Brave Lupas was in the middle of the field, and after a series of attacks, a foul by the opposing team led to a PG opportunity just to the left of the goal post near the 22m line. SO MO’UNGA took the kick, making the score 6-10.

Brave Lupas ended the first half with a three-points lead. The crowd cheered for the teams as they played a spectacular and heated game with tight defense and few mistakes. It was exciting to see what kind of game they would show us in the second half.

Let the second half begin.

5 minutes into the second half:

Towards the end of the first half, Wild Knights WTB KOLOIBETE prevented a try, but was shown a yellow card for a tackle that was dangerous play. This meant that Wild Knights had to play with one man less until the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Brave Lupas’ SO MO’UNGA, hoping to capitalize on the early second half momentum in his side’s favor, received the ball in his own half and kicked it to the right side, which went out beyond the enemy 22-meter line, resulting in the 50-22 rule being applied and their own lineout being won deep in enemy territory.

Brave Lupas’ WTB NAIKABULA took advantage of this opportunity, ran onto the ball from the lineout, received it, and raced across the right line to score a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

SO MO’UNGA scored the conversion goal from a difficult angle at the right corner to make the score 6-17 in favor of Brave Lupas.

23 minutes into the second half:

The Wild Knights had been struggling to create any chances until this time. However, after being pushed deep into their own territory, SO MATSUDA kicked a golo punt into the enemy territory, and WTB TAKEYAMA kicked the ball further into the enemy in-goal. And they were close to the enemy’s in-goal. Wild Knights flanker GUNTER took advantage of a momentary lapse in the pack, picked up the ball, and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy line.

The Wild Knights followed up the try with a successful conversion goal to make the score 13-17, four points to their advantage.

With this try, Wild Knights brought the game back to a level playing field. The buzzing excitement in the stadium remained unabated.

28 minutes into the second half:

The Wild Knights suddenly went on the offensive and attacked in the enemy territory, and from the left from a tight pack, FB Yamasawa lifted a short punt which was barely caught by WTB KOLOIBETE, who went close to the enemy’s in-goal. It was almost a try for the Wild Knights, but WTB NAIKABURA of Brave Lupas made a spirited tackle to save the ball. However, a tight pack formed here, and Wild Knights’ SH KOYAMA ran in and scored a try to the left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-17, and Wild Knights finally succeeded in making a comeback.

The stadium became a melting pot of excitement as the two teams fought breathlessly against each other. With just over 10 minutes remaining, it was impossible to predict which way the game would go.

34 minutes into the second half:

As the match approached the end, both teams were showing signs of fatigue, but Brave Lupas, led by their substitutes, attacked in succession, and on their 13th attack in a row, the ball was developed on the right touchline and passed from right WTB NAIKABULA to left WTB MORI, who scored a try just below the goal post. MORI scored a try right under the goal post.

The conversion goal was also successful, making the score 20-24, and Brave Lupas was back in front again.

38 minutes into the second half:

With two minutes left in the game, the Wild Knights made a series of spirited attacks deep in enemy territory, almost dropping the ball several times, but on their 16th attack, they connected with the ball toward the right side, where substitute WTB OSADA received the ball and dodged two opposing defenders, and scored the game-deciding try just below the goal post.

At this moment, many Brave Lupas players seemed to have run out of energy and stamina, and many kneeled on the ground.

At this point, the score was 25-24 and the Wild Knights had a one-point lead with only the conversion goal remaining.

At this point, however, a VTR decision by the TMO revealed that there had been a throw forward foul in the middle of a series of attacks. As a result, the last Wild Knights try was disallowed.

After the 80th minute, with only one play remaining, the Wild Knights made a last-ditch effort to attack, but when the game became a tight battle, Brave Lupas’ WTB NAIKABULA took the ball out of the hands of his opponent for a jackal to end the game and give Brave Lupas their first championship in 14 seasons. The game ended with Brave Lupas winning the championship for the first time in 14 seasons. The final score was 20-24.

Brave Lupas was on thin ice in the final minutes of the match, but they impressed their fans with the resurgence of their prestigious name.

Players from both teams congratulating each other on their good performance in the match. Thanks to both teams for a great match, and thanks to the Man of the Match for the match. The man of the match went to WTB NAIKABULA of Brave Lupas.

The season of League One is now over and the test matches for the Japanese national team will start on June 22. Expectations are high to see what kind of matches the national team players will show us.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: May 27, 2024)

On May 18, 2024, the Japan Rugby League One Division One playoff semifinals were held at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Tokyo. This time I went to watch one of the two semifinal matches between the Wild Knights and the Eagles.

It was a beautiful sunny day at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, and the temperature reached 29 degrees Celsius. Such high temperatures may affect the condition of the players during the game.

