The third round of the National University Rugby Championship will begin on December 11. The schools competing in this season’s championship are as follows.
＊ Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group A Top 5 Schools:.
Teikyo University, Meiji University, Waseda University, Keio University, Tsukuba University
＊Kanto University League group Top 3 schools :
Tokai University, Ryutsu Keizai University, Toyo University
＊Kansai University A League Top 3
Kyoto Sangyo University, Tenri University, Doshisha University
＊Kyushu Student Rugby League 1st
Fukuoka Institute of Technology
＊Hokkaido Tohoku Regional Representative 1 school
Hachinohe Gakuin University
＊Tokai, Hokuriku, Chugoku-Shikoku area representative 1 school:
IPU University of the Pacific Rim
Prospects for this year’s University Championships:
It will be interesting to see if last season’s university champion, Teikyo University, can win the championship again. In all of their matches in the Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group A, they were unbeatable in every match, and won all of their games.
The first candidate for the upset is Kyoto Sangyo University, which played the only game last season that was a close match with Teikyo University. The level of each game in this year’s Kansai League was high, so expectations are high.
The results of the first and second rounds of this season’s University Championship were as follows:
1st round: Fukuoka Institute of Technology vs. Hachinohe Gakuin University: 57-0
(Fukuoka Institute of Technology won and advanced to the second round.)
2nd round; IPU University of the Pacific Rim vs Fukuoka Institute of Technology: 25-31
(Fukuoka Institute of Technology won and advanced to the third round.)
The difference between the schools in each league is determined by the results of past university championships. In last year’s championship, two schools from Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group A made it to the finals, so this season’s university championship has qualified the most schools, five.
Let’s take a look at the pairings for the third round of the championship.
(1) 12/11 Doshisha University vs Fukuoka Institute of Technology
(Venue: Hanazono Rugby Ground – Kansai League 3rd vs. 2nd round winner)
Highlights of this match:
Doshisha University had a bad first half of the season, losing to lower-ranked opponents, and at one point looked like they were out of the running for the championship. If Doshisha University wins this game, they will face Teikyo University, whom they completely defeated last year, but they are likely to have a better game against Teikyo University this season as they have improved in the second half of the season.
First, however, will they be able to dispatch Fukuoka Institute of Technology, who have advanced past the second round.
(2) 12/11 Tenri University vs Tsukuba University
(Venue: Hanazono Rugby Ground – Kansai League 2nd vs Kanto University Rivalry Group 5th)
Highlights of this match:.
Tenri University, the university champion from the year before last, showed a nearly even match against Kyoto Sangyo University, the champion of the Kansai region this season. Tenri University will be looking to improve on last season’s result. If Tsukuba University can match Tenri in the FW game, a good match can be expected. However, if Tenri can push Tsukuba in set pieces, Tsukuba will have a hard time.
(3) 12/11 Waseda University vs Toyo University
(Venue: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground – Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group A 3rd vs Kanto University League Group 3rd)
Highlights of this match:
This is expected to be one of the most interesting matches of the day. The key to the match will be the lineout, and whether Waseda can attack the wall created by Toyo University’s 211cm lock, HUYZEN. Also, will Waseda be able to stop the rush of Toyo University’s powerful FW, led by its international students? Waseda will be taking countermeasures well in advance of the match, so this will be a match not to be missed from the early stages.
(4) 12/11 Ryutsu Keizai University vs Keio University
(Venue: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground –
Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group A 4th
vs Kanto University League Group 2nd)
Highlights of this match:
The focus of this match will be on whether Keio can hold off the powerful attack of Ryutsu Keizai University’s FW, as no team in the Kanto University Rugby Group has attacked with a powerful international student this season. However, Keio did manage to stave off some of Teikyo University’s powerful FW in last week’s match, so we expect a close match.
The various university rugby league matches have reached their climax, and each university is now competing hard to qualify for the University Championships. This time, I went to watch the de facto final match between Teikyo University and Meiji University in Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group A. The venue was Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.
The first match was between Hitachi Sun Nexus and Clean Fighters Yamanashi in the Top East League, the fourth division of adult rugby, and the second match was between Teikyo University and Meiji University in Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group A. The attendance was 6,737, which was not bad. However, judging from the turnout, most spectators wanted to see the second match between Teikyo and Meiji University.
In the case of a Top East League match, there is no TV broadcast, and there is almost no magazine coverage. It was probably planned by the Kanto Association and combined with a university match.
The photo above shows the Clean Fighters Yamanashi players. However, I think it is a good promotional plan for rugby. I think that combining two matches with different fan bases has the merit of attracting more spectators as a result. I look forward to seeing more combinations in the future.
Now, before the main event of the day, Teikyo University vs. Meiji University, let’s check the ranking list of Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group A
Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group Order 2022/11/19
order
team
Win
Lose
Winning Point
1
Teikyo
5
0
25
2
Meiji
5
0
24
3
Waseda
4
1
19
4
Keio
4
1
19
5
Tsukuba
1
4
7
6
Rikkyo
1
4
5
7
Aoyama Gakuin
0
5
0
8
Nippon Sport Science
0
5
0
As of November 19, only two schools, Teikyo University and Meiji University, had won all their games. This match will decide who is the stronger of the two.
Here is the latest information on the two schools that will play on this day.
First, let’s take a look at the visiting team, Meiji University.
The match on this day will be the same as the final match of last season’s University Championship. Teikyo University won the championship last season, and today’s game will be their first match before advancing to the University Championship. After this match, the two schools may play each other again if they both win the University Championship.
Here is today’s starting lineup for Meiji University.
Meiji University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Kosei NAKAMURA
183cm
112kg
21
2
Junichiro MATSUSHITA
173cm
87kg
21
3
Keijiro TAMEFUSA
180cm
115kg
21
4
Reijiro YAMAMOTO
190cm
107kg
20
5
Shin Takeuchi
191cm
110kg
22
6
Yuta MORIYAMA
185cm
96kg
21
7
Taisei FUKUDA
173cm
95kg
20
8
Taishiro KIDO
185m
96kg
20
9
Shu HAGIWARA
173m
78kg
21
10
Kotaro ITO
175cm
84kg
21
11
Kippei ISHIDA
167cm
73kg
22
12
Yuya HIROSE
179cm
93kg
21
13
Takaya SAITO
181cm
93kg
21
14
Yuta AKIHAMA
174cm
82kg
20
15
Kohei YASUDA
181cm
86kg
20
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Kippei ISHIDA. 167cm, 73kg, 22 years old. He is the captain of Meiji University. He is a graduate of Jyoshogakuen High School in Osaka, Japan’s 2018 high school national team. 2021 Tokyo Olympics 7-man rugby Japan national team. He is the only university student to represent Japan Rugby in the Olympics. His style of play is that of a libero in soccer. He is a “god-like” player, appearing in various phases of the attack. This season, with Ishida as captain, Meiji University has established a style in which not only the strong FW but also the BK run all over the ground. Can they regain supremacy from Teikyo University?
Next, an update information on the home team, Teikyo University.
The Teikyo University rugby team won an unprecedented nine consecutive university championships from 2009 to 2017, and last season, the team was crowned the best university in Japan for the first time in four seasons. The current team is reminiscent of its heyday, with nine members of the high school national team. It will be interesting to see which team will be able to stop this strongest champion.
Today’s starting members are as follows
Teikyo University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Shota TAKAI
171cm
112kg
22
2
Hayate ERA
171cm
100kg
21
3
Taro UESUGI
176cm
113kg
20
4
Issa YAMAKAWA
190cm
104kg
22
5
Masahiro ERIGUCHI
186cm
108kg
22
6
Keito AOKI
187cm
110kg
20
7
Akito OKUI
177cm
103kg
21
8
Shuto NOBEHARA
182cm
100kg
20
9
Kumusu LEE
174cm
80kg
20
10
Mikiya TAKAMOTO
172cm
82kg
21
11
Tomu TAKAMOTO
182cm
88kg
21
12
Gen GOTO
174cm
85kg
19
13
Kanji FUTAMURA
180cm
88kg
21
14
Shinya KOMURA
180cm
92kg
20
15
Kippei TANINAKA
178cm
78kg
22
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Tom TAKAMOTO. 182 cm, 88 kg, 21 years old. Position = WTB. from Higashi Fukuoka High School in Fukuoka, Japan. 2019 High School Japan Representative. He is a utility player who can also play SO, CTB, and FB in addition to WTB.
Now, the game is about to begin.
It was raining on that day. I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground early and secured a covered seat behind the goal.
In addition to the rain, the high temperature was 12 degrees Celsius, which was as cold as December. I caught a cold later in the day because I was halfway through my warm-up gear.
Kickoff was at 14:00.
2 minnutes into the first half:
Meiji kicked off to start the game. Teikyo tried to get the ball out of a tight pack, but the Meiji FW jacked the ball and was penalized for not releasing the ball. Meiji chose to go for the PG, as the spot of the infringement was near the goalposts. Meiji’s CTB Hirose scored to make the score 0-3.
4 minutes into the first half:
Both teams kicked each other, and Teikyo FB Taninaka’s kick from his own line went out beyond the enemy 22m line. 50-22 rule applied, and Teikyo had their own lineout deep in Meiji territory. Teikyo secured the ball and then played it to the right. Finally, SO Takamoto threw a pass to WTB Komura who was on the right edge of the line and scored a try in the right corner 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, making the score 7-3.
22 minutes into thefirst half:
Meiji had hoped to win the FW battle evenly and use their combined strength with the BK to win the game, but Teikyo’s scrums were no match for them. Every time they scrummed, they were fouled, and the subsequent penalty kick pushed them deep into their own territory.
As Meiji was being pushed mentally into a corner, Teikyo’s SO Tamamoto, when the opposing defenders thought it was going to be another scrum, took them by surprise and ran in for a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try failed. Teikyo made the score 12-3.
41 minutes in the first half:
Meiji had never won a scrum until this time, but near the end of the game, Teikyo was fouled for breaking up a scrum. This scrum was apparently won by Teikyo, as Meiji concentrated the center of gravity of the scrum on the left prop’s side. Meiji then opted to go for the PG, which CTB Hirose converted to make the score 12-6 in Meiji’s favor.
The first half ended here.
Teikyo University had an overwhelming advantage in the match, but Meiji had an overwhelming advantage in the cheering. About 80% of the crowd were Meiji fans, and when Meiji scored a goal, the crowd erupted in cheers.
As the second half got underway, the focus of the match was to see how Meiji would correct the situation in the second half, as being so far behind in the scrum battle was not something that could be easily corrected in a short period of time. On the score, Meiji can be said to be fighting well compared to other universities, including Waseda, since they were six points behind in the first half.
Let’s start the second half.
3 minutes into the second half:
From the start of the second half, Meiji avoided scrumming as much as possible and started to play a development game. Meiji attacked deep into the enemy territory, but Teikyo’s WTB Komura intercepted the pass and ran 80 meters to score a try in the right center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-6.
11 minutes into the second half.
Teikyo was penalized for an infringement by Meiji in the middle of the enemy area, and the penalty kick led to a lineout inside the 22m line on the right side of the enemy area. Teikyo got possession of the ball, and from a maul, the ball was spread out to the left side, where FL Okui ran in and scored a try in the middle of the right side of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-6.
17 minutes into the second half
This was the time of a new scrum for both teams. First, Meiji broke down the Teikyo scrum with their technique of gathering the center of gravity at the left prop of the scrum, causing a foul on Teikyo. However, in the scrum immediately after, Teikyo now broke up the Meiji scrum by shifting the center of gravity.
Teikyo then played the ball to the left, where it was intercepted by Meiji’s CTB Hirose. He intercepted the ball as it was being moved to the left by Teikyo BK, and ran about 50 meters solo to score 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 26-13 in favor of Meiji.
40 minutes into the second half
In the closing minutes of the match, Teikyo launched a series of attacks deep in enemy territory. This time, Meiji committed an infringement in front of the goal post, so Teikyo opted for the PG. This was scored by SO Takamoto made the score 29-13.
The game was now over, and Teikyo University had one game remaining to win Group A of this season’s Kanto University Rugby Rivalry group.
The schedule for the National University Championship was also set, and December 25 was the first game for Teikyo University. Teikyo University will start from the quarterfinals.
In the National University Championship, two Kansai universities (Kyoto Sangyo University and Tenri University) with powerful FWs await. In last season’s matches, Kyoto Sangyo University was the only team that was able to catch Teikyo University. According to the previous reputation, the Kansai team is more competitive than last year’s team, so we are now looking forward to the matchup.
＊＊ Ｊｅｒｓｅｙ Ｃｏｌｌｅｃｔｉｏｎ 69 ＊＊
FIFA World Cup 1998 France Official Windbreaker. 199 8, adidas product. Size: L.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar is currently on TV. Qatar tournament is being broadcasted every day. I was looking for a good jersey on Yahoo! Auctions, and I found this windbreaker. The winning bid was 3,000 yen.
I liked the fact that all the marks on the back and chest area were made of embroidery.
Although it was used more than 20 years ago, it was not in bad condition, so I added it to my collection.
