Category: Uncategorized

（Author: Azul, August 28, 2022）

The final game of this summer’s four-game series for the Japanese women’s national rugby team against the Irish women’s national team was held on August 27, 2022. On this day, the maximum temperature during the day reached 34 degrees Celsius. Naturally, it was also a night game. Kickoff was at 19:00.

The venue for the match was Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Last week’s match had less than 1,000 spectators, which was a bit sad, but on this day, 4,569 spectators gathered, which was about the same number as a regular match in League One.

In the first test match against the Irish national team, the score was 22-57, and SAKURA 15 suffered a heavy defeat. In the process, several issues were revealed that need to be corrected.

(1) When the Irish team attacked a maul in front of the in-goal, could the team, SAKURA 15, stop the maul attack? In the first test match, four tries were scored by the maul attacks of Irish National team.

(2) The Irish team scored two tries in a row by sign play in the BK attack (both CTBs crossed dummies, then the FBs joined the line and deployed the attack).

(3) SAKURA 15 had a 50% success rate for their own ball lineout at the set play, but can they improve on this?

SAKURA 15 had one week to recover from the defeat in the first test match, so they will need to show effective countermeasures against the same kind of attack by the Irish team as last week.

Here are the latest information updates on both teams.

First, let me introduce the visiting team, the Irish team.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows

Ireland
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Caps
1	Laura Feely	173cm	89kg	33	23
2	Neve Jones	157cm	70kg	25	12
3	Linda Djougang	168cm	86kg	26	23
4	Hanna Oconnor	175cm	87kg	34	13
5	Nichola Fryday	175cm	87kg	27	28
6	Jo Brown	170cm	86kg	32	7
7	Edel McMahon	163cm	72kg	28	20
8	Grace Moore	173m	80kg	26	4
9	Ailsa Hughes	163m	68kg	31	15
10	Dannah O’Brien	168cm	71kg	18	1
11	Aoife Doyle	163cm	64kg	27	11
12	Enya Breen	173cm	80kg	23	15
13	Aoife Dalton	157cm	65kg	19	1
14	Natasja Behan	170cm	71kg	22	1
15	Méabh Deely	164cm	67kg	22	1

＊＊ Players to watch out for ＊＊

Nichola Fryday. 175 cm, 87 kg, 27 years old. Position = lock. She started playing rugby in her sophomore year of college. However, just two years later, she became a member of the Irish national team, and this year, at the age of 27, she became the captain of the Irish national team. She is the spiritual pillar leading the strong FW of the Irish national team.

Next, I would like to introduce the Japanese national team SAKURA 15.

In the four consecutive test matches this summer, the team has so far won one game and lost two. This final match is a crucial point for SAKURA 15. Today’s starting members are as follows.

SAKURA 15
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Caps
1	Saki MINAMI	163cm	70kg	26	24
2	Nijiho NAGATA	162cm	79kg	21	7
3	Makoto LAVEMAI	167cm	91kg	25	16
4	Maki TAKANO	170cm	77kg	27	15
5	Yuna SATO	170cm	75kg	25	5
6	Seina SAITO	164cm	72kg	32	30
7	Iroha NAGATA	167cm	70kg	25	14
8	Ayano NAGAI	168cm	84kg	21	9
9	Megumi Abe	147cm	53kg	26	9
10	Ayasa OTSUKA	163cm	63kg	23	8
11	Komachi IMAKUGI	158cm	62kg	20	8
12	Sione NAKAYAMA	166cm	70kg	23	6
13	Mana FURUTA	167cm	69kg	26	13
14	Hinano NAKURA	170cm	75kg	27	9
15	Rinka MATSUDA	170cm	75kg	20	4

＊＊ Players to watch out for　＊＊

Saki MINAMI. 163 cm, 70 kg, 26 years old. Position = prop. Japan national team caps = 24 caps. captain of Japan national team. Japan’s women’s rugby team suffered a disastrous defeat in the seven-a-side competition at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, and attention to women’s rugby has been quickly toned down in Japan. However, their historic win against Australia in the 2022 Test match brought them back into the spotlight, but there was no TV coverage of that match. Because no one expected that victory beforehand. Whether or not women’s rugby will attract more attention in the future will depend on how the women’s RWC match in NZ in October turns out, starting with this match. Will the SAKURA 15’s MINAMI, captain of SAKURA 15, can lead her team to victory?

Let the games begin.

SAKURA 15 vs Ireland national team, kickoff at 19:00. The temperature was 30 degrees Celsius at night, and it was a tropical night.

3 minutes into the first half

SAKURA 15 kicked off the game. The Irish national team won the ball from a dense battle in their own half, and SO O’Brien kicked for touch. This went off the line just beyond the enemy 22m line. This was a 50-22 rule, and the Irish team had their own lineout deep in enemy territory, with SO O’Brien showing great skill. The Irish team won the ball there and started their signature maul attack. Even the Japanese blindside FW joined the maul. The Irish SH Hughes passed to WTB Behan in front of the in-goal and Behan scored a try. After the try, the conversion attempt failed. The score was 0-5, and the first point was scored by the Irish national team.

As a result, SAKURA 15 lost a point from a maul attack by the Irish national team. Will SAKURA 15 be able to recover from this?

16 minutes into the first half

SAKURA 15 got deep into the enemy territory, and their scrums stabilized and they gradually took control of the game. From the scrum, the ball developed to the right side, and when it was passed to the SO OTSUKA, she found space in the opposing defense and slid into the right center of the opponents’ in-goal, scoring a try. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was tied 5-5.

20 minutes into the first half

SAKURA 15 was pinned down by a maul attack by the Irish team near their own 22m line. The score was tied 5-5. SAKURA 15 stopped the advance of the other team’s maul, and was able to hold off a series of attacks by the Irish team.

34 minutes in the first half

SAKURA 15 got into the enemy’s territory, and was able to control the ball for a long period of time. SAKURA 15 continued to attack deep into the enemy territory and continued to attack deep into the enemy territory and drew an offside foul from the Irish team at the 22-meter line in front of the goal post. Here, SAKURA 15 showed a signature play. From this point, the SH passed to the SO at the right side, where FB　MATSUDA ran to the opposite side, received the ball, and advanced. MATSUDA ran past two Irish defenders and scored a try in the middle of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-5, and SAKURA 15 took the lead.

The first half ended with SAKURA 15 leading with the same score. It was significant that they were able to stop the maul attack of the Irish national team, which they had been unable to stop at all in the first test match.

It was half time here.

My seats today were in this area. With the exception of some parts of the main stand, the seating was mostly unreserved. Hence, I had to arrive about an hour before kickoff to get a better position to take pictures. If you are relegated to a seat too far back, it is difficult to take good pictures.

An unusual event took place at halftime. It was the awarding ceremony of representative caps to the past Japanese women’s national team players. I had no idea that women’s national team players had not been given national caps until now. The women’s RWC started in 1991, and at that time, the women’s team members participated in the event at their own expense. I would like to pay tribute to those who have supported women’s rugby for more than 30 years after that through harsh treatment.

With this cap awarding ceremony, this day became a historic anniversary for women’s rugby in Japan.

And the second half began.

9 minutes into the second half

SAKURA 15 had the longer possession of the ball in this match. SAKURA 15 has been struggling in the lineout, but has the upper hand in the scrums. SAKURA 15 deployed from their own line, the SO OTSUKA got behind the enemy defense, and connected directly with the WTB NAKURA. She was close to the enemy’s in-goal. After that, in a tight battle in front of the goal, the FWs of SAKURA 15 attacked in succession, and finally, the SHs moved to the right, and a skip pass from the SO led to the ball to the WTB NAKURA. She scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal, dragging one defensive player behind her. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 17-5.

15 minutes into the second half.

While the Irish national team continued to attack in the opponent’s territory, the prop SAKOH who was substituted at SAKURA 15　succeeded in winning the ball in a dense area. SAKURA 15 attempted to attack from there, expanding to the left. The ball was passed to FB　MATSUDA, who ran along the left touchline, and she handoffed the defenders and played them away. MATSUDA ran into the enemy in-goal and scored a try in the middle of the left field. The crowd was on their feet and screaming. This scene was the most exciting of the day. The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was 22-5.

19 minutes into the second half:

The Irish national team continued their attack in the enemy territory, and once they were close to the opponent’s in-goal. SAKURA 15 committed an infringement and the Irish team opted for a penalty kick. From the lineout, the Irish team attempted a maul attack. SAKURA 15 stopped Ireland’s advance for a moment, However, the Irish team again moved forward with a maul attack, and scored a try right in the middle of the field. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 22-10.

First 25 minutes of the first half:

After a kicking battle between the two teams, SAKURA 15’s SO　OTSUKA kicked a touch kick to the right side of the enemy 22m line. SAKURA 15 attacked deep into the enemy territory. The lineout was Ireland’s ball, but when the ball was spilled, SAKURA 15 picked up the ball and led a series of attacks. SAKURA 15 attacked in front of the enemy’s in-goal, and the FWs took turns to attack in succession. SAKURA 15’s prop KATOH, who came on as a substitute, scored a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 29-10.

SAKURA 15 dominated the game from this point on, and the match ended with the score at 29-10.

In the second test, one week after the heavy defeat in the first test match, SAKURA 15 scored a perfect victory against the Irish national team. The comeback was nothing short of spectacular. I would like to give a round of applause to SAKURA 15’s head coach Makkenzie and captain MINAMI. This day, August 28, 2022, was an unforgettable historical day for the Japanese women’s national rugby team.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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（Author: Azul, August 26, 2022）

On August 20, 2022, the Japanese women’s national rugby team: SAKURA 15 played their third test match of the summer against the Irish women’s national team. The previous test match against the South African Women’s National Team resulted in a win and a loss, but what will happen in the match against the Irish Women’s National Team?