The total number of spectators for the day was 15,464. The entrance time was 12:00 p.m. and the game started at 14:05 p.m. I was wary of the heat on the day of the game, so I chose to sit behind the goal with a roof this time. However, since they were unreserved seats, I arrived at the venue 5 minutes before the entrance time, thinking that I would not be able to get a good seat unless I entered the venue at the same time as the entrance started. Usually, I arrive 30 minutes before the game starts, but since I expected a large crowd for this game, it was a good decision to arrive early.

Here are the playoff pairings for this season,

5/18 Wild Knights (1st in league) vs. Eagles (4th in league)

5/19 Brave Lupas (2nd in the league) vs Sungoliath (3rd in the league)

The matches will be held at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Chichibunomiya, Tokyo.

And the next week’s matches will be

5/25 3rd place match (Venue: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground)

5/26 Final match (Venue: National Stadium)

The next week’s matches are as follows.

Finally, League One has reached the climax of the season.

Last year, the two teams played each other in the semifinals of the playoffs, with the Wild Knights winning 51 to the Eagles’ 21. The two teams have met twice in league play this season, with the Wild Knights winning both games. Furthermore, the Eagles have never beaten the Wild Knights in the past, and are currently on a 15-game losing streak.

However, before the match, Eagles’ HC Sawaki and captain Tamura expressed their strong determination to win the match in their pre-match interviews.

(SAWAKI HC is in the center of the photo.)

The playoffs are a knockout tournament, so anything can happen, and Eagles fans are expecting a giant-killing.

Here is the latest information on the two teams that will be playing on this day.

First, let’s look at the Yokohama Canon Eagles, who finished fourth in the league this season.

The captain of the team, Tamura, returns to the team after being absent for the previous two matches, and the main player, CTB KRIEL of the South African national team, also returns from the match. Unfortunately, one of the mainstays, South Africa’s SH Faf de CLARK, did not make it to the playoffs. However, the Eagles qualified for the playoffs despite the fact that two of their South African players were injured early in the league season. This means that the team’s ground game has improved from last season.

Today’s starting lineup was as follows

CANON Eagles
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Takato OKABE	180cm	105kg	29
2	Yusuke NIWAI	174cm	95kg	32	Japan 10caps
3	Tatsuro SUGIMOTO	175cm	110kg	27
4	Liakimatagi MORI	197cm	114kg	34
5	Mathew PHILIP	201cm	117kg	30	Australia 31caps
6	Mitchel BROWN	194cm	110kg	34
7	Sione HALASIRI	180cm	120kg	24
8	Amanaki Lelei MAFI	189cm	112kg	33	Japan 29caps
9	Koki ARAI	175cm	80kg	30	Japan
10	Yu Tamura	181cm	92kg	34	Japan 70caps
11	Masayoshi TAKEZAWA	176cm	86kg	28
12	Yusuke KAJIMURA	181cm	95kg	28	Japan 2caps
13	Jesse KRIEL	185cm	95kg	30	South Africa 46caps
14	Viliame TAKAYAWA	184cm	103kg	26
15	Jumpei OGURA	172cm	80kg	31	Japan 4cap

** Player to watch **

Yu TAMURA. 181cm, 92kg, 34 years old. Position = SO.

He is a graduate of Meiji University and participated in RWC2015 and 2019. Especially in RWC2019, as the main SO, he contributed to Japan’s RWC best 8 advance. He has the ability to exploit holes in the opposition’s defense and compete for the No. 1 spot in League One this season when it comes to kicking accuracy.

And now, an update on Saitama Wild Knights, the only team in League One to win it all this season.

This season, they are undefeated in 16 games, and as a team, they have scored the most scores and conceded the fewest scores. The team has grown into a complete team this season after losing in the playoff finals last season. The secret of their strength lies in the high level of tactical awareness of all members of the team and their strong team mentality that does not collapse even when irregularities occur. League One’s main concern this season has been to see which team could defeat the Wild Knights, and finally, the challenge has been carried over to the playoffs. Can the Eagles beat the Wild Knights?