This time, I went to Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, to watch a Kanto University Rugby League group game. The photo above is the entrance to Ashikaga Gakko (Ashikaga School), a nationally designated historical site in Ashikaga City.
The distance from my house (Hachioji City) to Ashikaga City is about 120 km, and it took three hours to get there by train.
I left at 7:00 a.m. and arrived at Ashikagashi Station at 10:00 a.m.
Since this was my first visit to Ashikaga City, I did a little research on the city.
As Ashikaga has a sister city relationship with Kyoto, there are several historical sites in Ashikaga City. Those historic sites are clustered around Ashikaga Station, so I went sightseeing there before the game started.
Ashikaga City claims to be a tourist city, and there are several hotels for tourists around the station.
Walking toward the stadium from the station, you will first see a large river.
This is the Watarase River, a first-class river.
Many regional cities in Japan have developed near such a large river.
As I continued onward, I saw a lantern that reminded me of the history of Ashikaga City.
The name Ashikaga is the birthplace of the Ashikaga clan, which founded the Muromachi Shogunate in the 14th century. As a result, many of the major historical sites in the city are of Ashikaga family origin.
The photo above is a statue of Lord Ashikaga Takauji, who became the first barbarian general of the Muromachi Shogunate in 1336 AD. It took about 10 minutes from the station to get here on foot.
After walking further, we saw Bannaji Temple. This place was originally the Ashikaga clan’s mansion, which was converted into a temple.
It was early Sunday morning, but the place was already crowded with people. I hope the Corona disaster will soon be over and more tourists will gather here.
Next, we visited Ashikaga Gakko (Ashikaga School), which was located next to this temple.
At its peak, the number of students studying here exceeded 3,000, and in 1549, the Christian missionary Francis Xavier introduced the school abroad as “the largest and most famous university in Bando district, Japan.
Chinese Confucianism was also taught here, and a statue of Confucius was erected.
This picture of a dragon gives me a sense of mystical power.
Now it was getting close to game time, so I decided to head to Ashikaga Gas Ground, the venue for today’s game.
I was sweating a little as I walked to the stadium at a fast pace.
The temperature was around 15 degrees Celsius, and it was a little chilly.
Today, two games were scheduled at this venue.
Game 1: Toyo University vs. Hosei University (11:30 start)
Match 2: Ryutsu Keizai University vs Rissho University (14:00 start)
Now, let’s check the standings of the Kanto University Rugby League group.
Kanto University Rugby League Group Order 2022
order
team
Win
Lose
Winning Point
1
Tokai
4
1
21
2
Ryutsu Keizai
4
1
17
3
Rissho
3
2
14
4
Toyo
3
2
14
5
Hosei
3
2
13
6
Nihon
2
3
10
7
Daito Bunka
1
4
6
8
Kanto Gakuin
0
5
1
This season’s league groups are very crowded. The top 3 schools will advance to the National University Championships, but with 2 games remaining, up to the 6th place team still has a chance to participate in the Championships. Therefore, the match of the day was an absolute must-win game for each team.
The previous week’s games in the rivalry group had attracted 7,000 spectators, but this day’s games in the league group had only about 1.000 spectators. It was a bit sad.
Let me introduce the two schools that will play in the first match of the day.
First, let me introduce today’s visiting team, Hosei University.
The Hosei University Rugby Club was founded in 1942 and has won the National University Championship three times. The team has also won the Kanto University League 13 times, making it the No. 1 team in the league. In recent years, however, the team has been stagnant in the lower ranks of the league group. Whether or not they will be able to participate in the University Championship this season, it depends on a win on this day.
Today’s starting lineup is as follows.
Hosei University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Kenta ISHIMODA
174cm
105kg
22
2
Ryutaro IGUCHI
177cm
98kg
22
3
Ryusei KAWAMURA
175cm
107kg
21
4
Riki TAKEBE
175cm
110kg
20
5
Kanta HOSOKAWA
185cm
103kg
18
6
Koki Yoshinaga
172cm
94kg
22
7
Takenori Yamashita
172cm
82kg
21
8
Kosei SASAKI
180m
102kg
21
9
Yugo OYAMADA
170m
70kg
19
10
Tsunemichi KUMADA
172cm
84kg
21
11
Kou ODAKA
181cm
85kg
21
12
Yuo KIM
175cm
85kg
20
13
Kiichi TAKAGI
186cm
103kg
20
14
Ryunosuke SAKATA
181cm
84kg
22
15
Rei ISHIOKA
177cm
83kg
21
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Rei ISHIOKA is 21 years old, 177 cm, 83 kg. He is from Gosho Jitsugyo High School in Nara, Japan. 2019 High School Japan Representative. He is a FB, WTB, SO, and boasts outstanding speed among Hosei University BK players, who are all very fast. Long kicking is also one of his weapons, and he is capable of scoring a PG from the center of the ground. If he moves on to League One after graduation and works on his contact play, he is a gem who can also aim for the Japan national team.
By the way, here is an update on the home team, Toyo University.
Toyo University became the eye of the storm in this season’s league group after defeating last season’s league champion, Tokai University, in the opening match of the league group.
One of the characteristics of this team is that they are outstanding in attack, capable of scoring goals against any team. On the other hand, their defense as a team has been unstable, and all of their games against other teams so far have been close. Can they win their remaining two games and advance to the University Championship?
Today’s starting lineup is as follows.
Toyo University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Taiga Yamaguchi
168cm
106kg
21
2
Tatsuki TANINA
175cm
101kg
22
3
Makito ISHIKAWA
185cm
115kg
19
4
Lamin Dieng SAITO
185cm
102kg
22
5
Vea TANIELA
183cm
120kg
22
6
Matariki CHANNINGS
195cm
122kg
20
7
Sho TANAKA
185cm
100kg
25
8
Shu UMEMURA
183m
100kg
21
9
Yusaku KANDA
170m
80kg
23
10
Ikuya Tsuchihashi
180cm
86kg
21
11
Kaito SUGIMOTO
170cm
75kg
20
12
Shuta SHIGEMATSU
171cm
85kg
22
13
Sho OHSHIMA
166cm
72kg
21
14
Kohei TANAKA
183cm
91kg
21
15
Stefarhn VAHAFOLAU
188cm
95kg
20
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Kaito Sugimoto. 170 cm, 75 kg, 20 years old. He is a graduate of Tokyo High School. Although not physically gifted, he has the core strength to break through dense crowds and boasts the fastest 50-meter run time of 5.9 seconds, the fastest on the team. He also shows off-load passing, connecting the ball without falling down even if he is caught in the middle of the field. He is also the team’s placekicker and plays PG in the game.
Let’s start the first half of the game.
5 minutes into the first half:
In the early stages of the game, both sides exchanged kicks, and the game went back and forth. However, when Hosei developed, they could not get behind Toyo’s day defense, but in Toyo’s case, they broke through the opponent’s defensive network and moved forward. With such a flow, Toyo gradually moved forward as they entered the enemy territory, and finally, near the 22m line, Toyo’s WTB Sugimoto, a WTB of Toyo, went through the left side and scored a try at the left edge of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful. The score was 5-0 with Toyo scoring first.
18 minutes into the first half:
Toyo attacked vertically with the foreign student as a penetrate player in the attack after entering the enemy camp. Continuing the attack, Toyo went close to the in-goal, and finally scored on the right side of the goalposts.
The try was scored by Toyo’s LO Channings The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-0.
27 minutes into the first half:
After a Toyo kicking error, Hosei came deep into the enemy territory and attacked with a series of BK line attacks. Toyo was able to hold them off in front of the goal, but Hosei SO Kumada received the ball in front of the enemy in-goal, and fell straight down in the left middle for the try. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 12-5.
37 minutes into the first half:
After Toyo entered the enemy territory, Hosei committed a foul in the scrum, from which Toyo attacked quickly, and LO Channings easily broke away and rounded the goal post to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-5.
45 minutes into the first half:
Near the end of the first half, Toyo committed an infringement at a scrum near the center of the field, causing the scrum to collapse. Here, Hosei opted for a PG. The distance from the PG point to the goal post was more than 50 meters, which caused a stir in the stands, but Hosei’s SO Kumada succeeded brilliantly. The score was 19-8.
The first half ended here. Toyo attacked vertically with their international players, while Hosei tried to break through with a line attack by their BK players. We look forward to seeing if Hosei will continue to attack in this fashion in the second half.
Let the second half begin:
15 minutes into the second half:
Hosei’s defenders managed to stay in the game even when they were attacked deep in their own half, as any further point difference would almost guarantee a win or loss in this game. Toyo, however, continued to attack and came close to getting in front of the enemy’s in-goal. Hosei was brought to the in-goal several times, but they did not let them score a try. However, Toyo’s FL Channings, who had scored two tries on the day, received the ball in front of the enemy in-goal and played through a couple of Hosei defenders to score his third try of the day on the right side of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 26-8, giving Toyo a massive 18-point lead.
Toyo University, I thought at this point, was going to win this day with comparative ease, although all their previous games had been very close. But………
23 minutes into the second half:
Hosei was again attacked by Toyo in front of their own in-goal, and there was a scene where they almost scored a try. However, from their own in-goal, Hosei’s CTB, WTB, and FB connected one pass after another and ran all the way to the enemy in-goal, where FB Ishioka scored the try just below the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-15. Hosei showed their true spirit of running rugby by scoring a try.
38 minutes into the second half:
At this time of the game, Toyo was showing signs of fatigue, while Hosei was gradually improving as the possibility of an upset victory became more and more apparent.
The scrum was deep in front of the goal posts in the Toyo camp, and it was a Toyo ball scrum. The ball came out of here, and Toyo’s midway replacement, SO Amaha, committed a painful knock-on infringement. Toyo then made a series of mistakes in this position, and were pinned in front of their own goal. Hosei made a series of attacks from this point on, and finally LO Takebe of Hosei scored a try in the right center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-22.
Hosei’s four-point lead gave the entire team a boost. Toyo, however, knew that a loss in this game would doom their chances of qualifying for the University Championships, so they fought back with all their might. Hosei deployed the ball from deep in their own territory and attempted a final attack. In a densely contested battle, Toyo got the ball back, and the game ended as it did. The final score was 26-22 in favor of Toyo University. As a result, Toyo University will be able to participate in the University Championships if they secure a draw or better against Rissho University in the final match to be held on November 27.
And now for the second match of the day.
The second match of the day was between Ryutsu Keizai University and Rissho University, and Ryutsu Keizai University won by a score of 31-38.
This game was also a close match, but with this victory, Ryutsu Keizai University qualified for the University Championship. And only one slot remains.
In the aftermath of the Japan National Rugby Team game that I saw the previous week, I went to watch the Kanto University Rugby match between Teikyo University and Waseda University in the Kanto University rugby rivalry group.
Perhaps in the aftermath of the Brave Blossoms’ hotly contested match, rugby fans all over Japan seemed to be excited to watch a rugby match. And the venue for the match was the Kumagaya Rugby Ground in Saitama Prefecture.
Now, let us check the standings of the Kanto University Rugby rivalry group so far.
Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group Order 2022
order
team
Win
Lose
Winning Point
1
Teikyo
4
0
20
2
Meiji
4
0
19
3
Waseda
4
0
19
4
Keio
4
0
19
5
Tsukuba
0
4
2
6
Rikkyo
0
4
0
7
Aoyama Gakuin
0
4
0
8
Nippon Sport Science
0
4
0
There is an extreme difference between the top 4 teams and the bottom 4 teams. The top four teams have won all four games, while the bottom four teams have lost all four games. However, the University of Tsukuba played close matches with the top teams and showed us many highlights.
From now on, the top teams are expected to play more intense matches as they enter the second half of the tournament.
And with the top four teams going head-to-head in this day’s matchup, I expected the matches to be full of highlights.
On the day of the tournament, I took the train from my home to Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture. On the day of the game, more fans than expected gathered at Kumagaya Station. I was planning to take a bus from the station to the stadium, but the line waiting for the bus was about 500 meters long, so I decided to walk to the stadium.
The distance from Kumagaya Station to the stadium is about 4 km. It would take one hour if we walked slowly. I was sweating as I walked to the stadium because the kick-off time was approaching. I was passed by four buses on the way to the stadium, but I arrived at the stadium at about the same time as the buses.
The first game of the day was Meiji University vs Keio University.
Last season, this game was a one-sided victory for Meiji University. This season, Keio University seemed to be in good shape, so I expected a good game, but again, it turned out to be a one-sided match.
The score was 54 points for Meiji University vs. 3 points for Keio University. Keio in particular suffered a humiliating defeat, being held to no tries. Keio fans were a bit disappointed.
Next up was the second match of the day, between last year’s university champions, Teikyo University, and Waseda University, the second place finisher in the Kanto University Rugby rivalry group last year. Kickoff was at 14:00. The number of spectators on the day was announced as 7,063, but even among the same university students, the Kanto University League matches group do not have 1,000 spectators, so there is too much difference in popularity.
Now, let me give you an update on both schools.
First, let me introduce the visiting team of the day, Waseda University.