The venue this time was the Ecopa Stadium in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture. On this day, too, the match will start at 19:00, which is a night time event. If the game starts at 19:00, the game will end at 22:00, so it will be difficult to catch a train back home. During the RWC, many international supporters had to arrange accommodations in Shizuoka Prefecture to be able to watch the games with peace of mind. This is something that needs to be improved in the future.

This time, I drove my car from my home in Hachioji City to the stadium. The one-way trip was 210 km, and it took me 3.5 hours on the highway.

On a side note, I found an unusual information board at an expressway SA in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The picture above is a guide to what to do in case of an accident at a nuclear power plant. The Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station is located in Shizuoka Prefecture. The sign warns of the consequences in the event of a major Tokai earthquake, which is expected to occur in the near future, causing a radiation leak at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station. The national and local governments are preparing to respond to the situation, but it is a bit scary.

I left home at 14:00 and arrived at the ECOPA stadium at 17:45.

The good thing about the Ecopa stadium is that there are many parking lots and the fee is free. The Kumagaya Rugby Stadium charged 3,000 yen for 3 hours, which is as expensive as a first-class parking lot in the city center, but I think it is a little too expensive.

For rugby fans around the world, this stadium is famous for “SHIZUOKA SHOCK”. This is the stadium where the Irish national team, ranked second in the world, suffered an upset loss to the Japanese national team in the RWC 2019.

The statue in the photo above was made to commemorate the match. This time, the women’s national teams of both countries were to play each other in the same stadium.

I arrived at the stadium at almost 6 p.m., but it was still early evening.

The seating capacity of the ECOPA Stadium is 45,000. What kind of game will they play?

Let me introduce the two teams playing today.

First, let me introduce the visiting team, the Women’s Ireland National Team.

As of August 21, the Irish national team is ranked 7th in the world. Unfortunately, they will not be able to participate in the Women’s RWC this fall, as they were defeated in the European qualifying round.

This day’s starting lineup were as follows.

Ireland
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Ireland Caps
1	Linda Djougang	168cm	86kg	26	22
2	Neve Jones	157cm	70kg	25	11
3	Katie O’Dwyer	170cm	87kg	31	10
4	Nichola Fryday	175cm	87kg	27	27
5	Sam Monaghan	183cm	88kg	29	9
6	Dorothy Wall	175cm	82kg	22	15
7	Edel McMahon	163cm	72kg	28	19
8	Hannah O’Connor	175m	81kg	32	12
9	Ailsa Hughes	163m	68kg	31	14
10	Dannah O’Brien	168cm	71kg	18	0
11	Aoife Doyle	163cm	64kg	27	10
12	Enya Breen	173cm	80kg	23	14
13	Aoife Dalton	157cm	65kg	19	0
14	Natasja Behan	170cm	71kg	22	0
15	Méabh Deely	164cm	67kg	22	0

This year’s team was basically made up of members with an eye on the RWC to be held in four years. Four of the starters would be making their first caps. This was a team that encourages young members to gain experience and grow. If the Japanese national team, which will be competing against a superior team, will be able to take advantage of this, it will be in this area.

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Dannah O’Brien is 18 years old, 168 cm, 68 kg. At 18 years of age, she is a promising young player who will play a key role as a game-maker for the Irish national team. Her calm play and accurate place kicking, which belies her age, led to her selection for this year’s tournament.

Next, I would like to introduce the home team, the Japanese women’s national team, SAKURA 15.

This is their third test match this summer, and they will play a match against a superior team, the Irish national team. Unlike the previous years, the team was able to organize four strengthening matches in Japan just before the RWC, which is a big step forward for the strengthening system. Rugby is a sport in which Giant Killing is not likely to occur, and this test match is expected to be a tough one. The test matches on this day are expected to be tough. We hope that this strengthening match will be a step forward, and we look forward to a good fight in the RWC.

Today’s starting members are as follows

SAKURA 15
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Saki MINAMI	163cm	70kg	26	23
2	Nijiho NAGATA	162cm	79kg	21	6
3	Yuka SADAKA	167cm	91kg	27	10
4	Kie TAMAI	168cm	78kg	29	11
5	Maki TAKANO	170cm	77kg	27	14
6	Misaki Suzuki	164cm	66kg	30	29
7	Kyoko HOSOKAWA	164cm	70kg	23	5
8	Ayano NAGAI	168cm	84kg	21	8
9	Moe TSUKUI	153cm	53kg	22	17
10	Ayasa OTSUKA	163cm	63kg	23	7
11	Komachi IMAKUGI	158cm	62kg	20	7
12	Sione NAKAYAMA	166cm	70kg	23	5
13	Rinka MATSUDA	170cm	75kg	20	3
14	Riho KUROKI	165cm	65kg	24	11
15	Ria ANOKU	160cm	60kg	25	6

＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊

Rinka MATSUDA. 170cm, 75kg, 20 years old. Although she is only 20 years old, she is a mainstay of the Japan national team with excellent running, defensive, and breakthrough ability. Her hard tackling as a last-resort FB shown in the first test match made a strong impression on the rugby people. She did a number of jobs to finish off opponents who were rushing forward at an accelerated pace with a single shot by herself alone. Her father, Tsutomu Matsuda, was a famous player who participated in three RWCs. We look forward to her future development as a representative player of Japan.

Now, here is my report on this match.

Despite the large stadium, the Ecopa Stadium, the attendance on the day of the match was a bit sad, with only about 1,000 spectators. The start time of the game and the surrounding accommodations need to be improved. If this were a professional team’s game, the venue rental fee would have exceeded the admission fee revenue by a large margin.

So, let the match begin.

I thought that SAKURA 15 would be pushed from the beginning of the match against the Irish team, which is a higher ranked team, but the first team to take the lead was SAKURA 15.

3 minutes into the first half

As you can see from the list of starters, the Irish national team was a bit taller than Japan in both average height and weight of FWs. Knowing this, after the kickoff, the FWs attempted a power breakthrough. However, SAKURA 15 connected the ball well and gradually made progress in the enemy’s territory. From a penalty by the opponent, SAKURA 15 got into a tight battle in front of the goal post in the enemy camp, and finally flanker Suzuki scored a try just below the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 7-0. SAKURA 15 was able to take the lead.

5 minutes in the first half：

From the kick-off after the try, the Irish national team attacked into the Japanese camp, but were repeatedly fouled at important points and pushed back to the center line area. From there, SAKURA 15 caught the ball in the lineout, and spread it to the left. No.8 Nagai cut inside and made a big step forward. The ball was passed to CTB　Matsuda, then to WTB　Imakugi, who then made a great run to the in-goal. Imakugi scored a neat try in the left center of the in-goal. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 12-0 and SAKURA 15 extended their lead.

11 minutes into the first half:

SAKURA 15 was pushed a little in set plays at scrums and lineouts. However, when they were able to get their own ball as a result, SAKURA 15’s attack connected and they were able to make a big gain. The ball was connected in a tight battle just inside the enemy territory, and again SAKURA 15 advanced into the Irish territory, right up to the goal posts. At this point, the Irish team committed an infringement, and SAKURA 15 selected PG. The SO　Otsuka of SAKURA 15 scored to make the score 15-0.

17 minutes into the first half

The Irish national team, hoping to recover from their poor start, got deep into Japan’s territory and won the ball from a lineout on their own. The Irish team managed to get deep into Japan’s territory, and after winning the ball from a lineout on their own line, they formed a maul to push forward, then scored a try. The SO O’Brien scored the conversion goal after the try to make the score 15-7.

22 minutes into the first half.

Around this time, the Irish national team began to gradually increase their attack as their set pieces became more consistent. From a scrum on their own ball in the opposition territory, the Irish team’s inside CTB　Dalton dummied outside CTB　Breen as a dummy and cut to the outside. She then connected with FB Deely who joined the line, and finally WTB Doyle received the ball and scored a try at the left edge of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed.

The score was 15-12.

30 minutes into the first half.

Here was a bit of a surprise. The Irish team had just entered the enemy territory, almost at the halfway mark, when they were fouled by their opponents. The Irish team opted to go for the PG. The distance was about 45 meters. Even the men’s national team players were not sure if they would be able to get in at this distance, but No. 8 O’Connor attempted it.

The result was a miss, but she almost made it. The power of the Irish team was astonishing.

41 minutes into the first half:

After the horn sounded for the last play, Ireland went on the offensive. The Irish team moved in on the opposition’s in-goal, where they attacked with a series of attacks using their strong front line players. In the end, the Irish team deployed to the right from a tight group, and CTB　Dalton broke through the opposition’s  defense and scored a try right in the middle of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-19, and the Irish national team succeeded in making a comeback.

Looking back at the first half, SAKURA 15 dominated until the 11th minute. Since the Irish national team had a team composition including many players in their first cap, I thought it would be an easy win for SAKURA 15, or so I I thought it would be an easy win for SAKURA 15. However, from then on, the Irish national team dominated the game from start to finish, and SAKURA 15 was almost on the defensive. Can SAKURA 15 turn the tide in the second half?

Let’s start the second half.

2 minutes into the second half

SAKURA 15 wanted to break the bad trend that had continued from the first half, but it was the Irish team again that scored the first score.

The game started with a kickoff by the Irish team, and Japan committed a foul in the first corner. The Irish team won the ball in their own lineout, and again formed a maul to push forward and score an easy try. The try was scored by Irish hooker Jones, her second of the day. The conversion attempt after the try failed, making the score 15-24.

13 minutes into the second half.