The starting lineup for this day’s game was as follows

Panasonic Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Daniel PEREZ	185cm	108kg	27
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	30	Japan 41cap
3	Taiki Fujii	183cm	114kg	25
4	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	29	Japan 20cap
5	Lood De JAGER	206cm	127kg	30	Soth Africa 65cap
6	Ben GUNTER	195cm	120kg	26	Japan 8cap
7	Lachlan BOSHIER	191cm	110kg	29
8	Itsuku ONISHI	185cm	98kg	28
9	Taiki Koyama	171cm	74kg	29	Japan
10	Rikiya Matsuda	181cm	92kg	29	Japan 37cap
11	Marika KOROIBETE	182cm	96kg	31	Australia 59cap
12	Damian De ALLENDE	190cm	105kg	32	Soth Africa 78cap
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	26	Japan 18cap
14	Kohki TAKEYAMA	175cm	87kg	27	Japan 1cap
15	Takuya YAMASAWA	176cm	84kg	29	Japan 6cap

** Player to watch **

Taiki KOYAMA. 171cm, 74kg, 29 years old. He is a candidate for the Japan national team. He is a graduate of Daito Bunka University. He has been the main SH for the Wild Knights since 2022 and has played in almost every game. One of his characteristics is his instantaneous power and has shown outstanding running ability and stamina. This season, we hope to see him selected for the Japan national team, and we look forward to seeing him play an active role on the international stage.

Let the match begin.

4 minutes into the first half:

The Wild Knights enter the enemy territory, and SO MATSUDA, surrounded by three enemy defenders, makes a big gain with his skillful running skills. And then Wild Knights,

CTB De Allende, who had returned from injury, broke through the opposing defense and made a series of gains, closing in on the enemy’s in-goal. From there, the Wild Knights crossed the enemy 22-meter line, and a move to the right by WTB TAKEYAMA, who was in the right corner, looked like it might be intercepted by the Eagles, but TAKEYAMA made a nifty cut-in, grabbed the ball, and ran in for the try in the right corner of the goal. WTB TAKEYAMA showed his advanced running skills.

After the try, the conversion attempt failed and the score was 5-0 in favor of the Wild Knights.

7 minutes into the first half:

After the Eagles had taken the lead, they entered enemy territory and had a PG opportunity about 20 meters from the goal post due to an infringement by their opponents. Eagles’ SO Tamura scored to make the score 5-3.

9 minutes into the first half:

Wild Knights caught the ball kicked into their own territory and tried to counter attack from there. Wild Knights FB Yamasawa ran to the left and passed the ball to WTB KOLOIBETE. KORNELSEN, a lock, followed him up the inside and connected with the ball.

Then he scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 10-3.

Eagles’ SO TAMURA tried and failed to score a DG in the 16th minute of the first half, and in the 18th minute of the first half, TAMURA had a PG chance in a relatively easy position, but he could not score again.

27 minutes of the first half:

Wild Knights, on the other hand, had a PG chance in this period, and SO MATSUDA, who had failed to score two conversion goals so far, made a steady effort here to make the score 13-3.

The first half ended with the score 13-3, and although the Eagles were able to get the ball in front of the enemy in-goal several times, they were unable to score. The game was similar to the previous matchups. Can the Eagles put an end to their losing streak?

Let’s begin the second half.

4 minutes into the second half:

It was the Eagles who took control of the match first in the second half. After a foul by their opponents, the Eagles broke deep into the enemy territory, and from a lineout on the left side of the 22-meter line, the Eagles attempted to push forward in a maul, which they converted into a try in the middle of the field.

The try was scored by flanker Harasiri. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 13-10.

13 minutes into the second half:

The Eagles had scored no tries in the first half, but in the second half, the FW set-up and BK deployment were determined, and they became more dynamic as a team.

In the second half, the Eagles’ FWs gradually made progress by hitting the enemy day defense, and from there, they developed into the backs. The BK team used a lot of looping play, in which each player passed the ball to the left WTB TAKEZAWA, who made use of his natural ability to break through to score a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

After this try, SO TAMURA succeeded in scoring the conversion goal from a difficult position.

The score was 13-17, and the Eagles finally succeeded in turning the score around. Eagles’ SO TAMURA, who had missed a few difficult PGs in the first half, made a series of PGs from difficult angles.

19 minutes into the second half:

Wild Knights, who had been unable to create any chances all through the second half, finally created a chance at this time of the game.

After a series of attacks from the Wild Knights’ own line, SO MATSUDA exploited a hole in the opposing defense and advanced forward at full speed, dodging Eagles’ FB OGURA with a step and coming close to the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal. The Wild Knights’ CTB De ALLENDE pushed the ball into the in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-17, and Wild Knights were back in it.

The Eagles could have tied the score with a single PG with 20 minutes remaining, but they went for the try on the next few chances. From the field,

The crowd screamed every time either team came close to scoring in-goal.

But in the end, the score remained unchanged, and the game was over. At the end of the game, the sight of many Eagles players kneeling on the ground, exhausted, left a strong impression on me.

As a result, the Wild Knights will advance to the playoff final to be held the following week, while the Eagles will play in the third-place game, also to be held the following week.

After the match, both teams were applauded for their efforts.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