Last season, Teikyo University won 29-22. It was a good game with Waseda catching up to Teikyo in the second half. This season, Waseda is reported to be doing well, so we expected the game to be heated as well.
The starting lineup for the day was as follows:
Waseda University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Shota IMOTO
165cm
98kg
22
2
Kenji SATO
177cm
108kg
19
3
Shotaro KAMEYAMA
176cm
115kg
20
4
Tomoki MAEDA
179cm
103kg
22
5
Daiki IKEMOTO
186cm
105kg
20
6
Jingo MURATA
185cm
102kg
20
7
Ken AIHARA
180cm
88kg
19
8
Masahiko SAGARA
180m
99kg
21
9
Taisei KONISHI
166m
66kg
22
10
Kengo NONAKA
181cm
93kg
19
11
Ibuki YAMASHITA
172cm
77kg
19
12
Ko YOSHIMURA
175cm
84kg
22
13
Soma OKAZAKI
177cm
89kg
20
14
Eito MAKI
175cm
88kg
22
15
Satoshi KOIZUMI
178cm
86kg
22
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Ko YOSHIMURA. 175 cm, 84 kg, 22 years old. He is a graduate of Higashi Fukuoka High School. Position = SO, CTB. Waseda University has a player named Itoh, who used to be a member of the high school national team, but due to injury, his return to the team this season is uncertain. As the most senior player in the team, Yoshimura has improved his judgment in the game and his consistency in place kicking, and he has been able to perform decisive work in the game more often than ever. Can he lead his team to victory in today’s match?
Next, an update on today’s home team, Teikyo University.
Teikyo University was the university champion last season, and has shown strength in the new season that foreshadows the return of the golden era. Many of the regular members of last season’s team are still with the team this season, showing their consistent strength. After suffering a tough time at the hands of Kansai champion, Kyoto Sangyo University, in last season’s University Championship, individual players of Teikyo team have improved their strength in contact play this season. We are looking forward to seeing what kind of game they will show in the matches against the top schools in the Kanto University Rugby rivalry group starting on this day.
The starting lineup for this day is as follows:
Teikyo University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Shota TAKAI
171cm
112kg
22
2
Hayate ERA
171cm
100kg
21
3
Taro UESUGI
176cm
113kg
20
4
Issa YAMAKAWA
190cm
104kg
22
5
Masahiro ERIGUCHI
186cm
108kg
22
6
Keito AOKI
187cm
110kg
20
7
Akito OKUI
177cm
103kg
21
8
Shuto NOBEHARA
182cm
100kg
20
9
Kumusu LEE
174cm
80kg
20
10
Mikiya TAKAMOTO
172cm
82kg
21
11
Tomu TAKAMOTO
182cm
88kg
21
12
Chihiro MATSUYAMA
173cm
88kg
21
13
Kanji FUTAMURA
180cm
88kg
21
14
Shinya KOMURA
180cm
92kg
20
15
Kippei TANINAKA
178cm
78kg
22
＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊
Mikiya TAKAMOTO. 172 cm, 82 kg, 21 years old. He is a graduate of Osaka Toin High School. He was a representative of Japan’s high school national team. Position=SO, He is the No.1 SO in both name and reality. Teikyo University has a strong FW and a decisive BK, and this man’s outstanding ability to assemble a game is indispensable for the team’s consecutive championships. This season, he has shown aggressive breakthroughs when the opportunity arises, and his running ability has been refined.
I was also pleased to see the return of the singing of the school anthems of both schools, which had been banned during the period of the new Corona outbreak. Singing is still prohibited in the auditorium, however.
Let me begin the first half.
4 minutes into the first half:
At the beginning of the game, both teams kicked high punts to each other. However, I was a little surprised because Waseda’s FB Koizumi’s kick extended well. He is graduating from the university this year, and if he continues to play rugby in League One after graduation, I look forward to seeing him.
When Teikyo University attacked, each player made strong contact and approached the enemy’s in-goal. Hence, when Teikyo University attacked continuously, Waseda gradually retreated. Finally, the ball came out of a ruck and Teikyo’s SO Takamoto took the ball out of the ruck to the left, where he was outnumbered their own players, and CTB Futamura took it outside the ruck to the right. Then he scored a try to the left of the enemy’s in-goal. Teikyo scored the first point with a successful conversion goal after the try. The score was 7-0.
25 minutes into the first half:
Teikyo took control of the attack and continued to attack deep in the enemy territory, but a series of mistakes at the point where a try was about to be scored prevented by themselves.
However, Teikyo had an overwhelmingly long period of time in which to attack, and even when they kicked into their own territory, they kept the ball in play and kept attacking, closing in on the enemy’s in-goal. From the enemy 22-meter line, they started to attack, with hooker Era, FL Okui, and then FL Era received the ball again, and he flipped the ball over the opposing defense to score a try in the middle of the ingoal area on the right.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-0 in favor of Teikyo.
28 minutes into the first half:
At the right end of the center of the field, Teikyo FB Taninaka and Waseda WTB Maki had an aerial duel with each other. Taninaka was knocked to the ground dangerously. Nevertheless, Taninaka continued to secure the ball. The referee stopped the game for a moment and treated Taninaka. He then got up and returned to the lineup, but he showed great persistence on the ball.
34 minutes into the first half:
Waseda kicked the ball from their own half and Teikyo’s SO Takamoto tried to kick the ball back, but Waseda’s WTB Maki charged in. The ball rolled into Teikyo’s in-goal and Waseda’s WTB Maki and Teikyo’s FB Taninaka ran after it, and a race ensued. Waseda’s Maki held the ball in the right center of the in-goal and Waseda scored a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-7.
44 minutes into the first half:
Teikyo did not slow down their attack as the first half drew to a close. A scrum took place in the middle of enemy territory, and Teikyo pushed hard. This resulted in a foul by Waseda, and Teikyo was awarded a penalty kick, giving them their own lineout in front of the enemy in-goal. Teikyo steadily caught the ball here, and although it became a dense battle after that, they moved forward, continuing a series of attacks led by their FW players. And finally, CTB Futamura scored his second try of the day in the middle of the right field of enemy’s in-goal area, passing through the enemy defense. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 21-7.
The first half ended here.
Looking back at the first half, Teikyo spent an overwhelmingly long time in attack, and Waseda spent most of the game time on the defensive. Unless some breakthrough measures are taken for the second half for Waseda, the point gap will open up even further. I am looking forward to Waseda’s comeback.
Let’s start the second half.
2 minutes into the second half: .
Teikyo kicked the ball into Waseda’s territory, and Waseda’s WTB Yamashita dropped the ball in front of him, resulting in another infringement and a lineout for Teikyo. Then they secured the ball at the lineout, and formed a maul to advance and score a try by hooker Era in the right center of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 28-7 in favor of Teikyo.
21 minutes into the second half:
Waseda took control of the attack for the first time in this match. They attacked deep into Teikyo’s territory and got their own scrum in front of the enemy’s in-goal. The ball was quickly served out and NO.8 Sagara attacked on the side. The team formed a tight group, and inside CTB Yosimura was able to take advantage of a momentary lapse in the defense. He did not miss the opportunity and scored a try in the middle right of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 28-12.
30 minutes into the second half:
Waseda had been putting up a good fight in attack and defense, and were starting to get the better of Teikyo until an infringement just in front of the goal posts on the 22m line led to a lineout in Teikyo ball. Teikyo caught the ball steadily and brought it into a maul, where hooker Era scored his third try of the day in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 35-12.
38 minutes into the second half:
After a brief period in the second half when Waseda took control of the attack, Teikyo regained their offensive momentum in the final minutes.
Teikyo got a scrum on their own ball in front of the enemy in-goal, pushed the scrum forward, and SH Lee pushed the spilled ball into the in-goal for a try in the right center of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also a success. making the score 42-12.
42 minutes into the second half:
With only a few minutes remaining in the second half, Waseda connected the ball from their own line, and the BKs moved to the left side of the field. Waseda’s SH Miyao connected with outside CTB Okazaki, who scored a try to the left center of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 42-17.
44 minutes left into the second half:
With 30 seconds left in the game, Waseda attacked from deep in their own territory to score one more try.
However, a forced pass was intercepted by Teikyo’s No. 8 Nobehara intercepted a forced pass and drove just under the goal post to score a try. Teikyo’s conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the final score 49-17.
＊＊ Jersey Collection 67 ＊＊
Uniforms of SUNTORY, a strong Japanese League One team, from the early 1990s. Replica jersey. Sold for 4,000 yen on Yahoo! Auctions. When it appeared once before, it was sold to someone else for about 8,000 yen.
After a few years, it finally came up for auction. It is a rare jersey. The burgundy and white border colors match the corporate image, and I am happy to look at it.
The Brave Blossoms of Japan will play their third straight Test Match from this week, following their win and loss against Australia A this past fall. The first match was against the New Zealand All Blacks, who are currently ranked 4th in the world and have won the RWC three times.
The venue was Tokyo’s National Stadium. Tickets for this match were sold out more than two weeks ago. The interest of rugby fans in Japan reached such a peak that, unusually, the match was suddenly scheduled for Public Viewing at various locations in Japan. The match was scheduled to start at 14:50, and a Public Viewing and Rugby Fair was held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground near the National Stadium on the same day.
The events of the day were
12:30 – Public Viewing of the Women’s RWC Quarterfinals
14:50 – Public viewing of Brave Blossoms vs All Blacks
The event was to be held at the same time.
Since the Japan Series of professional baseball would also be held in the evening, more than 100,000 people gathered here at Jingu Gaien this afternoon. It was, for a moment, the largest crowd I can remember. In terms of numbers, the crowd reminded me of the time of RWC 2019.
Even before the entrance, the National Stadium was filled with countless fans wearing Japan’s national team jerseys. what was different from the RWC was that most of the fans who came to the event were Japanese.
The total number of visitors that day was 65,188, which was the highest attendance at the National Stadium. My seat this time was on the third floor. It was my first time to sit on the third floor.
I took the escalator from the second floor to the third floor. And this is what it looks like when you sit on the third floor.
I heard that some stadiums charge more for seats on the third floor, where you can see the entire stadium, but in today’s case, the cheapest price was Category 4 (4,000 yen) for seats on the third floor behind the goal.
The Japanese national rugby team has played the All Blacks 6 times in the past, winning 0 and losing 6.
Oct.25,1987~0-74 (Hanazono Stadium, Japan)
Nov.1,1987~4-106 (National Stadium, Japan)
June 4, 1995~17-145 (Bloom Fountain, South Africa)
Sep. 11, 2011~7-83 (Hamilton, NZ)
Nov. 2, 2013~6-54 (Chichibunomiya Stadium, Japan)
Nov. 3, 2018~31-69 (Azinomoto Stadium, Japan)
All of these matches can be considered complete defeats, but the 1995 match in particular has gone down in the record books as the match with the highest goal difference in the RWC.
The Japanese national rugby team has not won a RWC match in more than 20 years, from its first victory over Zimbabwe in 1991 to its last victory over South Africa in 2015. The loss to the All Blacks in RWC 1995 was a game that symbolized the dark days of the Japanese national team. Can Japan put an end to that dark history on this day?
Here is the latest information on both teams playing today.
First, let’s start with the visiting team, the New Zealand All Blacks.
The year 2022 will be a difficult one for the All Blacks, who pride themselves on being the best team in the world.
They won one and lost two games against Ireland.
1win and1 loss to Argentina’s Los Pumas
1win and1, South Africa’s Springboks
The unbeaten team has already suffered three defeats this year. The All Blacks. Here is today’s starting lineup.
All Blacks
No.
Name
height
weight
age
NZ Caps
1
George BAUER
183cm
115kg
30
19
2
Samisoni TAUKEIAHO
183cm
115kg
25
17
3
Nepo LAULALA
184cm
116kg
30
42
4
Brodie RETALLICK
204cm
123kg
31
98
5
Tupou VAA’I
198cm
118kg
22
15
6
Shannon FRIZELL
195cm
108kg
28
21
7
Sam CANE
189cm
103kg
30
85
8
Hoskins SOTUTU
192m
106kg
24
12
9
Finlay CHRISTIE
177m
82kg
12
12
10
Richie MO’UNGA
176cm
83kg
28
41
11
Caleb CLARKE
184cm
107kg
23
11
12
Roger TUIVASA-SHECK
182cm
96kg
29
2
13
Braydon ENHOR
187cm
94kg
25
5
14
Sevu REECE
179cm
87kg
25
21
15
Stephen PEROFETA
181cm
85kg
25
1
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Sevu REECE. 179 cm, 87 kg, 25 years old. position = WTB, and has been highly regarded in NZ since high school for his short distance running and rugby. He scored tries during his time with the Crusaders in Super Rugby and when he was called up to the All Blacks in 2019, he went on to secure a regular position in the team. As the All Blacks’ leading speedster, he is expected to play an important role in RWC 2023.
Next, an update on the home team, the national team Brave Blossoms.