The Irish national team had a scrum in the enemy territory, and drew an infringement from SAKURA 15. From there, the Irish team opted for a penalty kick, which resulted in a lineout for their own ball. SAKURA 15 was then left helpless against the Irish team, and a maul led to a try. The try was scored by hooker Jones, her third try of the day. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-31.

On this day, the Irish national team created a scoring pattern of penalty, lineout, maul, and try in enemy territory, which SAKURA 15 could do nothing about. SAKURA 15 was in a vicious circle.

17 minutes into the second half:

SAKURA 15 wanted to increase their attacking time, as their attack was working well on this day, but they were behind at every set play. However, they were unable to win the ball as they were behind at every set-piece.

In contrast, Ireland’s national team was able to get on the board from a BK attack near the halfway mark, with FB　Deely, with perfect timing, joined the attack and ran in on her own, scoring a try in the middle left of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-38.

This Irish try was almost the same signature play as the 23rd minute play in the first half, so I wanted SAKURA 15 to respond! The score was 15-38 in the second half.

22 minutes into the second half:

 SAKURA 15 finally got the ball and made a series of attacks.

At this time, SAKURA 15 finally secured the ball and made a series of attacks. SAKURA 15’s rhythm of attack was created by the SH Abe, who came in as a substitute, and they gradually advanced. SAKURA 15 induced an infringement by the opponent in front of the goal post in the enemy’s territory, and from there the SH Abe quickly propelled the ball forward. The SH Abe quickly connected the ball to prop Lavemai. She rushed into the in-goal and scored a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-38.

29 minutes into the second half

SAKURA 15 was holding their own ball in their own territory and attacking continuously. When the So of SAKURA 15 tried to kick the ball out of the pack, The ball bounced out of the pack and was charged down by lock Monaghan of the Irish national team and the prop Pierce of the Irish national team scored a try in the left in-goal. The conversion goal failed after the try. The score was 22-43.

32 minutes into the second half.

The Irish national team was able to get a little further into the enemy territory and formed a tight group from which the WTB McCabe took the ball out and scored a try in the in-goal in the middle of the right field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-50.

39 minutes into the second half.

The Irish national team took a big lead with a big score and kept their concentration even in the final minutes of the match. The Irish national team entered the enemy territory, approached the opponent’s in-goal through fouls, etc., and repeated a series of attacks by the FWs in a dense area. In the end, Ireland’s hooker Hooban scored a try in the middle right of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the final score was 22-57. The Irish national team won their first test match.

The SAKURA 15 team had a tough time, but they will be looking forward to the second test match on August 27th, and hope to make the most of the lessons learned from this match to get back on track. The night game at the Ecopa Stadium was also a tough one for the SAKURA 15 team.

After the night game at the Ecopa Stadium, I headed back home, leaving at 21:30 and arriving home at 25:30. I was caught in a late-night construction traffic jam on the way home, which was a bit of a miscalculation. But for a game like this one, I think it would be more exciting to stay at a local hotel and discuss the game with my friends.

＊＊ Jersey Collection 63　＊＊

Replica of France national rugby team 2nd jersey. Made by adidas. Sold for 5,900 yen on Yahoo! Auctions. I had a jersey of almost similar design, but the color of the FFR patch on the chest was different, so I bought it without hesitation. Whenever I see a jersey from the days when Sergiye Blanco, a player I admire, was wearing it, I want to have it.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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(Author: Azul, July 31, 2022)

The Japan men’s national rugby team finished its season with a test match against France in July. Just when we thought we would not be able to see any rugby matches in Japan for a while. However, Japan Women’s National Rugby Team has scheduled 4 test matches in July and August. The schedule is as follows

July 24: Japan vs South Africa (Kamaishi, Iwate)

July 30: Japan vs. South Africa (Kumagaya, Saitama)

Aug. 20: Japan vs Ireland (Fukuroi, Shizuoka)

Aug. 27: Japan vs Ireland (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Unfortunately, I could not go to the first match on July 24 because of my work schedule.

Then, I went to Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, to watch the second match on 7/30: Japan Women’s National Team; SAKURA 15 vs South Africa Women’s National Team; Springbok Women.

Since the new corona outbreak is currently underway in Japan, it was dangerous to go there by train, so I drove from my home. The distance from Hachioji City to Kumagaya City was 77 km. The one-way trip took about 90 minutes because the roads were a bit congested.

Kumagaya City is a town that competes for the highest summer temperature in Japan. On this particular day, it was a scorching 36 degrees Celsius. Rugby is normally played in the fall and winter, so in consideration of the health of the players, the kickoff time was 17:45 on this day.

Here, I have compiled the necessary information for watching women’s rugby.

First, here are the current world rankings by country. Please refer to the table below.

World　Ranking	2022.7.17
1	England
2	New Zealand
3	France
4	Canada
5	USA
6	Italia
7	Ireland
8	Australia
9	Wales
10	Spain
11	Scotland
12	Japan
13	South Africa

 Japan, the team playing today, is ranked 12th. South Africa, our opponent, is ranked 13th. (Incidentally, Ireland, the team Japan will play in August, is ranked No. 7. The rankings are quite different from the men’s team. The South African men’s team was the RWC 2019 world champion).

Next are the preliminary league pairings for the Women’s RWC, which will be held this October.

Pool　A	Ranking
New Zealand	2
Australia	5
Wales	9
Scotland	11

Pool　B	Ranking
Canada	3
USA	6
Italia	7
Japan	12

Pool　C	Ranking
England	1
France	4
South Africa	13
Fiji	21

The Japanese women’s national team, SAKURA 15, will play in Qualifying Pool B. All of the teams are ranked higher than Japan in the world rankings. SAKURA 15’s goal is to advance to the final tournament. Good luck, Japan national team!

Now, let’s continue with the spectator’s report.

We left Hachioji at 14:30 and arrived at Kumagaya City around 16:00. It took me a long time to find a parking lot there. The parking lot near the stadium had an advance ticket system and charged 1,800 yen for three hours, so we parked our car at the parking lot in front of the station. Here, the parking fee was 450 yen for three hours. From there I walked to the stadium. It took about 30 minutes.

This was only my second visit to Kumagaya Rugby Stadium. The last time I saw a game at Kumagaya was in 2019. I was surprised to see how much has changed around the stadium since then. This year’s League One champion, the Panasonic Wild Knights, have franchised the Kumagaya Rugby Ground, so the team’s grounds, various club facilities, and even a hotel are located right next to the ground.

The photo above shows the Wild Knights’ medical facilities.

The photo above is the team’s training ground and clubhouse, although it is a little confusing.

These various facilities are concentrated within 200 meters of the Kumagaya Rugby Stadium. Next time I come to Kumagaya to watch a game, I would like to stay here. The facilities are excellent, and I can see why the Wild Knights are so strong.

Now, let me introduce both teams that will play today.

First up is the Visitor Team, the women’s South African women’s national team.

Speaking of South African rugby, the men’s national team is the strongest team in the world, competing for the current No. 1 world ranking, but the South African women’s national team is a very young team with a short history, having been formed in 2004. Currently ranked 13th in the world, the South African women’s national team is almost on the same level as the Japanese national team. However, their style of play differs from that of the Japanese national team in that they are aggressive and physical. Like the men’s team, they play a physical game, but their physique is not as overwhelming as that of the men’s team. This is reflected in their current world ranking.

Today’s starting members are as follows.

Springbok Women
No.	Name	height	weight	age	South Africa Caps
1	Asithandile Ntoyanto	176cm	115kg	31	9
2	Lindelwa Gwala	163cm	79kg	25	15
3	Babalwa Latsha	175cm	95kg	27	14
4	Nolusindiso Booi	171cm	80kg	36	28
5	Rights Mkhari	176cm	72kg	27	6
6	Lusanda Dumke	156cm	68kg	25	19
7	Sinazo Mcatshulwa	177cm	76kg	24	13
8	Sizophila Solontsi	160m	72kg	29	10
9	Tayla Kinsey	164m	65kg	28	20
10	Libbie Janse van Rensburg	178cm	72kg	27	7
11	Ayanda Malinga	167cm	66kg	23	6
12	Aphiwe Ngwevu	167cm	86kg	23	10
13	Zintle Mpupha	161cm	72kg	29	12
14	Simamkele Namba	152cm	62kg	23	3
15	Nadine Roos	164cm	62kg	25	0

＊＊　 Players to watch 　＊＊

Libbie Janse van Rensburg. 178 cm, 72 kg, 27 years old. Position is SO. She is the tallest player in this test match, but she is the mainstay of the team, kicking well, running well, and judging situations well. Her kicking accuracy and distance, including PG, are as good as those of Japanese high school boys.

Next, I would like to introduce our home team, the Japanese women’s national team, SAKURA 15.

** History of Women’s Rugby in Japan **

1983: Japan’s first women’s rugby team was born (Setagaya Ladies)

1988: Japan Women’s Rugby Football Union was established.

Women’s RWC appearances: 1991, 1995, 2002, 2017, 2022 (scheduled)

Women’s rugby has attracted domestic interest since seven-a-side rugby was adopted as an official sport at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. This year, the women’s team once again attracted attention after a tour of Australia, where they defeated the Australian women’s national team, ranked No. 8 in the world. The team is expected to play well at the Women’s RWC to be held in October this year.