Eight of the starters on the day had RWC 2019 experience. The problem of a lack of turnover between old and new players, which was a concern for a while, is slowly being resolved. Hopefully, we will record a victory in the matches against the top ranking teams in the world ranking that will continue from this day.
The Brave Blossoms starting lineup for this day is as follows
Brave Blossoms
No.
Name
height
weight
age
Japan Caps
1
Keita INAGAKI
186cm
116kg
32
42
2
Atsushi SAKADE
180cm
104kg
29
30
3
Jian GU
184cm
122kg
28
18
4
Warner DEARNS
201cm
117kg
20
4
5
Jack CORNELSEN
195cm
110kg
27
9
6
Michael LEITCH
189cm
113kg
33
75
7
Kazuki HIMENO
187cm
108kg
28
22
8
Tevita TATAFU
183cm
124kg
26
12
9
Yutaka NAGARE
166cm
75kg
30
27
10
Takuya YAMAZAWA
176cm
84kg
28
4
11
Siosaia FIFITA
187cm
105kg
23
9
12
Ryoto NAKAMURA
182cm
92kg
31
30
13
Dylan RILEY
187cm
102kg
25
7
14
Kotaro MATSUSHIMA
178cm
87kg
29
44
15
Ryohei Yamanaka
188cm
98kg
34
24
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Michael LEITCH. 189cm, 113kg, 33 years old. Japan national team cap 75. position = FL, No. 8. Captain of Japan’s national team for RWC 2015 and 2019. He is the mental pillar of the current Brave Blossoms and a key player in terms of play. he was a little out of shape at RWC2019, but has since had surgery on an injured part and is back in shape. He started all three matches against Australia A. He is currently performing at the highest level of his career. The only problem is that if he were to pull out due to injury, there would be no one to replace him.
Let’s take a look back at the test match.
From the entrance, the atmosphere is different from the French national team’s matches in the summer. Although France is currently ranked higher in the world, Japanese rugby fans, who know the history of the All Blacks against Japan, respect the All Blacks as the strongest team in the world. At the same time, they are looking forward to seeing how far the Japanese national team, the Brave Blossoms, can go against the best team in the world. Most of the 65,000-plus spectators in the stadium, most of whom are Japanese rugby fans, have high expectations for this match. However, the flip side of this expectation is that if the team suffers a serious defeat here, it may turn off the fans. As was the case with the Japanese national team in the past. For the players of the national team, I felt a pressure that is hard to describe in words.
The most popular rugby team in Japan, the NZ national team All Blacks game, there were several unusual events.
The Honorary President of the Japanese Rugby Football Union, Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko, gave a pep talk to the participating players. This was not the case during the spring test matches. It was the idea of Mr. Tsuchida, the chairman of the Japan Rugby Football Union, that the match on this day was a historic one.
Then, the All Blacks’ pre-match War Cry, H AKA, was performed by the All Blacks.
I couldn’t help but shudder at the sight of the HAKA in the stadium.
Now, let the match begin.
10 minutes into the first half：
Both teams had been going back-and-forth up to this point, neither giving up the initiative, until All Blacks broke out of a lineout on the right side of the field a little way into enemy territory and hooker TAUKEIAHO broke through the gain line to get behind the Brave Blossoms’ defensive net. All Blacks lock RETALLICK followed up on this and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal to put the All Blacks ahead. The SO MO’UNGA scored the conversion goal after the try to make the score 0-7.
19 minutes into the first half:
Brave Blossoms’ SO Yamazawa kicked effectively at key points, and the game was promoted in the enemy’s territory. The Brave Blossoms formed a break down just beyond the 10-meter mark and the All Blacks were penalized for a Not Role Away foul. Here, the Brave Blossoms opted for the PG. It was in front of the enemy goal post, about 20 meters away. The SO Yamazawaga scored the PG. The score was 3-7 in favor of the Brave Blossoms. It should be noted that the Brave Blossoms’ SO Yamazawa’s kicking trajectory. His kicks were just as powerful and controlled as those of the kickers of the strong foreign teams. This kind of kick will put pressure on the opposing team not to foul play carelessly.
22 minutes into the first half:
The All Blacks attack deep into enemy territory. and from a lineout on the right flank, they surged forward in a maul to score a try. The Brave Blossoms showed the results of their defensive work after their loss to Australia A in October, when a maul attack cost them the game-winning try.
26 minutes into the first half:
Brave Blossoms again showed great defense in front of their own in-goal to repel the attack of their opponents. However, the All Blacks also attacked in succession, with offload passes and finally CTB ENHOR scored a try in the middle left of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful and All Blacks made the score 3-14.
32 minutes into the first half:
Brave Blossoms created several chances in enemy territory but failed to score. All Blacks got a lineout on the right side of the field after an infringement by their opponents, and WTB REECE ran from the outside to receive the ball and scored a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful. All Blacks made the score 3-21, 18 points ahead.
37 minutes into the first half:
The Brave Blossoms were on the verge of a one-sided loss if the score was any further apart. During this period, the All Blacks were bulking up and launching a series of off-loaded passes. This was the critical point in the match for the Brave Blossoms.
The All Blacks advanced all the way to the enemy 22-meter line. Here, FL HIMENO of the Brave Blossoms made a crucial jackal play, and the Brave Blossoms succeeded in turning over. The Brave Blossoms’ backs player kicked the ball deep into the enemy territory. Finally, SO YAMAZAWA picked up the ball in front of the enemy in-goal, then catched and scored a try The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 21-10.
39 minutes into the first half:
The Brave Blossoms were still in the midst of their first half, but the earlier try gave the whole team a boost, and everyone in the Brave Blossoms team showed a determination to connect the ball and move forward, launching a series of attacks from their own area. The ball was deployed to the left, and CTB Riley, stationed on the left edge of the field, broke through the All Blacks’ defense to close in on the enemy in-goal. Finally, he connected with SH NAGARE, who followed him inside and scored a try in the middle of the right field of opponent’s ingoal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the Brave Blossoms were within 4 points, 17-21.
The Brave Blossoms were briefly outscored by the All Blacks, but they scored back-to-back tries in the closing minutes of the first half. The Brave Blossoms’ performance at the end of the half brought cheers from the entire stadium.
In the last three matches against Australia A, Brave Blossoms lost energy in the second half and scored consecutive goals, but how will the second half of this match unfold?
Let the second half begin.
2 minutes into the second half:
Both teams were looking for the first goal from each other, but it was All Blacks who scored first.
All Blacks applied their bodies and tried to advance, but Brave Blossoms did not let them break the gain line. However, All Blacks’ left WTB CLARKE got tangled up with three men, and played them all off and scored a try in the left middle. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 28-17.
14 minutes into the second half:
The All Blacks players started to work together better and were gradually closing in on the enemy in-goal. With 5 meters to go and just in front of the goal posts, Brave Blossoms’ FL HIMENO showed a jackal play to win back the ball. It was a priceless play by HIMENO to stop the momentum of the opponent.
15 minutes into the second half.
The Brave Blossoms, thanks to FL HIMENO’s earlier effort, advanced to the center of the field. The SH CHRISTIE of All Blacks attempted a high punt up the middle, but Brave Blossom’s lock DEARNS was able to charge and the ball went straight into his arms. DEARNS ran through the back of the defense to the opponent’s in-goal and scored a try in the left center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-28. For Warner DEARNS, it was a memorable first try for Japan.
21 minutes into the second half:
During this period, the All Blacks were closing in on the enemy in-goal, and in succession, the FWs launched a series of side attacks.
And the All Blacks’ No.8 SOTUTU was able to score a try on the right side of the goal post with a great individual effort. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-35, an 11-point lead for the All Blacks.
26 minutes into the second half.
All Blacks lock RETALLICK was shown a red card and he was sent off.for extremely dangerous play against FL HIMENO, a key player on the Brave Blossoms’ FW this day.
All Blacks’ RETALLICK was sent off for hitting to Brave Blossoms’ HIMENO in the neck as he went for the ball in a tight pack.
The Brave Blossoms began to take the lead in the last 14 minutes of the second half, and with the All Blacks down a man, they began to push forward, going wide left and right.
39 minutes into the second half:.
The Brave Blossoms once got close to their own in-goal, but were fouled in a scrum there and pushed back into their own territory on the ensuing kick.
Later, during an attack and defense in their own territory, Brave Blossoms WTB Van den HEEVER kicked the spilled ball deep into enemy territory, and then chased it down himself to make it his own ball in front of the enemy goal.
From the lineout that followed, it was a tight battle in front of the enemy in-goal, and finally Brave Blossoms’ FL HIMENO scored a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-35.
40 minutes into the second half
With little time left on the clock, the Brave Blossoms tried to attack by spreading the ball deep in their own territory. Instead of kicking the ball out, the All Blacks opted for a PG, which the SO MO’UNGA converted to make the final score 31-38.
The Brave Blossoms had lost 7 straight games against the All Blacks, but the loss by 7 points was a good sign that the Brave Blossoms had improved their abilities.
We look forward to seeing them pick up some great wins in their next two test matches on November.
The second match of the 2022 Rugby Japan National Team’s training and test match series, the second match of the series was held at the BEST DENKI STADIUM in Fukuoka Prefecture on October 8.
This time, the opponent was the same as last week, Australia A. And Japan XV lost the last match against Australia A. We hope we can make up for it in the second match this time.
Since the venue was in Fukuoka Prefecture, we took the bullet train on the way there and the plane on the way back.
Although the bullet train is fast, it took 5 hours from Tokyo to Fukuoka. I left my house at 6:30 a.m. and boarded a Shinkansen bound for Hakata from Shin-Yokohama Station. It was the first time for me to use the Shinkansen to get to Fukuoka. Since it was the first day of a three-day weekend, the Shinkansen was crowded.
The photo above was taken as we passed Himeji Station. In the background is the national treasure, Himeji Castle.
We arrived at Hakata Station around 12:30 pm.
The venue for the match that day was the BEST DENKI STADIUM near Fukuoka Airport. With the RWC 2023 coming up the following year, domestic interest is growing, so there was a long line for the shuttle bus to the stadium.
We were worried that we might miss the kick-off time because the buses did not come easily. However, the person in front of me in line told me that it would take more than 40 minutes to walk to the stadium, so I had no choice but to wait in line. Well, I managed to arrive at the stadium 30 minutes before the game started.
For RWC 2019, three matches were played at this stadium.
Let me give you an update information on the two teams playing on this day.
First, let’s take a look at the home team, JAPAN XV.
In the first match, the 202cm lock WAQA left the field injured, which is a bit of a downgrade. It is good news for the national team that FL HIMENO and WTB MATSUSHIMA, who are members of RWC 2019, have returned to the starting lineup.
Here is the starting lineup for the day.
Japan XV
No.
Name
height
weight
age
Japan Caps
1
Craig MILLER
186cm
116kg
31
6
2
Atsushi SAKADE
180cm
104kg
29
30
3
Shinnosuke KAKINAGA
180cm
115kg
30
11
4
Warner DEARNS
201cm
117kg
20
4
5
Jack CORNELSEN
195cm
110kg
27
9
6
Kanji SHIMOKAWA
188cm
105kg
23
0
7
Kazuki HIMENO
187cm
108kg
28
22
8
Michael LEITCH
189cm
113kg
33
75
9
Naoto SAITO
165cm
73kg
25
8
10
Seungsin LEE
176cm
85kg
21
3
11
Siosaia FIFITA
187cm
105kg
23
9
12
Ryoto NAKAMURA
182cm
92kg
31
30
13
Dylan RILEY
187cm
102kg
25
7
14
Kotaro MATSUSHIMA
178cm
87kg
29
44
15
Ryohei Yamanaka
188cm
98kg
34
24
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Siosaia FIFITA. 187cm, 100kg, 23 years old. Position = WTB, CTB. After graduating from Tenri University, he worked for SUNWOLVES. He is a gem of a player. He is a player with speed, power, and a good eye for tactics, and while he is a WTB, he also contributes a lot to the defense. He is becoming a regular in the highly competitive Japanese WTB position.
And now, an update news on the Australia A team.
After winning the first game against JAPAN XV, this team has been playing the second game with almost the same members. The morale of the players is extremely high, as the players who performed outstandingly well on the Japan tour will be immediately called up by the Australian national team: Wallabies. Some people say that because it is an Australian selection team, it is an Australian second-string team, but it is more like SUPER RUGBY, where the contact is more intense than in Japan’s League One. The starting lineup for the day was as follows
The starting members for the day are as follows
Australia A
No.
Name
height
weight
age
Australia Caps
1
Matt GIBBON
185cm
120kg
27
2
2
Billy POLLARD
185cm
105kg
20
1
3
Pone FAAMAUSILI
196cm
130kg
25
3
4
Nick FROST
206cm
120kg
22
5
5
Cadeyrn NEVILLE
202cm
125kg
33
3
6
Ned HANIGAN
194cm
113kg
27
21
7
Brad WILKIN
187cm
105kg
26
0
8
Langi GLEESON
185m
105kg
21
0
9
Ryan LONERGAN
184m
80kg
24
0
10
Tane EDMED
183cm
91kg
22
0
11
Dylan PIETSCH
185cm
102kg
24
0
12
Bayley KUENZLE
186cm
92kg
24
0
13
Hudson CREIGHTON
182cm
92kg
22
0
14
Suli VUNIVALU
192cm
99kg
26
1
15
Jock CAMPBELL
186cm
85kg
27
0
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Tom BANKS. 186 cm, 93 kg, 28 years old. Position =FB. He has been out of the Australian national team for a while due to injury, but has recovered enough to be able to play in games. He has been recovering from an injury that kept him out of the Australian national team for a while. When he recovers, we expect him to show his outstanding performance as a regular player for the Australian national team. He will also be joining Mie HONDA, Japan League One. We hope he will be able to play in front of Japanese fans.
Now, let the games begin.
The temperature that day was 23 degrees Celsius, reminiscent of early summer.
1 minute of the first half:
While Australia A was puzzled by the handling of the ball, JAPAN XV secured the ball. JAPAN XV then attacked first to the right and then to the left, The ball was caught by Australia A, but Japan XV managed to win the ball back and play it to the right. The ball was then passed to JAPAN XV’s WTB MATSUSHIMA. He received the ball near the 22m line on the right touchline and ran to the right center for the try. JAPAN XV failed to score the conversion goal after the try. They scored first to make the score 5-0.
9 minutes into the first half:
JAPAN XV set the pace early in the match. They made a series of attacks in the opposition’s territory, gradually advancing toward the opponent’s in-goal. Australia A was forced to commit an offside foul at 15 meters in front of the goal post. Japan XV opted to go for the PG. SO LEE made a steady kick to score the PG, and JAPAN XV made the score 8-0.
11 minutes into the first half:
From the kickoff after the PG, Australia A attacked into enemy territory, and JAPAN XV’s HIMENO stopped the onrushing team with a tackle, but he was drawn a foul for not releasing the ball, giving them the right to score a PG. This was scored by SH LONERGAN of Australia A made the score 8-3.
31 minutes into the first half:
Both teams traded kicks, and after several kicks were exchanged, Australia A’s FB CAMPBELL counter-attacked from his own territory and both teams then exchanged kicks several times again. Once caught in the JAPAN XV’s defensive net, Australia A won the tight battle and attacked again in succession. FB CAMPBELL received the ball again and ran down the left touchline to score a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 8-10 in favor of Australia A.
Nevertheless, FB CAMPBELL is a very aggressive player who likes to counter attack. I hope he will be a rising star of RWC 2023 as a FB fantasista.
The first half ended with the score at this point, with Australia A leading by two goals.
Let the second half begin.
Player change: Australia A FB Jock CAMPBELL → Tom BANKS
4 minutes into the second half:
After the kickoff, JAPAN XV continued to attack in the enemy territory for a while. but from a scrum in Australia A ball, SH LONERGAN attempted to kick up, but JAPAN XV’s SH SAITO successfully charged and CTB RILEY picked up the spilled ball and passed to WTB FIFITA. He knocked on the ball.
After that, Australia A deployed to the left from their own territory, and FB BANKS made a great run and made a big gain, and got deep into the enemy territory. The ball was then passed to WTB PIETSCH, and in front of the in-goal BANKS received a return pass and he got past two JAPAN XV day defenders and scored a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try was missed, giving Australia A 7 point lead with the score 8-15.
11 minutes into the second half:
The game was somewhat of a stalemate. Neither side was able to make any significant gains. Whenever the FW players tried to push forward with force, Australia A would stop them with a head-on collision. In any case, the atmosphere in the FW game was such that a try was unlikely to be scored.
However, JAPAN XV entered the enemy territory, and when the FWs took the game into a tight battle, they were able to score a try. However, when JAPAN XV entered the enemy territory and took the game into a tight battle, Australia A committed a “Not Roll Away” infringement. At this point, JAPAN XV chose to go for the PG. The goal was about 15 meters to the left of the goal post in the enemy territory. The SO LEE of JAPAN XV scored it. JAPAN XV was now up by 4 points, 11-15.
17 minutes into the second half.
Australia A moved into the enemy territory and continued to attack. When Australia A spread the ball out and connected with the outermost player, JAPAN XV either broke wide or scored a try. This was a major factor in JAPAN XV’s defensive system, as they were able to use a double tackle to stop the opposing team before they could get around the opposition’s players at the line. This is an internal team rule that the JAPAN XV defensive system uses a double tackle to stop the opposing team before they can get to a player on the other team’s line. If a player goes around to the outside, the back-up player will stop him, but basically, the team will try to crush the opponent’s attack without allowing it to develop to the outside. This approach is very physically demanding, and the defensive network tends to break down in the second half of the match. JAPAN XV’s defensive system is currently in the process of being perfected.
22 minutes into the second half:
After a period of sustained offensive pressure by Australia A, JAPAN XV was awarded a penalty kick deep into enemy territory after a foul by their opponents and JAPAN XV had the ball in their own lineout deep in enemy territory. Once the ball was secured, JAPAN XV took the lead. JAPAN XV attacked with a series of attacks centered on the rush of the FW. The Japan XV FL MICHAEL’s play stood out on this day, both in defense and in attack. He scored a try in the right center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 18-15 to Japan XV.
25 minutes into the second half:
JAPAN XV continued to dominate the game in this period. JAPAN XV’s players continued to push forward, breaking through the opposing defense at key moments. At the 10-meter line, in the middle of the field, JAPAN XV hooker SAKATE, a hooker for JAPAN XV, broke through the back of the Australia A defense and advanced to the 22-meter line. The ball was then passed through the middle of the field at the 10-meter line. Australia A was fouled for offsides, and PG was chosen by JAPAN XV in this position. The SO LEE converted the PG and the score was 21-15.
35 minutes left in the second half
With less than 5 minutes remaining, JAPAN XV committed a series of penalties, allowing Australia A to push up the field in front of the enemy’s in-goal. XV almost got out of trouble a few times, but then they were penalized again.
In the end, Australia A pushed forward in a maul in front of the enemy in-goal and scored a try in the left center of the field.
At this point, the horn sounded to signal the last play of the game. At this point, the score was 21-20, and Australia A was only one point behind. SO EDMED was the man to score the final conversion goal for the comeback win. ECDMED scored from a difficult position on the left edge of the box.
With a come-from-behind win at the end of the game, Australia A looked jubilantand secured their place in the series.
Will JAPAN XV be able to make up for it in Round 3 on October 14?
I left for Tokyo from Fukuoka Airport on the same day.
The outward trip to Fukuoka took 5 hours by Shinkansen, but I arrived at Haneda Airport in 90 minutes by plane on the return trip. However, this BEST DENKI STADIUM was located right next to the airport, so it was very convenient.
I will not be able to watch the 3rd round of the tournament with Australia A on 10/14 because it will be held on Friday. The next game will be against ALL BLACKS on 10/29 at National Stadium in Tokyo. Advance tickets are already sold out.
＊＊ ＪＥＲＳＥＹ ＣＯＬＬＥＣＴＩＯＮ ６６ ＊＊
Replica of the 2007 HONG KONG SEVENS Italy national team jersey. Manufactured by LUCY (probably a Chinese company). Purchased for 1,100 yen on Mercari. Used. The Italian national team has not achieved remarkable results in 7-man rugby, but the design and color are good, and the price was cheap, so I did not hesitate to buy it. I am glad I bought this jersey, because it seems that many people paid attention to this jersey.
The Japanese national rugby team has set up six matches this fall as reinforcement for RWC 2023. Below is the schedule.
(1) 10/1 – Japan XV vs. Australia A Game 1: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo
2) 10/8 Japan XV vs. Australia A Round 2: Best Denki Stadium, Fukuoka
3) 10/14 – Japan XV vs. Australia A Game 3: YODOKO Sakura Stadium, Osaka
4) 10/29 – Japan Brave Blossoms vs New Zealand All Blacks: National Stadium, Tokyo
5) 11/12 – Japan national team Brave Blossoms VS England national team: Twickenham Stadium, England
6) 11/20 – Japan national team Brave Blossoms VS France national team Les Bleus: Stadium de Toulouse, France
This is quite a gorgeous training match. The reason why we are able to organize such a training match with a rugby powerhouse is because of the achievements of Japan’s national team at RWC 2019.
On Saturday, October 1, 2022, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo to watch Japan XV vs Australia A Game 1. This match was between the Japan XV and the Australia A team, although the team names were unfamiliar to me. This match is not an official test match between the representatives of the two countries, so the players will not be given a representative CAP. In this match, the Japanese team will be the actual national team, while the Australian team will be a selected team that includes some players with national team experience.
The kickoff time for this match was 19:00. I had originally arranged to meet my friend at 18:00, but he called me and told me that the advance tickets were sold out and if we did not enter early, we would be relegated to the corner seats, so we entered at 17:30. The total number of visitors that day was 19,729.
Let me introduce the two teams playing this day.
First, let me introduce the home team, Japan XV.
Looking at Japan’s record in test matches since the RWC 2019, they have shown a gap in ability against the lower ranked countries in the world ranking, but have not been able to win against the higher ranked countries, although they have put up reasonably good fights. The main reason for this is that Japan has dropped out of strong leagues such as SUPER RUGBY, which it used to be a member of, and the national team has not been able to strengthen its athletes. Currently, the team is able to organize strengthening matches based on their performance in the previous tournament, but if they suffer a disastrous defeat at RWC 2023, they are expected to gradually become weaker. In the end, the Japan Rugby Union and its sponsors are only looking to strengthen the domestic league. Personally, I would like to see the Sun Wolves revived and re-enter Super Rugby.
Here is today’s starting lineup.
Japan XV
No.
Name
height
weight
age
Japan Caps
1
Craig MILLER
186cm
116kg
31
6
2
Atsushi SAKADE
180cm
104kg
29
30
3
Yusuke KIZU
178cm
112kg
26
5
4
Jack CORNELSEN
195cm
110kg
27
9
5
Sanaila WAQA
202cm
120kg
27
2
6
Kanji SHIMOKAWA
188cm
105kg
23
7
Peter LABUSCHAGNE
189cm
106kg
33
13
8
Michael LEITCH
189cm
113kg
33
75
9
Naoto SAITO
165cm
73kg
25
8
10
Hayata NAKAO
176cm
86kg
27
11
Siosaia FIFITA
187cm
105kg
23
9
12
Shogo NAKANO
186cm
98kg
25
5
13
Dylan RILEY
187cm
102kg
25
7
14
Gerhard von den HEEVER
192cm
102kg
33
3
15
Ryohei Yamanaka
188cm
98kg
34
24
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Kotaro MATSUSHIMA. 178cm, 87kg, 28 years old. At the age of 21, he participated in the RWC 2015 and has been a regular player in the Japan national team as a mainstay WTB since then. He has the decisiveness needed to be an international class WTB. Until last year, he was the main FB for Clermont, a strong team in the French professional league. He is expected to reach his peak as a player at the upcoming RWC 2023.
Next, I would like to introduce our visiting team, Australia A.
The Australia A team is the second team after the Wallabies, the Australian national team. Among the starting members, there are 8 players who have represented Australia before, and they have players who are aiming to participate in RWC 2023. Their most recent result as a team was second place at the Pacific Nations Cup, competing against Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. The team lost to Samoa. Japan will be in the same group as Samoa at RWC 2023, and will be looking for a win against Australia A.
The starting lineup for today’s match is as follows
Australia A
No.
Name
height
weight
age
Australia Caps
1
Matt GIBBON
185cm
120kg
27
2
2
Lachlan LONERGAN
180cm
100kg
22
6
3
Tom ROBERTSON
180cm
115kg
28
27
4
Nick FROST
206cm
120kg
22
5
5
Cadeyrn NEVILLE
202cm
125kg
33
2
6
Ned HANIGAN
194cm
113kg
27
25
7
Ollie CALLAN
185cm
100kg
22
8
Langi GLEESON
185m
105kg
21
9
Ryan LONERGAN
184m
80kg
24
10
Ben DONALDSON
184cm
87kg
23
11
Filipo DAUGUNU
175cm
91kg
27
7
12
Bayley KUENZLE
186cm
92kg
24
13
Hudson CREIGHTON
182cm
92kg
22
14
Suli VUNIVALU
192cm
99kg
26
1
15
Jock CAMPBELL
186cm
85kg
27
＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊
Langi GLEESON. 185 cm, 100 kg, 21 years old. No Cap for Australia. A promising young player who made his debut for the Australian Waratahs in the 2022 Super Rugby and was selected for Australia A this time after a remarkable performance. He will surely break through the opposing team’s defense. His trademark red head cap stands out in the game.
Let’s start the first half.
Kickoff for the day was at 19:00.
2 minutes into the first half：
Japan XV kicked a little bit into the enemy’s territory, and Australia A committed a foul of Not Role Away. The point of the foul was in front of the goal post, so Japan XV chose to go for the PG. Japan XV’s SO NAKAO scored the PG to put Japan XV ahead by 3 points.