Today’s starting members are as follows

SAKURA 15
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Makoto LAVEMAI	163cm	70kg	25	14
2	Nijiho NAGATA	162cm	79kg	21	5
3	Yuka SADAKA	167cm	91kg	27	9
4	Kie TAMAI	168cm	78kg	29	10
5	Masami KAWAMURA	173cm	70kg	23	1
6	Seina SAITO	164cm	72kg	30	28
7	Iroha Nagata	167cm	70kg	23	13
8	Mateitoga Bogidraumainadabe	170cm	96kg	38	13
9	Megumi ABE	147cm	53kg	24	7
10	Ayasa OTSUKA	163cm	63kg	23	6
11	Riho KUROKI	165cm	65kg	24	10
12	Minori YAMAMOTO	168cm	63kg	25	18
13	Mana FURUTA	167cm	69kg	24	12
14	Hinano NAKURA	170cm	75kg	25	8
15	Ria Anoku	160cm	60kg	25	5

＊＊　 Players to watch　＊＊

Megumi ABE. 147 cm, 53 kg, 24 years old. Caps for Japan = 7caps. Position is SH. The player on the right in the photo above is ABE. She belongs to the Arukas Queen club at Kumagaya. Her speed in grabbing the ball out of a tight pack and continuously developing it makes it hard to feel that she is a female player. In addition, she is strong enough to tackle hard and pull down a large FW player who tries to break through on the side. If she can use her box kick better, she could be a perfect player, and if she gains experience in RWC rugby, I think she will be called upon by foreign teams.

In this first test match, it was a close game, but the Japanese national team emerged victorious with a score of 15-6.

Let’s follow the match.

The match started at 17:45. As the world ranking shows, there is little difference in the ability of these two teams. How will they reflect the lessons learned from the first test match on this day?

5 minutes into the first half:.

The match started with the kick-off by SAKURA 15. The ball from the kickoff was knocked on by SO Rensburg of Springbok Women. SAKURA 15 got their own scrum deep in the enemy territory. From there, SAKURA 15 attacked continuously, mainly with their FWs, and SAKURA 15 attacked in succession, centering on the FWs, and came very close to the goal line. In the end, SAKURA 15’s SO Otsuka scored a try in the left side of the field after a dense battle. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-0.

24 minutes in the first half

Up until this point, SAKURA 15 had been able to keep the game almost entirely within their enemy’s territory. Springbok Women attacked and kicked the ball deep into their own territory. SAKURA 15 then made a counter attack. SAKURA 15 passed the ball from WTB to hooker Nagata, who ran through the left side of their own 10m line and advanced to the enemy’s 22m line. There, she passed to SO Otsuka, who knocked on. SAKURA 15 missed a great try opportunity.

The photo above is Nagata, the hooker who ran hard.

32 minutes in the first half:

From near halfway, Springbok Women’s SO Rensburg made a run play, got behind the enemy defense, made a big gain, and passed to WTB Malinga who ran up the left side of the field. Malinga got the ball free and ran in for a try, scoring just under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 5-7 in favor of Springbok Women.

34 minutes in the first half:

After the try, SAKURA 15 kicked off the ball, Springbok Women took the ball to the right, and when it passed to WTB Malinga running on the left edge, she took a handoff off the marked defender and ran through for a try in the left center. It was the second try of the day. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-12.

The first half ended with the score at 5-12, and SAKURA 15 was disappointed to score only one try and miss a chance to score a decisive try, even though they were in the enemy’s territory throughout the game.

The Springbok Women were able to connect in the final minutes of the first half, scoring back-to-back tries. The team hoped to carry this momentum into the second half.

And so the second half began. The time was almost 19:00, and it was now completely a Night Game.

As for SAKURA 15, they did not want to let the score get separate, so they put up a defensive struggle. In response, Springbok Women tried to break through around the FW and at CTB. SAKURA 15 responded with a thicker defense around the FW. The score did not move very much.

19 minutes into the second half:

Springbok Women attacked into the enemy territory, and SAKURA 15 was fouled in front of the goal near the 22-meter line. Springbok Women chose to go for the PG. The SO Rensburg converted the PG to make the score 5-15.

25 minutes into the second half

The WTB of SAKURA 15 Nakura, 170 cm, 75 kg, is a BK player with outstanding running and breaking ability, but unfortunately, the ball did not roll very well on this day.

When SAKURA 15 went deep into the enemy territory, they launched a series of attacks, and when they moved to the right, they were succeeded to be with a few extra players. Nakura received the ball at the end and tried to score in-goal at the right corner, but was pushed out by the opponent’s defense.

SAKURA 15 missed two great try opportunities on this day.

Second half, 34 minutes into the second half:

SAKURA 15 was successful in advancing the game in the enemy’s territory from start to finish, but they missed many crucial scoring chances. In this period, too, SAKURA 15 was attacking in the enemy’s territory when the ball was passed to Springbok Women, who counter-attacked. Springbok Women’s FB Roos, who joined the attack midway through the half, received the ball at top speed on a slant, slipped behind the enemy defensive line, and made a great gain. She then connected with WTB Malinga who scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-20, giving Springbok Women a big lead.

40 minutes in the second half

With only a few minutes left in the match, already Springbok　Women’s victory was assured, but SAKURA 15 attacked in succession to score a final try. After a run play and an infringement by their opponents, SAKURA 15 came close to the goal line and finally, FL Saito scored a try in the middle of the left field of in-goal area. The conversion goal after the try failed. The final score was 10-20. Springbok　Women won the match. In total, Springbok Women won one game and lost one test match.

SAKURA 15’s next match is against the Irish women’s national team on August 20. We are looking forward to this match against the 7th ranked team in the world.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, July 16, 2022)

One week after the first test match between Japan and France on July 2, 2022, the second test match was held at the National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

The temperature was a summer-like 31 degrees Celsius. It was not the murderous heat of last week’s match at Toyota Stadium. There was a slightly cool breeze, and it was cooler in the shade. However, if you stayed in the sun, it was still quite hot, and if you did not take proper precautions, you might suffer from heat stroke.

The Japan Rugby Union announced in advance that more than 50,000 advance tickets had already been sold, making it the largest attendance in Japan’s Test Match history. This means that this year’s Test Match has finally regained the same level of popularity as the RWC in its final round.

The photo above shows the Japan Olympic Museum near the National Stadium. It is located between the National Stadium and the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, and is a good place to meet up.

Today’s game will start at 14:50. Unfortunately, I have never seen the Japanese national team beat a higher-ranked country in a match I have watched. Will this day’s match put an end to that record?

On this day, I entered the stadium one hour before the game started. Based on my experience at Toyota Stadium last week, I took a seat behind the goal on the north side this time. However, it turned out to be a mistake. The National Stadium was still exposed to direct sunlight at this time. We should have chosen the south goal back, which was shaded by the sun.

First, let’s start with the home team, the Brave Blossoms of Japan. The starting lineup is as follows.

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Keita INAGAKI	186cm	116kg	32	41
2	Atsushi SAKADE	180cm	104kg	29	29
3	Asaeri Ai VALU	178cm	112kg	26	5
4	Warner DEARNS	201cm	117kg	20	3
5	Sanaila WAQA	202cm	120kg	25	2
6	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	33	74
7	Ben GUNTER	195cm	120kg	24	4
8	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	27	8
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	24	7
10	Seungshin LEE	176cm	85kg	21	2
11	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	23	8
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	5
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	6
14	Gerhard von den HEEVER	192cm	102kg	33	2
15	Ryohei Yamanaka	188cm	98kg	33	23

The changes from last week’s first test match are

Rock DEARNS and WAQA are in the starting lineup. Both of them are over 2 meters tall. They surpassed the French team in height.

This is quite reliable.

And SAITO came in at SH. SAITO was a starter in the game against the Uruguayan national team, but he was absent last week due to a positive test for the new strain of corona. With SAITO in the team, we will be able to see Brave Blossoms’ strength, which is their quick succession of attacks.

＊＊　Players to watch out for　＊＊

Ryohei Yamanaka is 188 cm, 98 kg. 33 years old. He is a FB who boasts international standards in both size and speed. He was a SO in his high school and  university, so he also has good vision in the game. One drawback is that his form is a bit erratic. If he could increase the certainty of his play during games, he could become a great player unrivaled by any other.

Next up is Les Bleus, the French representative on the Visitor Team.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

France
No.	Name	height	weight	age	France Caps
1	Jean-Baptiste GROS	185cm	110kg	23	20
2	Peato MAUVAKA	184cm	116kg	24	15
3	Demba BAMBA	185cm	118kg	24	24
4	Thibaud FLAMENT	197cm	114kg	25	8
5	Thomas JOLMES	203cm	127kg	26	1
6	Dylan CRETIN	195cm	102kg	25	19
7	Charles OLLIVON	199cm	114kg	29	24
8	Yoan TANGA	186m	107kg	25	1
9	Maxime LUCU	177m	79kg	28	8
10	Matthieu JALIBERT	184cm	84kg	27	16
11	Matice LEBEL	184cm	104kg	23	3
12	Yoram MOEFANA	182cm	95kg	22	7
13	Virimi VAKATAWA	185cm	100kg	30	31
14	Damian PENAUD	188cm	93kg	25	33
15	Max SPRING	174cm	76kg	21	0

The starting lineup is the same as in the first test, except for SPRING, the FB. What will Les Bleus show in today’s match? Will they push around with their powerful FWs, or will they show their ability to develop their attack in a variety of ways?

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Damian PENAUD, 188 cm, 93 kg, 25 years old. This year’s French national team was made up mainly of young and inexperienced players. However, PENAUD is the ace of the French BK players, boasting Cap 33 at the age of 25. As his record shows, he is a decisive player who is difficult to stop when free or in one-on-one situations.

Let the match begin.

9 minutes into the first half:

After conceding the first score in the first test match last week, Brave Blossoms wanted to score first in today’s match. From the start of the match, the two teams went back-and-forth. After a few minutes, SO JALIBERT kicked the ball to the right end where no Blossoms players were present.　Ymanaka caught up to him, but he was too busy holding the ball himself to get it out. This was an exquisite touch kick, and Les Blues had a lineout of their own ball at the right edge of the enemy in-goal.　The Bleus won it and moved left to WTB LEBEL on the left edge of the in-goal. Both WTBs of Les Bleus were decisive. The conversion goal after the try was successful, making the score 0-7, and France took the lead again in the second test match.

12 minutes into the first half:

From a scrum after Les Bleus kicked off, SO JALIBERT kicked deep into the enemy territory. From here, the Blossoms launched a counter attack. The ball went from WTB to FB to CTB to CTB→WTB→WTB→FB, and finally FB YAMANAKA received the ball and got a try at the left center of in-goal of the enemy territory.　The crowd of 57,000 people was screaming with excitement. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-7.

The score was 5-7.　It was a great attack, typical of the Blossoms.

18 minutes into the first half.

The Blossoms continued their offensive attack after this. Unlike in the first test match, the Blossoms mixed their attack with kicks. After several kicking exchanges between the two teams, the Blossoms’ WTB von den HEEVER counter-attacked deep to the right of his own half and dodged some enemy players, then kicked the ball deep into the opposite side. Les Bleus barely escaped with a touch kick from their own in-goal. The Blossoms continued to attack, and from a lineout, they made a series of attacks in front of their own in-goal. The Blossoms’ SO LEE took the penalty kick and made the score 8-7.

As a side note, Mr. Adamson of the Scottish Association was the referee for this match. He was a very strict referee, and both teams were given many Not Straight penalties at the lineout. It was difficult to deal with these infractions in the match, as they could change the tide of the match.

40 minutes of the first half:

The Blossoms had another sparkling attack in the closing minutes of the first half.

As Les Bleus entered the enemy territory, they deployed to the right and the ball was passed to WTB PENAUD, their trump card on the right edge of the field. Blossoms FB YAMANAKA was on the mark.　He was once untackled, but he was able to chase down PENAUD was pushed off the sideline. The Blossoms attacked from the own ball lineout. The ball came out of the cluster and flowed from SO → FB → Hooker → CTB → Right flanker → Left flanker → FB. And finally FB YAMANAKA received the ball at the last moment and ran around the center of the enemy’s in-goal to score a try.

During the entire attack, the stadium was filled with the screams of the crowd.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-7.　The Blossoms ended the first half in the best possible way.

Here we are at halftime. Looking back at the first half, Brave Blossoms have been refining their attacking shape for this match. They scored two tries from brilliant passing and sent the crowd into a frenzy. One set piece that was not so well executed was the lineout. We had two 2-meter jumpers in our lineup, but this was a waste of their talent. At the very least, I would like to see the teams secure 100% of the ball in their own lineouts.

Both teams will make sure to make corrections at halftime, and we look forward to a good game in the second half.

Let’s get the second half underway.

4 minutes into the second half:

A great Blossoms started the second half with a series of good tackles and Les Bleus started the game with sharp counter attacks. The Blossoms were then penalized for offsides deep in their own territory. Les Bleus then chose to go for the PG and SH LUCU made a solid shot from the front of the goal post to make the score 15-10.

Up until this time, the Blossoms were very solid defensively. In the first test match, the Blossoms’ defensive network, which had been broken by the quick rushes of the Les Bleus’ FWs, did not collapse this time. The two sides therefore remained in a scoreless stalemate.

20 minutes into the second half:

The two sides engaged in a densely contested turnover, which made for a very entertaining match. However, Les Bleus was able to get deep into enemy territory. And their attack made the Blossoms to draw a penalty, Not release the ball, and Les Bleus elected to go for the PG. SO JALIBERT made a steady kick to make the score 15-13. Les Bleus was now within 2 points.

31 minutes into the second half:

Les Bleus pushed for a scrum a little way into enemy territory. The Blossoms held on, but Les Bleus kept the ball on the edge of the scrum, and when a stalemate ensued, replacement SH　COUILLOUD broke through from the right edge of the scrum. The Blossoms were unable to catch COUILLOUD scored a try right under the goal post. Les Bleus finally succeeded in turning the tables. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-20.

With less than 10 minutes remaining in the match, the 50,000-plus crowd at the stadium was ready for the Brave Blossoms’ final offensive push.　

31 minutes into the second half:

The cheers of the crowd were too much for the Les Bleus players. The crowd’s support weighed heavily on the Les Bleus players. After the try, the Blossoms kicked off the ball to Les Bleus FB　Bleus FB　Spring, the FB of Les Bleus, unexpectedly dropped the ball. The Blossoms had an opportunity to scrum for their own ball in front of the enemy goal line without much effort. From there, they deployed a series of attacks to push forward. Les Bleus committed a penalty and the Blossoms opted for a penalty kick to score a try. The ball went to the No.8 TATAFU, who dragged three opposing defenders down the field and scored a try right in the middle of the field.

At this moment, there was a huge shout from the crowd and everyone was convinced that Brave　Blossoms had won the game. I, too, forgot that I was watching the game wearing a French jersey and started yelling as loud as I could.

However, the TMO made a video decision, and the Blossoms’ try by TATAFU was disallowed due to a knock-on penalty. What a pity.

After this, the Brave　Blossoms had two chances to score, but were unable to do so. The final score was 15-20 in favor of the French team, Les Bleus. With this victory, Les Bleus will be ranked No. 1 in the world in a few days.

After the match, I heard some female fans on the way home saying, “I thought we would lose by a bigger margin, but it was so close. The RWC2023 in France is only about a year away. I hope for the success of the tournament and remarkable progress of Brave Blossoms.

＊＊　Jersey Collection 62　＊＊

This is a replica jersey of the French national rugby team from an estimated 1996. I bid 6,350 yen for it on Yahoo! Auctions. The French national team jersey is very popular, so there is always a bidding war. This time, too, there were three bidders, and the price went up. I wanted to bid around 4,000 yen, but in the end I was too stubborn. I wanted to get this jersey at any cost, because they are rarely sold.

The base color is white, so it is a second jersey.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, July 7, 2022)

The Japan Brave Blossoms Rugby Team’s 2022 Test Match Series began on July 3 with the fourth match against Les Bleus of France.

The Japanese national rugby team has never won a match against the French national team, with a total record of 0 wins, 9 losses, and 1 draw. The current French national team is ranked No. 2 in the world and is the strongest team in Europe, having won the most recent Six Nations Rugby tournament.

The current France national team is the favorite to win the 2023 RWC, and the extent to which the current Japan national team can compete with this superior team will give us an idea of the current national team’s strength.

The venue for the first test match is Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture. Hence, this week’s match-watching was also a long-distance expedition.

8:00a.m. Departure from Hachioji Station to Shin-Yokohama Station

9:20a.m. Transfer to Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama Station to Nagoya Station

10:40a.m. Arrival at Nagoya Station.

10:45a.m. Transfer to Subway Meitetsu Line to Toyota City Station

11:40a.m. Arrive at Toyota-shi Station.

Many rugby fans had already arrived at the station, but the game was scheduled to start at 15:00, so I decided to have lunch at a nearby shopping mall.

I had tonkatsu set meal for lunch that day. It was quite crowded with rugby fans, and we waited for about 30 minutes before finally entering the restaurant. However, the food was delicious. The price was 1,000 yen.

The temperature in Toyota City that day was 35 degrees Celsius, and I was afraid I would get heat stroke if I entered the stadium too early, so I killed some time at a shopping mall.

Around 1:30 p.m., I headed for the stadium. Naturally, it was very hot.

Last week, like many supporters, I wore a Japan national team jersey, but this time I wore a France national team polo shirt.

＊＊　Jersey Collection 61　＊＊

I thought about which jersey I would wear to cheer on the French national team when they came to Japan this time, but all my French national team jerseys are long-sleeved, so it was a little hard to wear them in the middle of summer, so I bought this shirt on Yahoo Auction right before the team arrived. It is a polo shirt, but it is quite well made, and I personally like it. The price was 2,700 yen, which is cheap for a new used item. The estimated production date is 2017. On the way to the stadium, I was approached by a French supporter. I think I will wear it to the next game.

It was about a 15-minute walk from Toyota City Station to Toyota Stadium. However, it took a little longer because more than 20,000 people were walking to the stadium.

On the way, we crossed the Toyota Ohashi Bridge, which spans the Yahagi River. This bridge was quite architecturally elaborate, and many fans were taking pictures.

The Toyota Ohashi Bridge was beautiful, but what caught my eye even more was the venue for today’s game, Toyota Stadium. It was designed by Kisho Kurokawa, an international architect. He designed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Toshiba IHI Pavilion at the Osaka Expo.

This protruding corner catches the eye. Once you see it, it leaves a strong impression.

At around 14:00, we finally arrived at Toyota Stadium. This stadium has a capacity of 44,380 and was the site of the Japan vs. Samoa match in the 2019 RWC.

Even in this intense heat, there were a variety of events taking place around the venue. This stadium is the home of League One’s TOYOTA Verblitz, so players there were holding various rugby promotion events.

The player in the black shirt in the center of the photo is Himeno, the captain of Verblitz and a member of the Japanese national team. Unfortunately, he did not participate in this test match due to illness.

I entered the stadium around 14:00, an hour before the match. My seat today was row 16 on the first floor of the south side stand. The position of the seats was not so bad, but these seats were exposed to the sunlight of this hot summer heat, and I would get heat stroke if I did not take measures against heat. In hindsight, I should have chosen the north side stand.