6 minutes into the first half：
From the kickoff after the try, Australia A moved into enemy territory, and in a tight battle, Japan XV Lock WAQA was fouled for Not Role Away. At this point, Australia A elected to go for the PG. SH RONERGAN succeeded in this PG and the score was tied 3-3.
17 minutes into the first half：
Australia A’s offensive efforts were becoming more and more noticeable. After Japan XV was fouled for offside in the middle of their own territory, Australia A opted to go for the PG. The PG was also successful, making the score 3-6.
19 minutes into the first half：
After the PG, Japan XV kicked off in the enemy territory. Japan XV had a great chance to score when the CTB put up a short punt, and three Japan XV players ran on to win the ball. The ball went straight up the field, with only one FB on the Australia A side. FB CAMPBELL intercepted the ball clearly, ran into the back of the enemy line and ran more than 50 m. Japan XV’s SO NAKAO managed to stop him deep in his own territory. CAMPBELL’s bold interception was a surprise.
22 minutes into the first half:
Japan XV had an opportunity to take the ball out of their own line deep in the enemy territory on the right side. FL NAKAO secured the ball and raced towards the goal posts. This was blocked by Australia A, but Japan XV had a PG opportunity 5 meters in front of the goal post. SO NAKAO succeeded in this PG and the score was tied 6-6.
36 minutes into the first half:
The score was tied 6-6, but the ball was mostly controlled by Australia A. Japan XV spent most of the time on the defensive. Toward the end of the first half, however, Japan XV was finally able to mount a series of attacks in front of the enemy goal line. As a result, Japan XV had an opportunity to take a PG after an infringement in front of the goalposts. SO NAKAO scored to make the score 9-6.
The first half ended with the score 9-6 in favor of Japan XV, leaving them with a 3-point lead going into the second half.
Thanks to newly appointed defensive coach John Mitchell, Japan XV was more organized defensively than in the July match against France, but they could not attack much in the first half, which they will need to rectify for the second half.
And as for Australia A, the whole team, led by No.8 Gleeson and FB Campbell, was full of attacking spirit. I expect them to show us a great attack in the second half.
Let’s start the second half.
5 minutes into the second half:
Japan XV, perhaps reflecting on the lack of offensive time in the first half, went on the offensive right from the start of the second half. They won the scrums, drew penalties from their opponents, and gradually advanced deep into the enemy territory. From the scrum, Japan XV moved to the left, and by the time they passed to the WTB, they had enough space to score a try by WTB FIFITA in the left corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. It was the first try through both teams in the match, and the score was 14-6, giving Japan XV an 8-point lead.
8 minutes into the second half:
Australia A scored a try against their opponents.
Australia A seemed to get everyone fired up after their opponent scored a try. Anyway, Australia A did not fall down easily when they made contact. They kept going forward, and the ball kept coming to them. Finally, WTB VUNIVALU scored a try in the left center. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 14-13, and Australia A was within one point.
10 minutes into the second half:
Japan XV made two substitutions.
SH SAITO → NAGARE
FL SHIMOKAWA → HIMENO
Can these two players pull Japan XV back from a game that was leaning towards Australia A?
12 minutes into the second half:
Japan increased the tempo of their attack and launched a series of attacks deep into the enemy territory. FB Yamanaka came very close to scoring a try, but the VTR showed the referee that it was not to be. However, before that, there was a foul on Australia A, so Japan XV chose to go for the PG from that position, and SO NAKAO succeeded in scoring. The score was 17-13.
Japan XV also made a change of players at this time.
WTB von den HEEVER → MATSUSHIMA.
Australia A also made a change of players at this time.
LO NEVILLE → SMITH
FL CALLAN → WILKIN
WTB DAUGUNU → NAWAQANTAWASE
15 minutes into the second half:
Japan XV launched a series of attacks to decide the game here. After entering the enemy territory, WTB FIFITA made a big gain on the left side of the field. Then Japan XV attacked to the right side. CTB NAKANO made an exquisite pass to WTB MATUSHIMA on the right side, and he scored a try on the right edge. The stadium was filled with excitement on the day.
The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 22-13.
18 minutes into the second half：
Immediately after the try was scored, the Australia A players all showed fighting spirit and made a series of strong contact plays. A follow-up player ran into a hole in the defense pried open by a contacted player and made a series of successful offload passes.
Finally, Australia A scored a try by FL WILKIN, who had just been replaced, right under the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-20.
21 minutes into the second half：
Australia A had their own lineout after the game resumed, and SO DONALDSON got behind the opponents’ defensive net and went straight for a big gain. He then kicked the ball towards the in-goal, where WTB NAWAQANTAWASE held the ball in the in-goal for the try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 22-27 in favor of Australia A.
33 minutes into the second half：
Some of the Japan XV players started to tire and there were some holes in the defense. Australia A’s WTB NAWAQANTAWASE made an individual break down the left flank and scored a try in the middle of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-34.
The score remained 22-34 until the end of the match.
Japan XV lost their first of six straight test matches.
Australia A’s offensive prowess shone through in this match. The Japan XV will play three straight matches against this opponent, so we hope that they will show the results of this day in the next week’s match.
＊＊ Jersey Collection 65 ＊＊
This is a replica jersey of the Italian national team that played the opening match of the first RWC held in 1987. I think it is a reprint of the original jersey, but I bought it for 7,900 yen on Mercari because it was a faithful reproduction of the colors of the Italian national team’s jersey at that time. It is a new used item, never used.
The tag from when it was sold was attached. This jersey was a project item, yet it was priced higher than the All Blacks jerseys of the time. The All Blacks jersey, a big seller at the time, did not cost more than 10,000 yen, as I recall. However, rugby jerseys do not sell well in Japan unless the country is a powerhouse to some extent, so I think this Italian national team jersey hardly sold at all. However, the design is good, so if Italy becomes a strong rugby team in the future, I think the price will go up.
This time I went to watch the second match of the Kanto University Rugby League Group 1, between Kanto Gakuin University and Toyo University.
The venue for this match was Senario House Field Misato Stadium in Misato City, Saitama Prefecture. The distance from my home is 68 km.
It took about 90 minutes by train. However, the bus from the nearest station to the stadium was not accessible. We had to wait 45 minutes at the bus stop. From there, it took about 20 minutes to get to the stadium, totaling more than 2 hours.
This was my first visit to Misato City in Saitama Prefecture, which is lined with many small and medium-sized factories and does not have much to offer for sightseeing. This place is surrounded by big rivers, and the land is flat, so it seems to be easy to get around by bicycle. Since it is located in the suburbs of Tokyo, it seems to function as a living city.
Before the game, I would like to introduce the Kanto University Rugby League group.
Kanto University Rugby currently has two major forces. One is the rivalry group centered on Keio University, which is the root of rugby in Japan, and the other is the league group centered on Nihon University, Hosei University, Chuo University, Senshu University, etc., which were emerging powers at the time. In 2022, the league group will have 3 slots, while the rivalry group will have 5 slots.
Will the league group be able to turn things around this season?
The photo above was taken at the match between Ryutsu Keizai University (5th place last season) and Daito Bunka University (3rd place last season).
The standings of last season’s Kanto University Rugby League group were as follows.
Kanto University Rugby League Group Order 2021
order
team
Win
Lose
Even
1
Tokai
6
0
1
2
Nihon
6
0
1
3
Daito Bunka
5
2
0
4
Kanto Gakuin
3
4
0
5
Ryutsu Keizai
3
4
0
6
Hosei
2
5
0
7
Chuo
2
5
0
8
Sensyu
0
7
0
The two lower ranked teams played a replacement match against the teams ranked 1st and 2nd in the second division. The results were
1) Chuo University vs Toyo University: Toyo University won 21-26.
2) Senshu University vs. Rissho University: Rissho University won 47-53.
Toyo University and Rissho University were promoted to the first division of the league this season.
In case you are wondering what exactly is the difference between the first and second divisions, teams in the second division are not allowed to play paid spectator games during the season. Only the players and officials of the opposing school go to the field to play the games. This is a big difference. Fans cannot go to cheer them on, and of course there is no TV broadcast. Since there is no big stage for success, players who were active in high school do not want to enter the school. It is all a vicious circle for players who want to enter a university and play an active role. However, on the other hand, for those who were not successful in high school and are from unknown schools, there is a chance to play in the games. Toyo University, which was promoted to the first division this time, is said to be the first team to be promoted in 29 years.
Let me introduce the two teams that will be playing this time.
First, let me introduce the visiting team, Kanto Gakuin University.
Last season, they finished 4th in the Kanto University Rugby League Group. Founded in 1960, Kanto Gakuin University was a prestigious team that reached the final of the University Championship for 10 consecutive years from 1997 to 2007, winning the title six times, including two consecutive championships.
However, the team entered a long period of stagnation after the coach was replaced in 2007 due to misconduct by a member of the team. There are many former national team members who supported Kanto Gakuin in its golden age, and I believe that there are many fans who are eagerly awaiting the revival of Kanto Gakuin.
Today’s starting members are as follows.
Kanto Gakuin University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Ryunosuke KODAMA
170cm
105kg
21
2
Shokei YONEI
174cm
102kg
21
3
Masato OBARA
175cm
113kg
21
4
Ryuki HANADA
185cm
103kg
20
5
Yujiro YANO
192cm
110kg
21
6
Nachi TATEKAWA
180cm
95kg
22
7
Rin MIYAGAMI
165cm
80kg
20
8
Hijiri YUITO
176cm
97kg
20
9
Kento MURATA
167cm
68kg
21
10
Daiki Tachikawa
167cm
78kg
21
11
Hiroto MARUYAMA
174cm
80kg
21
12
Takuru YAMAMURA
176cm
99kg
20
13
Mitutaka KUKISAWA
178cm
87kg
19
14
Yuki ANDO
178cm
86kg
19
15
Larry TIPOAI-LUTERU
192cm
112kg
18
＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊
Daiki TACHIKAWA. 167 cm, 78 kg, 21 years old. He is a graduate of Saga Technical High School. His father is Takeshi TACHIKAWA, a former Japanese national rugby player (21cap for Japan). He is not very tall, but his kicking ability and control are impressive. Like his father, he went on to Kanto Gakuin University from Saga Technical High School.
Next, I would like to introduce today’s home team, Toyo University Rugby Football Club .
They have been promoted to the first division of the Kanto University Rugby League Group 1 this season after defeating the 7th-ranked Chuo University in last season’s replacement round. On September 1, their first match was held at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground. The opponent was Tokai University, last year’s league champion. Everyone involved in the tournament expected a convincing victory for Tokai University, but Toyo University unexpectedly pulled off an upset victory. It was such a Giant Killing that it became the top 3 news of this season’s university rugby. With this victory, Toyo University became the center of attention of Japanese rugby fans. We expect the crowd to grow as the team continues to win more games.
Today’s starting lineup is as follows.
Toyo University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Taiga Yamaguchi
168cm
106kg
21
2
Shuta Ishiyama
173cm
102kg
22
3
Makito ISHIKAWA
185cm
115kg
19
4
Lamin Dieng SAITO
185cm
102kg
22
5
Matariki CHANNINGS
195cm
122kg
20
6
Vea TANIELA
183cm
120kg
22
7
Sho TANAKA
185cm
100kg
25
8
Shu UMEMURA
183m
100kg
21
9
Yusaku KANDA
170m
80kg
23
10
Stefarhn VAHAFOLAU
188cm
97kg
20
11
Kaito SUGIMOTO
170cm
75kg
20
12
Sota YOSHIDA
187cm
93kg
22
13
Kohei TANAKA
183cm
91kg
21
14
Yohei BONDO
180cm
82kg
20
15
Takumi ISHIMOTO
171cm
81kg
21
＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊
There is actually one player in this team that rugby fans all over Japan will be interested in: Juan Oosthuyzen, 211 cm, 135 kg, 20 years old. He is from South Africa. He is the world’s tallest lock. Unfortunately, he was not even on the bench that day, so I could not take his picture. I will look forward to the next time.
If Oosthuyzen is included in this group, we have a player who is clearly huge, more than a head and a half, but he did not play this time.
Now, let’s kick off. Kickoff time was 12:30.
4 minutes into the first half:
The game started with a kickoff by Kanto Gakuin University. The wind was a little strong, and Toyo University’s side was upwind in the first half. The game proceeded in the Toyo University camp, and when the Kanto Gakuin University backs spilled the ball from a Kanto Gakuin University scrum due to a handling error, the Toyo University backs took the ball, broke away, and expanded to the right, connecting with BONDO, the right WTB, who scored a try in the right center. The conversion goal after the try was also successful. The score was 7-0, and Toyo University took the lead.
8 minutes into the first half
Kanto Gakuin University had just entered the enemy territory when a scrum on the left side of the field led to a right wing, and the right WTB ANDO made a big move forward.
From the dense crowd created there, a series of attacks developed, and the SO TACHIKAWA released the ball in front of the goal post, which was run into by the left WTB MARUYAMA, who scored a try to the left center. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 7-5.