But the worst part is the people watching the games in the back stands. My seat behind the goal was category 4, the cheapest at 4,000 yen, but the people in the back stand had to pay 16,000 yen and endure this scorching hell for more than two hours. Even if they endure with water and hats, those who are not in good physical condition are likely to collapse.

As the start of the match was approaching, players from both teams appeared on the field.

As expected of the French national team. Each play they made during practice was powerful. And the atmosphere is more serious than a friendly match.

Now, let me introduce the two teams that will be competing on this day.

First, let’s start with the Japanese national team, Brave Blossoms.

Actually, the Japanese team had an accident a few days before the match. Among the regular members of the team, the following four players tested positive for the new strain of corona.

Hooker Shota Horie

SH Naoto SAITO

FB Ryuji NOGUCHI

SO Takuya YAMAZAWA

All four players are members of Japan’s main squad, but were unable to play in the first test match. It is undecided whether they will be able to play in the second test match.

As a result, the starting lineup has changed considerably since last week’s match. Below is the list.

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Keita INAGAKI	186cm	116kg	32	40
2	Atsushi SAKADE	180cm	104kg	29	28
3	Asaeri Ai VALU	178cm	112kg	26	4
4	Wimpie Vanderwalt	188cm	112kg	33	20
5	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	27	7
6	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	33	73
7	Ben GUNTER	195cm	120kg	24	3
8	Tevita Tatafu	183m	124kg	26	10
9	Kaito Shigeno	170cm	75kg	31	14
10	Seungshin LEE	176cm	85kg	21	2
11	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	23	7
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	4
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	5
14	Gerhard von den HEEVER	192cm	102kg	33	1
15	Ryohei Yamanaka	188cm	98kg	33	22

＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊

Seungshin LEE, 176 cm,85 kg,21 years old. Position SO. 21 years old and a talented player who plays SO for the prestigious Kobe Steelers. He was selected for this major role at short notice due to the new corona infection of YAMAZAWA, the regular SO. Conversely, it is a sign that the head coach trusts him to fulfill this role with at least some experience.

Next, I would like to introduce the Visitor team, Les Bleus, representing France.

More than half of the regular members of the team did not take part in this tour because of the French rugby league playoffs that coincided with the dates of the tour of Japan. However, 19 of the members of the team that won an impressive match against England just before this expedition participated in this test match, and there is no doubt that the team is of a higher caliber than the Japanese national team.

Today’s starting lineup for Les Bleus is as follows

France
No.	Name	height	weight	age	France Caps
1	Jean-Baptiste GROS	185cm	110kg	23	19
2	Peato MAUVAKA	184cm	116kg	24	14
3	Demba BAMBA	185cm	118kg	24	23
4	Thibaud FLAMENT	197cm	114kg	25	7
5	Thomas JOLMES	203cm	127kg	26	0
6	Dylan CRETIN	195cm	102kg	25	18
7	Charles OLLIVON	199cm	114kg	29	23
8	Yoan TANGA	186m	107kg	25	0
9	Maxime LUCU	177m	79kg	28	7
10	Matthieu JALIBERT	184cm	84kg	27	15
11	Matice LEBEL	184cm	104kg	23	2
12	Yoram MOEFANA	182cm	95kg	22	6
13	Virimi VAKATAWA	185cm	100kg	30	30
14	Damian PENAUD	188cm	93kg	25	32
15	Melvyn JAMINET	182cm	80kg	23	11

＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊

Matthieu JALIBERT. 184 cm, 84 kg, 27 years old. He is a talented player who is competing with Ntamack for the regular SO position in the current French national team.

When he sees an opening, he cuts through it with a sharp step. However, if this player is allowed to control the game at will, the Brave Blossoms’ defense will have to find a way to stop him.

Then came the pre-match ceremony, where the national anthems of both countries were sung. The first was from the French nation La Marseillais.

As expected, the French national team has a flair. The RWC was a great success for the French national team, and the tournament was very exciting. I wonder how they will play today.

Then the Japanese national anthem Kimigayo was sang.

Three years have passed since RWC2019 was held in Japan, and next year we will welcome RWC2023 in France. In Japan, the Brave Blossoms have been strengthening their players through a new league, League One, and have been preparing for this tournament through training camps and a test match against the Uruguayan national team. Expectations are high.

Let the game begin. The kick-off time was 15:05.

The French national team kicked off and the game started.

3 minutes into the first half:

Les Bleus kicked off, WTB FIFITA caught the ball and Brave Blossoms went forward, made a point once there, and then expanded right, CTB NAKANO cut in, and both teams formed a tight group. In the end, the Blossoms could not get the ball out, so it was Les Bleus’ ball and a scrum ensued. They then deployed to the right and SH LUCU showed that they were going to cut inside and then deployed outside. A long pass was passed from SO JALIBERT to WTB PENAUD, who easily scored a try in the right corner. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Les Bleus took the lead with the score 0-7.

6 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms won their own ball lineout from the kickoff after a try, where SO LEE caught a long throw ball. The Blossoms were able to force a foul on their opponents and had a PG opportunity near the 10-meter line in enemy territory. SO LEE scored the PG from nearly 40 meters out to make the score 3 The score was 3-7.

14 minutes into the first half:

This period of attack was ideal for the Blossoms and for Japanese rugby fans.

The Blossoms made a series of attacks into enemy territory, with FL GUNTER moving forward on the right and WTB von den HEEVER moving forward again. The Blossoms then moved into a tight battle, and after closing in on the enemy in-goal, No. 8 TATAFU weaved his way through a swarm of French defenders to score a try just under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-7 in favor of the Brave Blossoms.

19 minutes into the first half:

The Blossoms were penalized for not playing away, and Les Bleus opted to go for the PG, which FB JAMINET converted to tie the score at 10-10.

24 minutes into the first half.

The Brave Blossoms took control of the game in this period. They were gaining ground left and right. This led to a foul on Les Bleus and a PG opportunity near the front of the goal at the enemy 10m line.　LEE scored the PG from nearly 40 meters to give the Blossoms the lead again, 13-10. The Blossoms took the lead again with the score 13-10.

29 minutes into the first half:

The Brave Blossoms were still in control of the game at this time, but a mishandling of a ball kicked into their own territory resulted in a foul that gave Les Bleus a PG right in front of the goal posts. FB JAMINET scored it to make the score 13-13 and tie the game again.

After this, a back-and-forth battle ensued, but in the end neither team was able to increase the score, and the first half ended with the score tied.

Looking back at the first half, Brave Blossoms put up a strong fight. A sign play by Les Bleus cost them a try early on, but No.8 TATAFU caught up with them with a try, and the teams went back-and-forth for the remainder of the half. So far, the Blossoms defense has been working. However, Les Blues, despite being pushed in the game, never pull away. This is a team effort that shows their underlying strength. The second half of the match will be interesting to see if the game will remain in the same balance.

Before the second half began, something amazing happened.

My seat was covered with shade. This made me feel like I had come from hell to heaven because I could concentrate on the game. However, in the back stand, I felt sorry for the people sitting there, who were exposed to the direct sunlight until the sun went down.

So, let’s get the second half underway.

5 minutes into the second half:

From the start of the second half, the Brave Blossoms were in control of the region. However, Les Bleus entered the enemy territory, created a cluster on the left edge of the 22m line, and from there, SO JALIBERT easily slipped in behind the Blossoms defense and followed WTB LEBEL, who received the ball and scored a try right under the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 13-20, with Les Blues scoring the first points of the second half.

12 minutes into the second half:

At this time of the game, Les Bleus was on the offensive, and the game was being played in enemy territory more often than not. A penalty kick was scored by Les Bleus FB JAMINET and the score was 13-23.

14 minutes into the second half.

The Brave Blossoms kicked off after an enemy PG, connected with the ball, and advanced to the center of the opposition’s territory. Here, Les Bleus was fouled for offside and the Blossoms elected to go for the PG. SO LEE made steady progress on this one, making the score 16-23.

18 minutes into the second half:

It was a war of attrition, with both teams pushing forward, but getting turnovers along the way. Les Bleus CTB MOEFANA broke a Blossoms tackle and made a big gain. WTB PENAUD followed up on this and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 16-30 in favor of Les Bleus.

21 minutes into the second half.

Les Bleus’ offensive drive was now underway. CTB MOEFANA received the ball near the center of the field to the right and kicked it forward. He caught the ball by himself and scored a try right in the middle of the field. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 16-35, giving Les Blues a 19-point lead.

The Blossoms’ defensive network, which had worked in the first half, began to break down in places, probably due to fatigue from the heat.

28 minutes into the second half:

Les Bleus had been scoring from the openings in the second half, but for the first time in the match, they scored from a set piece by the FWs.

A Blossoms foul on Les Bleus at the 10-meter line led to a penalty kick to take possession, and from inside the 22-meter line, Les Bleus won the ball in a lineout. Les Bleus pushed forward and scored a try. The try was scored by hooker BOURGARIT. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 16-42.

43 minutes into the second half

Brave Blossoms were now 26 points down and were desperate to score one last try and they did just that. However, the French defense was solid, and they bounced back again and again. After a few more attempts, WTB FIFITA ran diagonally to the goal line from the opposite side of the field, received the ball, and scored a try in the right center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 23-42.

The game was over at this point, as the horn had already sounded.

Brave Blossoms lost the game, but gained some points from their brave challenge against the European champions, Les Bleus. Brave Blossoms will look for revenge in the second test match next week.

Today’s attendance, announced by the tournament organizers, was 24,570. The stadium has a capacity of 48,000, so the attendance was about 50%. I hope that the popularity of rugby will continue to grow.

After the game, rugby fans left the stadium and headed home. There was a pleasant afterglow in the air after the game.

The game ended at 17:00, and it was 20:17 when I got on the Shinkansen from Nagoya.