15 minutes into the first half:
Kanto Gakuin University continued to attack in the Toyo University camp in this period. Toyo University’s defense in front of the goal did a good job of repelling the rush by the FWs, but a long pass from Kanto Gakuin University’s SO TACHIKAWA in front of the goal post was caught by the left WTB MARUYAMA, who took off two opposing defenders with individual skill and scored a try in the left center. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 7-10.
17 minutes into the first half:
Toyo University secured the ball from the kick-off after the try, and launched a series of attacks in the opponent’s territory. Toyo University secured the ball in a tight pack, and No.8 UMEMURA rolled a grounder punt in front of the goal in enemy territory. The right WTB BONDO caught the ball and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was now 12-10 in favor of Toyo University.
24 minutes into the first half:
Toyo University began to find their attacking rhythm. Consecutive attacks connected, and the time spent attacking in the enemy territory increased. They attacked left and right, gradually moving forward, and finally, with an extra man on the right side, FB Ishimoto scored a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-10.
33 minutes into the first half:
Kanto Gakuin University then scored 3 points through PGs, and in the 33rd minute of the first half, a scrum took place deep in their own territory.
From there, the ball rolled to the right and was kicked by the WTB ANDO. The ball rolled deep into the enemy territory, and Kanto Gakuin University won the ball, and flanker TATEKAWA scored the final try in the right-center in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Kanto Gakuin University was back on top this time. The score was 19-20.
38 minutes into the first half.
From a scrum almost in the center of the field, Toyo University gradually advanced through the enemy line through a series of attacks. A dense battle ensued near the goal posts, about 7 meters from the goal line, where Toyo University’s SH KANDA grabbed the ball and dodged three of Kanto Gakuin University defenders, and scored a try just below the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-20, and Toyo University was back in front.
The first half was a dizzying affair, with both teams trading points with each other. The score was 26-20, Toyo University leading Kanto Gakuin University by six points at halftime.
Now for the start of the second half.
14 and 18 minutes into the second half:
Kanto Gakuin University’s SO TACHIKAWA scored two PGs from almost halfway, a distance of almost 50 meters, to tie the score 26-26.
23 minutes into the second half:
This match had a lot to offer in terms of attacks by both teams. They repeatedly attacked in succession, exploiting their opponents’ skirmishes and advancing forward. Conversely, there were few turnovers to take the ball out of the opponent’s hands.
Toyo University repeated a series of attacks in the opponent’s territory, gradually closing in on the opponent’s goal line, and finally, from a dense battle in front of the goal line, Toyo University’s SH KANDA scored from the right center of the in-goal. KANDA scored his second try of the day, diving into the right center of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 33-26.
27 minutes into the second half
Kanto Gakuin University’s FB Larry made a strong breakthrough and drove close to the opponent’s goal line, finally crossing the line in front of the goal. The WTB ANDO made a great individual effort to get past the defenders and score a try at the right edge of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed, making the score 33-31.
36 minutes into the second half.
Toyo University gained their own lineout 5m in front of the goal line at the right end of the enemy line due to an infringement by the opponents. Toyo University’s FWs secured the ball, and the team moved forward in a maul to score a try right in front of the opponents’ in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 38-31.
In this match, the referee calculated the loss time and extended the time remaining in the game, so the game did not end until well past the 40th minute of the second half. The last play was particularly long, and there were screams from the Toyo University fans in the stands. Well, that’s how heated the game was.
In the end, Toyo University won the match 38-31, their second consecutive win since the opening of the season. Conversely, Kanto Gakuin University has lost two straight.
Kanto Intercollegiate Rugby reached its second round on September 18. This time, I watched the match between Waseda University and Tsukuba University in Group A of the Kanto Intercollegiate Rugby League. The venue this time was the Earthcare Shikishima Soccer/Rugby Stadium in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture.
The distance from Hachioji City, Tokyo, where I live, to Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, is 110 km. However, there are not many trains running on this section of road, so it took me a long time to reach my destination.
After all, there is only one train running every hour, so if you miss a train connection, it will take about an extra hour.
I left my house at 8:00 a.m. and arrived at my destination, Maebashi City, at 11:30 a.m., one hour before kickoff. I had no choice but to take a cab to the stadium because there were no buses running even though it was an hour before the game. The fare was 1,800 yen. It was an unplanned expense for transportation.
Furthermore, a typhoon had hit the Kanto area that day, so it was raining heavily. My original plan was to arrive at the stadium early and watch the game under the roof of the main stand, but it was already occupied by local spectators.
I had no choice but to watch the game on the grass in the back stand, wearing a rain coat. It had been raining for a long time, so it was physically demanding to watch the game.
Now, let me introduce today’s opposing teams.
Waseda University (2nd place last season in the league 2021) vs. University of Tsukuba (6th place last season in the league 2021)
Waseda was the better team last year, but Tsukuba has a better team this year, and according to newspaper reports before the match, a close match was expected.
Let me give you an update on both teams.
First, let me introduce the Waseda University Rugby Club, which will be the home team in this match.
The team is one of the most popular and traditional teams in Japan. The team’s attacking style is traditionally “close, continuous, and deployed”. The student team changes players every year, so the strengths of the team change from year to year, but Waseda University’s lifeblood is its development rugby, which utilizes the entire field.
Waseda’s tactic is to study the opposing team well before the match, so it will be interesting to see how they fight in the first half of the match.
The starting lineup for today’s match is as follows.
Waseda University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Shota IMOTO
165cm
98kg
21
2
Kenji SATO
177cm
108kg
19
3
Shotaro KAMEYAMA
176cm
115kg
20
4
Tomoki MAEDA
179cm
103kg
21
5
Daiki IKEMOTO
186cm
105kg
20
6
Jingo MURATA
185cm
102kg
20
7
Ken AIHARA
180cm
88kg
21
8
Masahiko SAGARA
180m
99kg
21
9
Masanori MIYAO
165m
70kg
20
10
Ko YOSHIMURA
175cm
84kg
21
11
Sena HOSOYA
162cm
63kg
20
12
Kengo NONAKA
181cm
93kg
19
13
Reo MATSUSHITA
183cm
93kg
21
14
Eito MAKI
175cm
88kg
21
15
Satoshi KOIZUMI
178cm
86kg
22
＊＊Players to watch ＊＊
Kenji SATO. 177 cm, 108 kg, 19 years old. Position＝Hokker, No.8. He is a graduate of Toin Gakuen High School in Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a strong player at Waseda University, where he has been a regular since his freshman year. Last season, he played as No.8, but this season, he will lead the entire FW as a hooker. How close Waseda’s FW will be to Meiji and Teikyo, which have strong FWs in the second half of the season, will rests on his shoulders.
Next, I would like to introduce the visiting team, the University of Tsukuba Rugby Club.
Developmental attack rugby, similar to that of Waseda, will be the team color of Tsukuba. The team’s characteristic is to fight through strong opponents with tenacity. This season’s team has no holes in both FW and BK, and in fact, the FW has been outstanding in recent years. Will they be able to win their matches in the rivalry group and advance to the University Championship?
Today’s starting lineup is as follows
Tsukuba University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Yusaku KIHARA
176cm
108kg
21
2
Koki HIDA
178cm
104kg
21
3
Daisuke KURASAKI
179cm
105kg
21
4
Kodai Sean YOKOMIZO
187cm
88kg
20
5
Ryuto YAGISAWA
188cm
108kg
21
6
So IBARAGI
186cm
90kg
19
7
Kotaro NARAMOTO
171cm
92kg
22
8
Hayata TANIYAMA
184cm
95kg
20
9
Takuya SHIRAE
164cm
69kg
21
10
Kanjiro NARAMOTO
178cm
84kg
23
11
Ryota OHATA
174cm
77kg
20
12
Ryotaro ASAMI
178cm
90kg
20
13
So MATSUSHIMA
173cm
81kg
21
14
Ryo HAMASHIMA
175cm
70kg
18
15
Haruhiko UEMURA
177cm
80kg
21
＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊
Ryotaro ASAMI. 178cm, 90kg, 20 years old. Position = CTB, SO. A player who can lead the strong Tsukuba BK team and play a decisive role in scoring points in the game. He sees the breakdown of the opposing defense and uses precise passing, kicking, and running.
The match kicked off at 15:00.
2 minutes into the first half:
It was Waseda who scored the first score.
Immediately after the kickoff, both teams started cautiously, kicking the ball deep into the opponents’ territory. Waseda’s SO Yoshimura kicked the ball from deep in their own territory, and Tsukuba’s FB Uemura tried to kick it back. Waseda’s SO Yoshimura successfully charged down the ball. Waseda’s FWs rushed in and connected with the ball, and finally NO.8 Sagara scored a try right under the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda scored first to make the score 7-0.
9 minutes into the first half:
Perhaps due to the wet and muddy ground, Tsukuba was infringed for intentionally collapsing a scrum. The penalty kick was 10 meters from the goal post, so Waseda opted to go for the PG. SO Yoshimura scored the PG to make the score 10-0.
28 minutes into the first half:
Tsukuba took advantage of a lineout and a lineout.
Tsukuba was able to go toe-to-toe with Waseda in the lineout and in the densely contested battle, and were able to make some headway. However, Tsukuba was pushed down by Waseda at every scrum on the day. In last week’s match against Meiji University, they had never been pushed down so far in the scrums, so this was probably a result of Waseda’s prior research.
Then, when Waseda attacked deep into Tsukuba’s camp, Tsukuba was penalized for a high tackle. The spot where this foul was committed was also right in front of the goal post, about 15 meters away, so Waseda chose to go for the PG again. The SO Yoshimura of Waseda scored to make the score 13-0.
37 minutes into the first half:
Waseda attacked into Tsukuba’s territory, and on the right side of Tsukuba’s 22m line, Tsukuba was fouled by a scrum on their own ball. Here, Waseda again opted for the PG, and the SO Yoshimura scored it to make the score 16-0 in Waseda’s favor.
41 minutes into the first half:
Tsukuba was pushed back in the scrum and lost the ball.
Tsukuba had been creating a vicious cycle of pushing and losing in the scrums, which in turn led to mistakes in their own attack.
Deep in their own territory, Tsukuba dropped the ball, and Waseda hooker Satoh picked it up and drove straight ahead. Waseda’s Satoh did not look very fast in the way he ran, but in fact, he carried the ball deep into the opponents’ camp at speed. Waseda’s BK players connected with this ball, and finally the SH Miyao of Waseda took it into the in-goal, but Tsukuba’s defenders prevented him from doing so.
However, Tsukuba kicked the ball from the in-goal, and Waseda connected from the left edge of the enemy line. Finally, No.8 Sagara dribbled the ball with his foot, moved forward, and held it at the right side of the goal post for a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda finished the first half 23-0.
Looking back at the first half, this match was expected to be close, but as it turned out, Waseda scored one-sidedly. As for Tsukuba, they showed some good attacks at times, but they could not win the ball at all at the scrum for set plays, so they could not create their own attacking rhythm. Will Tsukuba be able to recover in the second half by taking advantage of their strengths?
Let’s start the second half.
University of Tsukuba replaced the right prop Kurasaki with Tanaka in order to regroup from the scrum that was being held up.
10 minutes into the second half.
In this period, Waseda attacked into Tsukuba’s territory and had to scrum again. Tsukuba replaced the right prop with Tanaka, but as usual, they were pushed into the field. In the ensuing scrum, Waseda made a series of handling errors, which did not lead to a score, but Tsukuba continued to barely prevent an additional score.
22 minutes into the second half:
Waseda was fouled, and Tsukuba got the ball from there. No.8 Taniyama kicked the ball from deep in his own half, and it went out beyond the opponent’s 22m line. This was the application of the 50-22 rule, and Tsukuba got the right of the lineout for their own ball deep in the right end of the opponents’ line.
Tsukuba secured their own ball, and then formed a maul to move forward at a dash. Tsukuba then ran into the in-goal and scored a try in the middle of the field on the right. The try was scored by hooker Hida. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 23-5, and Tsukuba scored their first points of the match.
31 minutes into the second half:
With the try, Tsukuba tried to move forward in a similar pattern, and had a lineout opportunity at the right end of the enemy 22m line. From there, Tsukuba again formed a maul to advance. Waseda tried to prevent Tsukuba from scoring in the same pattern, and they persisted in front of the goal. However, Tsukuba’s backs joined the maul and scored a try in the in-goal, right in the middle of the field. The try was scored by Tsukuba’s WTB Ohata. The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was 23-10.
37 minutes into the second half:
Waseda had dominated the score in the first half, but now Tsukuba had taken control of the match. This was a typical example of how a match can be unpredictable until the very end. It was interesting to watch.
Three times, Tsukuba had a chance to take the ball inside the 22-meter line. In other words, Tsukuba avoided the scrums, which were their weak point on the day, and built their attack around the lineout, which was their forte, and as a result, they pulled the game out of the game.
As for Waseda, it was humiliating to be scored three times in the same attacking style, so they were determined and wanted to stop it. However, Tsukuba advanced with this maul attack with everyone, not only the FW but also the BK. Finally, Tsukuba’s hooker Hiraisihi, who came on as a substitute, scored a try in the right center of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 23-17.