Next week, the second test match will be held at the National Stadium in Tokyo. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of game they will show us.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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(Author: Azul, June 30, 2022)

The second Japan Rugby Test Match was held at the Mikuni World Stadium in Kitakyushu, Japan on July 25, 2022. The opponent was the same as last week, Los Teros of Uruguay. This was my first trip to Kitakyushu in a long time.

It was the longest distance I had traveled since last autumn at the Oita DENKO Stadium.

I left my house at 8:00 am.

From Hachioji Station via Tokyo Station to Hamamatsucho Station by train, then I took the monorail and arrived at Haneda Airport at 10:30 a.m.

This time, I took an airplane for the round trip.

We departed from Haneda Airport at 11:15. As I expected, the flight was very fast.

I arrived at Kitakyushu Airport at 12:50.

From Kitakyushu Airport, we took an express bus to Kokura Station, the closest station to the stadium, and boarded the bus at 13:15. On that day, Tokyo was hit by a heat wave with temperatures as high as 36 degrees Celsius. The weather in Kitakyushu, however, was rainy. The temperature was 26 degrees Celsius, which was chilly compared to Tokyo.

I took this express bus to Kokura Station. This was my first visit to Kitakyushu City, which is a big city with a population of about one million. I was a bit surprised.

After about 45 minutes on the bus, we arrived at Kokura Station. It takes about 10 minutes on foot from Kokura to Mikuni Stadium. Today’s game starts at 15:00.

From Kokura station to the stadium, there were many supporters wearing the uniform of the Japan national rugby team.

Of course, I was wearing the same Japan national team jersey as these supporters and headed for the stadium.

Mikuni Stadium is usually used as the home stadium of Girabanz Kitakyushu, a professional soccer team. Finally, the Mikuni Stadium came into view.

The supporters’ style of wearing the same uniforms to cheer for the national team at their matches has taken root from this years’ test match. The fact that you can get a Canterbury Japan jersey for an additional 3,000 yen for a match ticket is having a positive effect.

I finally arrived at Mikuni Stadium. I left home at 8:00 a.m. and arrived at the stadium at 2:15 p.m. My seat was on the fourth floor behind the goal on the south side. It was quite a strenuous schedule.

My preference would have been to sit on the first floor behind the goal in order to take pictures of the game, but I was not allowed to do so. And this is a unique feature of Mikuni Stadium, the stadium is adjacent to the sea.

If you come to the stadium without being aware of the ocean, you will be surprised. Yes, this is Ocean View Stadium. Here, when you are watching a game, you can smell the unique smell of the harbor. I don’t remember seeing any other stadium like this, so it left a strong impression on me.

The photo above is the main stand seen from my seat behind the goal.

The number of visitors on that day was 11,664. I thought it was less than last week’s attendance at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, but the total seating capacity of Mikuni Stadium is 15,300, so the attendance was about 76%. This shows the high expectations that rugby fans in Kyushu have for the Japanese national team.

Now, let me introduce the two teams that would be playing on this day.

First, let me introduce the Brave Blossoms, the home team of Japan national rugby team. First, let’s take a look at the starting lineup.

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Keita INAGAKI	186cm	116kg	32	39
2	Atsushi SAKADE	180cm	104kg	29	27
3	Yusuke KIZU	178cm	112kg	26	3
4	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	27	6
5	Warner DEARNS	201cm	117kg	20	1
6	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	72	0
7	Ben GUNTER	195cm	120kg	24	2
8	Faulua MAKISI	187m	112kg	25	2
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	24	6
10	Takuya YAMAZAWA	176cm	84kg	27	3
11	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	23	6
12	Yusuke KAZIMURA	181cm	95kg	26	1
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	4
14	Gerhard von den HEEVER	192cm	102kg	33	0
15	Ryuzi Noguchi	177cm	83kg	26	13

None of the starting members were in last week’s match against Uruguay. The members up to last week were, in effect, the National Development Scod, which is below the current regular members of the national team. Starting this week, the regular members of the team have appeared.

As a regular member of the Brave Blossoms, they will be expected to do better against the same opponent as last week, the Uruguayan National Team Los Teros.

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Dylan RILEY. 187 cm, 102 kg, 25 years old. He is from Australia. He was unable to win a professional contract as a teenager when he was a member of the Australian high school national team, but later came to Japan, passed the Panasonic Wild Knights’ entrance exam, and has grown up in Japan. He was named League One’s most prolific try getter and Best Fifteen this season. He has improved by leaps and bounds each season, and has the breakthrough ability and explosive speed necessary to play CTB for the Japanese national team.

Now, let me introduce you to our opponents for this match, the Uruguayan national team, Los Teros. After the defeat in the first test match, the Uruguayan team has chosen a number of experienced veterans for their starting lineup.

Uruguay
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Uruguay Caps
1	Juan ECHEVERIA	176cm	114kg	30	43
2	Guillermo PUJADAS	179cm	110kg	25	19
3	Ignacio PECULO	191cm	123kg	23	5
4	Eric DOSANTOS	186cm	100kg	27	9
5	Diego MAGNO	188cm	105kg	33	83
6	Lucas BIANCHI	190cm	101kg	21	1
7	Santiago CIVETTA	184cm	102kg	38	17
8	Manuel ARDAO	175m	95kg	23	15
9	Tomas INCIARTE	182m	91kg	25	23
10	Felipe ETCHEVERY	174cm	76kg	25	12
11	Bautista BASSO				0
12	Andles VILASECA	184cm	96kg	31	67
13	Nicolas FREITAS	176cm	93kg	28	47
14	Juan MANUEL	178cm	84kg	25	20
15	Rodrigo SILVA	183cm	88kg	29	69

＊＊ Players to watch　＊＊

Felipe ETCHEVERY. 174 cm, 76 kg, 25 years old. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He is an utility player who can play multiple positions as a BK and also plays for the Uruguayan national 7-man rugby team. As he showed in the first test match, his wide vision and precise handling of kicks as a SO will be a problem for the Japanese national team in today’s match.

Let the match begin.

4 minutes into the first half:

Both teams were full of spirit as they were playing their second test match against the same opponent. Brave Blossoms were always in control of the game, and when they were close to the goal line, they won a lineout on their own ball. Brave Blossoms caught the ball and moved forward in a maul. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-0, with Brave Blossoms scoring first.

8 minutes into the first half:

Los Teros formed a maul in the middle of the field, and from there they moved forward, and they were able to use the experience of last week’s game to their advantage. Los Teros then tried to push deep into the enemy territory, but  Brave Blossoms defense held firm and they were unable to break through. The teams played into a tight battle, where Los Teros was penalized for not releasing the ball. Brave Blossoms opted to go for the PG, and SO Yamasawa made a great shot from almost 50 meters out for the score. SO Yamasawa made the score 8-0.

After this, Brave Blossoms’ SO　Yamasawa scored PGs in the 16th and 23rd minutes of the first half. The Blossoms scored in small increments to make the score 14-0.

However, despite the point differential, Los Teros was not overpowered at the point of contact by the FWs. The experienced players who were used in the starting lineup were a force to be reckoned with in this regard. However, Los Teros was able to keep the point difference because of Brave Blossoms players showed their technical prowess and forced Los Teros into. The only reason Los Teros was not able to keep the score close was because Brave Blossoms players showed technical skill at key points and forced Los Teros into penalties.

However, for Brave Blossoms fans, this was not the case.　 But Brave Blossoms fans would have liked to see their team dominate the match since they had regular players from the Japanese national team on the field.

38 minutes into the first half:

Los Teros got on the board. When the FWs won the ball from a set piece and deployed it, they just couldn’t gain. Again, this time, they got into enemy territory and deployed to the left side, but the CTB dropped the ball in front of him on the way out. This was the Brave　Blossoms’ CTB　Kajimura kicked the ball wide into the enemy territory. He kicked the ball wide into the enemy territory.　Then Brave Blossoms’ CTB　Kajimura, Ryley and WTB van den Heever chased down the ball. Ryley held up the ball at the right edge of the in-goal in the enemy territory for the try. The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was 19-0.

The first half ended here.

Looking back at the first half of this match, Brave Blossoms’ solid performance was remarkable. Based on their solid defense, they exploited their opponents’ errors and holes in their defense, and scored steadily by inviting opponents’ penalties. There were few dramatic moments that could get the entire stadium excited, but the solid defense showed the world No. 10 ranked team’s greatness. We will have to wait until next week to see if this will translate to the next week’s match against France, the second-ranked team in the world.

The photo above is Renji, the mascot of the Japanese national team, who appeared at halftime.

Let the second half begin.

10 minutes into the second half:

Brave Blossoms did not give up control of the match in the second half, as Los Teros tried to push forward with a series of set pieces and attacks, but Brave Blossoms did not allow any big gains. Brave Blossoms got into the enemy territory, and after the foul by their opponents, they were able to secure the ball from their own lineout just before the enemy goal line. Los Teros pushed back several times, but in the end, Brave Blossoms were able to hold on for the win. Brave　Blossoms pushed back several times, but in the end, they were able to force their way into the middle of the enemy’s in-goal on the right flank. Brave Blossoms finally scored a try by the flanker Gunter after a strong effort. After the try, the conversion goal was missed. The score was 24-0.

15 minutes into the second half:

Mikuni Stadium is located next to the sea, so the wind can be strong. In this day’s match, Brave Blossoms had a tailwind in the second half. This meant that the SO Yamasawa of Brave Blossoms kicked a touch kick near the center of the field after a penalty kick for a foul by the opponent, and the ball surprisingly extended into the wind. The Blossoms continued to push forward with a maul, and finally, the ball was pushed to the right by WTB van den Heever. He scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 29-0. Brave Blossoms took a big lead.