38 minutes into the second half:
With less than two minutes remaining in the half, the score was 23-17.
With less than two minutes remaining, the crowd began to murmur in unison. Would Waseda continue to dominate? Or would Tsukuba score a try and a goal to complete the comeback victory? At this point, Waseda, who had the ball at this point, tried to advance by continuously developing the ball.
When the continuous attack reached around the 5th phase, Waseda kicked the ball outward as time was running out. At that moment, the referee blew the whistle to end the game.
Waseda got their second win, albeit a hard-fought one. Tsukuba lost the match, but they got one winning point since they lost by less than seven points.
We would like to thank both teams for showing us a heated game in spite of the bad weather.
＊＊ Jersey Collection 64 ＊＊
2019 RWC England jersey replica. Classic style long sleeve jersey. Embroidered on the right sleeve with the RWC 2003 winning cup. Made by Canterbury of New Zealand. I got it on Mercari for ¥3,980.00. The price of the 2019 RWC replica jersey has been slow to drop, but it has finally come down to ¥3,980. I personally think around 4,000 yen is a fair price for a used jersey.
The 2022-2023 Japanese rugby season began on September 10, 2022. First, the official domestic university rugby season began. From this day, university rugby clubs are divided into groups to play official matches, and the top school among them will be able to participate in the National University Rugby Championship to be held from mid-December.
This time, I watched a match of Kanto University Rugby Group A. It was the opening match of the season. This day was the opening match. The memorable opening card was University of Tsukuba vs Meiji University.
The venue was Komazawa Park Athletic Stadium in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. From my house, I take the train from Hachioji Station to Shinjuku Station, then to Shibuya Station, and finally to Komazawa University Station. It takes about 2 hours one way. After getting off the train at Komazawa University Station, it takes about 10 minutes to walk to the venue.
After getting off the train, we entered Komazawa Park and walked around the park.
It was mid-September, but it was still hot. The maximum temperature rose to 31 degrees Celsius. If we were not careful, we were likely to suffer heat stroke.
We finally arrived at the Komazawa Park Athletic Field.
Before the game, I would like to check the ranking of Group A of the Kanto University Rugby Tournament last season.
Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group A Order 2021
order
team
Win
Lose
1
Teikyo
7
0
2
Waseda
6
1
3
Meiji
5
2
4
Keio
4
3
5
Nippon Sport Science
3
4
6
Tsukuba
2
5
7
Aoyama Gakuin
1
6
8
Rikkyo
0
7
From this group, the top five schools will advance to the University Championship.
Last season, Tsukuba University finished in 6th place and failed to qualify for the University Championship due to a late game setback.
Now, let me introduce both teams before the match.
First, let us talk about the University of Tsukuba Rugby Club.
Tsukuba University is the strongest team among Japan’s national universities, both in name and reality, and was the runner-up in the 2012 National University Championship. The team is characterized by strong FW scrums and fast development of BK players. The University of Tsukuba is located in Ibaraki Prefecture, and teams from this area, both high school and university, are known for their skillful handling. When watching the matches, one is impressed by their creative play.
Today’s starting lineup is as follows：
Tsukuba University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Yusaku KIHARA
176cm
108kg
21
2
Koki HIDA
178cm
104kg
21
3
Masato TANAKA
182cm
107kg
21
4
Kenkichi YANAGAWA
188cm
100kg
20
5
Ryuto YAGISAWA
188cm
108kg
21
6
So IBARAGI
186cm
90kg
19
7
Kodai Sean YOKOMIZO
187cm
88kg
20
8
Hayata TANIYAMA
184cm
95kg
20
9
Takuya SHIRAE
164cm
69kg
21
10
Kanjiro NARAMOTO
178cm
84kg
23
11
Ryota OHATA
174cm
77kg
20
12
Ryotaro ASAMI
178cm
90kg
20
13
So MATSUSHIMA
173cm
81kg
21
14
Ryo HAMASHIMA
175cm
70kg
18
15
Kenshin TAKADA
173cm
78kg
22
＊＊ Playerｓ to watch ＊＊
Hayata TANIYAMA. 184 cm, 95 kg, 20 years old. Position = FL, No. 8, CTB. 2019 high school representative for Japan. He participated in the 2019 Japan High School Team tour to Wales. He has been playing as a No.8 this season, and his ability to break through is outstanding, and his movements stand out in the game. He is a player with great promise for the future.
Next, I would like to talk about the Meiji University Rugby Club.
The team is one of the top university teams in Japan in terms of tradition, popularity, and ability. Traditionally, the team’s colors are based on a strong front line, but this season, the team will also refine its BK development ability, led by captain ISHIDA, a WTB who represented the 7-man Olympic team.
Today’s starting members are as follows：
Meiji University
No.
Name
height
weight
age
1
Kosei NAKAMURA
183cm
112kg
21
2
Junichiro MATSUSHITA
173cm
87kg
21
3
Keijiro TAMEFUSA
180cm
115kg
21
4
Reijiro YAMAMOTO
190cm
107kg
20
5
Senfu KAMEI
193cm
106kg
27
6
Yuta MORIYAMA
185cm
96kg
21
7
Daiki ISHIURA
178cm
100kg
20
8
Taishiro KIDO
185m
96kg
20
9
Shu HAGIWARA
173m
78kg
21
10
Kotaro ITO
175cm
84kg
20
11
Yuta AKIHAMA
174cm
84kg
20
12
Yuya HIROSE
179cm
93kg
21
13
Takaya SAITO
181cm
93kg
21
14
Kotaro HARAGUCHI
181cm
90kg
21
15
Kohei YASUDA
181cm
86kg
20
＊＊ Playerｓ to watach ＊＊
Kotaro ITO. 175 cm, 84 kg, 20 years old. He has been a regular player as the control tower of Meiji University’s BK since last season. He is a very talented player, not only in passing and kicking as a SO, but also in breaking through with the ball in his own hands. Teikyo’s TAKAMOTO, Tokai’s MUTO and Steelers’ LI, there are strong rivals in the same generation. Can he lead Meiji University to the top this season?
Let’s take a look at today’s matches.
University of Tsukuba is a regular team in the University Championship, but last season, they finished 6th in the rivalry group and failed to qualify for the championship for the first time in four seasons. Therefore, the University of Tsukuba will have to play against top-ranked teams continuously from the beginning of the season, and will have to be in top condition from the beginning of the season. This team condition was reflected in the morale of the players, and the match turned out to be a heated affair with much to see and do.
The game started at 12:30.
5 minutes into the first half:
Meiji kicked off to start the match. In the early stages of the match, Tsukuba and Meiji were evenly matched in a densely contested match. Both teams were falling off the ball due to handling errors, and both sides were turning the ball over and switching offensively and defensively at a dizzying pace. However, these attacks and defenses took place in Tsukuba’s territory, and Meiji was pushing. Meiji moved forward in the form of a series of dense battles with different points. Meiji formed a dense battle in front of the in-goal at the left end of Tsukuba’s camp, and SO Itoh, who was positioned near the line, ran to the opposite side, received the ball, and jumped into the left end of the in-goal to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was successful. The score was 7-0, and Meiji scored first.
9 minutes into the first half:
From the kick-off after the try, Tsukuba attacked into the Meiji camp and gradually advanced. In addition, the University of Tsukuba team’s characteristic skillful passing and imaginative running captivated the crowd.
After Meiji was fouled for offsides, Tsukuba was able to kick for touch. From there, they won the ball from their own lineout, and closed in on the Meiji side’s in-goal. Tsukuba’s maul led to a ruck, and the FWs connected with a side-attack, and finally, prop KIHARA scored a try in the middle of the left field. The score was tied 7-7 after the conversion goal.
24 minutes into the first half:
Tsukuba kicked the ball from their own territory deep into the Meiji camp, and Tsukuba’s WTB OHATA made a spirited pursuit to bring the teams into a tight battle. Meiji committed a foul here, and Tsukuba opted for the PG. It was a relatively easy PG, about 20m in front of the field, but the kicker, FB Takada missed.
34 minutes into the first half:
Both teams repeatedly mixed their attacks with kicks, and the game often switched between offense and defense. Tsukuba showed tenacious defense, and even after being overtaken by their opponents, they chased after them from behind and flicked the ball away on several occasions. Tsukuba formed a ruck near the center of the Meiji camp, where Meiji committed a foul by falling down. Tsukuba chose to go for the PG, and from about 30 meters away in front of the goal, FB Takada kicked it. However, the PG was also unsuccessful.
36 minutes into the first half:
After a kicking duel between the two teams, a lineout was created in Meiji’s possession, but Tsukuba fought back and succeeded in taking the ball. Tsukuba kicked the ball and while Meiji’s FB YASUDA was slow in handling the ball kicked by Tsukuba, Tsukuba’s defense caught up with him and brought them into a densely contested battle. Meiji was fouled, and Tsukuba opted for a penalty kick, which they kicked to the goal line in front of the enemy’s goal to gain their own lineout. Tsukuba won the ball, and a maul led to a ruck, but they were able to get close to the enemy’s in-goal, and finally, CTB ASAMI showed great body control, dodging 4 or 5 men in a tight pack and scoring a try in the middle of the field on the right. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 12-7, and Tsukuba finally overturned Meiji.
39 minutes into the first half:
The first half ended on a sour note for Meiji, but from this point on, Meiji’s BKs used the ground widely on both sides of the field to launch a development attack.
The ball was kicked back by Tsukuba deep into the Meiji camp, and Meiji’s WTB Akihama caught the ball at the left end. From the tight pack that formed at this point, Meiji deployed the ball far to the left, and flanker MORIYAMA took over on the left edge.
From the crowd here, Meiji moved to the right and CTB SAITO received the ball and cut in and scored a try at the right side of the goal post.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-14, and Meiji was back in front by the end of the game.
46 minutes in the first half:
The first half did not end well as there seemed to be a lot of lost time. In such a situation, Meiji got a scrum in front of the goal post in the enemy’s territory. Tsukuba pushed back the scrum, but Meiji’s SO ITOH easily got out of the scrum and scored a try in the left center of Tsukuba’s in-goal. It was the second try of the day for ITOH. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 12-19, and Meiji led by 7 points at the end of the first half.
At this point, it was half time. Against Tsukuba’s high morale, Meiji made many small mistakes, which led to a number of goals. Tsukuba also missed two relatively easy PGs, which was regrettable.
This was a good game, befitting of the opening match of the Kanto University Rugby season. Expectations are high for the second half.
11 minutes into the second half:
Tsukuba attacked into the enemy territory and made steady progress, coming very close to the Meiji side goal posts. From a tight battle, the FWs repeatedly attacked on the flanks and came close to scoring in-goal, but Meiji was able to repel the attack. From there, the ball was turned to the right and Tsukuba’s CTB ASAMI received it and scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right side. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was tied 19-19.
17 minutes into the second half:
Tsukuba kept the ball and continued to attack in succession, gradually making progress. Tsukuba kicked the ball deep into their own territory, but Meiji caught the ball deep in their own territory. From there, Meiji’s SO ITOH dodged the opposing defense and made a huge gain on the right side. Finally, FB YASUDA caught the ball, ran through and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal. Meiji also scored the conversion goal after the try, making the score 26-19.
The decisive work here was done by Meiji’s SO Itoh, who was excellent at finding holes in the opposition’s defense, but also had a remarkable ability to dash past the defense and get to top speed.
20 minutes into the second half:
Immediately after Meiji’s try, Tsukuba attacked into the opponent’s territory and had a PG opportunity about 15 meters to the left of the goal post in the opponent’s territory. FB Takada made the important PG to make the score 26-22. Tsukuba needed only one more try to pull away from the deficit.
31 minutes into the second half:
After Meiji attacked deep into their own territory, Tsukuba got their own ball from a scrum. Tsukuba’s inside CTB MATSUSHIMA advanced with skillful running. The team became dense at this point, and outside CTB ASAMI kicked the ball out of the dense pack for a long kick. The kick by ASAMI was kicked from his own line, so he was able to take advantage of the new 50-22 rule and get his own ball out beyond the enemy 22m line, a super move by CTB ASAMI.
From this point, Tsukuba made a series of attacks deep in the enemy territory. Several times, they came close to the goal line, but they just could not break through Meiji’s last defensive net.
36 minutes into the second half:
Both teams exchanged kicks, and this time, Meiji took the right to attack when they went deep into Tsukuba’s territory.
Meiji secured the ball from the lineout, and quickly moved it to the right side. Once Tsukuba’s defense got involved, they formed a dense formation, and here, Meiji’s SH HAGIWARA broke out of the side of the dense group, and WTB ISHIDA followed him. Finally WTB ISHIDA received the pass from the SH Hagiwara and scored a try just below the goal post. The try by ISHIDA, the captain of the Meiji team, raised the morale of the team to a new high. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 33-22.
In the end, the score remained the same, and the game came to an end, giving Meiji University their first win of the season. However, it was a also a great game as Tsukuba University showed their persistence to win until the very end of the match. We look forward to seeing Tsukuba University continue to build up their game against the higher ranked teams in the early rounds of the Kanto University rivalry group.