20 minutes into the second half:

Brave Blossoms finally started to attack in a flowing sequence. After a long pass from the 22-meter line, Los Teros flanker Civetta was forced to commit an intentional knock-on foul. After deliberation, it was determined that without this foul, it would have been a Brave Blossoms’ try.　The try was awarded to the Brave Blossoms. The score was 36-0.

Second half, 23 minutes:.

Los Teros fought for the ball on the kickoff after a try. The Brave　Blossoms took the ball deep into enemy territory on a penalty kick. They went deep into the enemy territory with a penalty kick. After a lineout, the Brave Blossoms’ No. 8 Makisi made a clean break through the Los Teros defense, and CTB　Kajimura followed it up with a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal. The loudest cheer of the match went up to the crowd. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 43-0.

34 minutes into the second half:

Los Teros’ performance on this day was not so much, but  they were outclassed by the Brave Blossoms’ organized defense and attack. Los Teros’ individual penetration when they were close to the goal was never less than impressive. In a series of attacks in front of the goal, the FW players attacked on the flanks, and in the end, No. 8　Ardao scored a try with a powerful move in the in-goal in the middle of the enemy line on the right side. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 43-7.

The score was 43-7, but Los Teros put on a show in the end, and received a big applause from the crowd that day.

The score remained the same, and the match ended with Japan’s second consecutive win in the two test matches between Japan and Uruguay. The regular members of the Japan national team will play two consecutive matches against the European champions, France, starting next week. This will be the first time since 1984 that the French team will be in Japan, except for the RWC 2019. What kind of game will they show us?

＊＊ Jersey Collection 60 　＊＊

Rugby Jersey of the American Eagles, the United States national rugby team. Estimated to be from around 1987. This reminds me of the first Rugby　World Cup in 1987. This is the First　Jersey, but the Japanese national team lost to the team wearing the Second Jersey (white). They missed a lot of PGs, and they lost the game they were supposed to lose.

I got this jersey new and used for 4,000 yen on Mercari.

The jersey is thick and can be just the right amount of warmth to wear in the fall.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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(Author: Azul, June 22, 2022)

The Japan Rugby 2022 National Team Test Match will be held for four consecutive weeks from June 18, 2022.

The first match against the Uruguayan team, Los Teros, was held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

The match started at 15:00 on this day. Fortunately, the weather was cloudy and the temperature was around 26 degrees Celsius, very comfortable for this time of the year. I watched the game from a standing-room-only seat behind the goal posts on the north side of the field. These are the cheapest seats, Category 4. However, tickets for Japan’s national team games are expensive. Even Category 4 tickets cost 4,000 yen. Moreover, since they were unreserved seats, I had to be there two hours before kickoff to get a good seat, so I ran to get a seat as soon as the gates opened.

Well, as you can see in the photo above, this is the atmosphere of the standing room. Thanks to my haste to get a seat, I was able to secure a front row seat. The best position to take pictures is in the front row behind the goal.

By the way, the ticket price for the seats in the main stand is 16,000 yen. The number of visitors on that day was 14,448.

The Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium has a capacity of 24,871 when fully occupied, so the attendance rate was about 60%. With an average admission fee of 10,000 yen, the teams would be able to operate in the black if 10,000 people showed up for every game, but it will take a little more time to reach that point.

What surprised me at the game was that most of the spectators were wearing the uniforms of the Japanese national team.

This was a bit surprising. The atmosphere was full of support for the Japanese national team. The future of the national team looked a little brighter.

＊＊　Jersey Collection 59　　＊＊

I finally got a Japan national team jersey. The tickets for this test match were sold with the jersey included. I didn’t expect the quality of the jersey to be as good as it was, since it was only 3,000 yen. Because the jerseys sold during the 2019 WRC ranged from 10,000 yen to over 50,000 yen.

However, this jersey is brand new with a regular price of 10,000 yen, so it is a good value.

In case you are wondering, the same jersey was sold at the stadium concession stand on the day of the event, and the price was 7,500 yen.

This Japan national team jersey sold so explosively that it is now the best-selling jersey in Japan. (Second place goes to the All Blacks jersey, a Canterbury product.)

Now, back to the match.

This will be the first time that a test match will be held in Japan since last October against Australia in Oita.

Before the match began, the national anthems of both countries were sung.

The mood of combat was heightened by the fact that this was a battle between two countries’ national anthems.

Now, let me introduce the two teams that played on this day.

First up is the home team, the Brave Brossoms of Japan. The Japanese team is ranked 10th in the world.

Today’s lineup is almost the same as last week’s match against Tonga. Many of the players will be getting their first caps for the national team in this match. From this point on, the national team candidates will be selected and the final Japanese players for the 2023 RWC will be decided.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Shogo Miura	180cm	113kg	26	7
2	Kosuke Horikoshi	175cm	100kg	27	4
3	Shunsuke Asaoka	185cm	121kg	25	0
4	Wimpie Vanderwalt	188cm	112kg	33	18
5	Yuya Odo	187cm	104kg	31	4
6	Koji Iino	190cm	110kg	27	0
7	Hiroki Yamamoto	187cm	95kg	29	5
8	Tevita Tatafu	183m	124kg	26	9
9	Takahiro Ogawa	170cm	77kg	30	2
10	Yu Tamura	181cm	92kg	33	68
11	Koga Nezuka	173cm	82kg	23	0
12	Timothy Lafaele	186cm	96kg	30	27
13	Shane Gates	183cm	95kg	29	1
14	Koki Takeyama	175cm	84kg	25	0
15	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	26	3

＊＊ Notable Players　＊＊

Tevita Tatafu. 183 cm, 124 kg, 26 years old. He is from Tonga, a member of Suntory Sungoliath. He has been a member of the Japan national team since last year’s tour of Europe. His ability to rush and accelerate when he has the ball is outstanding even when viewed internationally. With more experience in international competitions, he can continue to develop.

Next, I would like to introduce the visiting team, Los Teros, representing Uruguay. The Uruguayan national team is ranked 19th in the world, and qualified for the 2023 RWC by winning the U.S. regional qualifying round. In South America, the Uruguayan team is in the second position comparing to Argentina’s Los Pumas.

Most of the players on this year’s team are members of their home club team, Penarol. The team is characterized by the tight-knit teamwork among the players.

The starting lineup for today’s match is as follows:

Uruguay
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Uruguay Caps
1	Mateo Perillo	183cm	119kg	21	1
2	Guillermo Pujadas	179cm	110kg	25	18
3	Ignacio Peculo	191cm	123kg	23	4
4	Eric Dosantos	186cm	100kg	27	8
5	Carlos Deus	188cm	103kg	20	0
6	Lucas Bianchi	190cm	101kg	21	0
7	Santiago Civetta	184cm	102kg	38	16
8	Manuel Ardao	175m	95kg	23	14
9	Tomas Inciarte	182m	91kg	25	22
10	Felipe Etcheverry	174cm	76kg	25	11
11	Baltazar Amaya	184cm	901kg	23	1
12	Andles Vilaseca	184cm	96kg	31	66
13	Nicolas Freitas	176cm	93kg	28	46
14	Mateo Vinals	181cm	84kg	23	1
15	Rodrigo Silva	183cm	88kg	29	68

 ＊＊ Players to watch　＊＊

Nicolas Freitas, 176 cm, 93 kg, 28 years old. He has a Uruguayan national team cap 46. He was the first Uruguayan to sign a professional contract with SUPER RUGBY powerhouse Jaguares. He was also a key player in the RWC match against Fiji, where he was especially noted for his high defensive abilities. As a captain, he leads the current Uruguayan national team, which is composed mainly of young players.

Now, let’s start the match.

Looking at the starting lineup, the members of the Uruguayan national team are younger than expected, with an average age of 24. Compared to the Argentina national team, which is also from South America, there are fewer tall players. This would give the Japanese team an advantage in set pieces.

10 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms were able to secure their own ball in the first scrum and lineout.

However, Brave Blossoms were unable to convert their FW dominance into points. In front of the goal line, the FW repeated side attacks but without success.

Brave Blossoms steadily secured the ball from their own lineout at the right end near the goal line, which was obtained from a foul by the opposing team. From there, the ball was spread out to the left and finally passed to WTB　 Nezuka, who was waiting on the left edge of the field. Nezuka dragged one man over the line and scored a try in the in-goal at the left corner. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 5-0 and Brave Blossoms scored first.

16 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms chose to go for the PG after their opponents committed an foul at the 10-meter line in front of the goal. The SO Tamura scored and added 3 more points. The score was 8-0.

Los Teros also impressed me with their kicking skills, as they seem to be used to kicking each other. Uruguay is indeed a great soccer country.

Los Teros’ continuous attack in front of the enemy goal from the 30th to the 35th minute of the first half was very powerful. There were many occasions when a try could have been scored.

35 minutes into the first half:

Los Teros chose to go for the PG, which the SO Etchevery converted. The score was 8-3 and Los Teros was within 5 points.

39 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms pushed hard from a scrum in the middle of the field, forcing Brave Blossoms pushed hard and drew a foul on their opponents. Brave Blossoms won the ball from a lineout on the right edge of the field and won the ball from a lineout on the far right and moved it to the left, where No. 8 Tatafu received the ball. and accelerated straight ahead. Tatafu easily scored a try right under the goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-3. The first half ended here.

Brave　Blossoms’ Tatafu, weighing 127 kg, was able to accelerate after receiving the ball. He was unmatched by the opposing defense. Furthermore, once he gets into top speed, he is unstoppable in a one-on-one match, making him a troublesome player for the opposing team.

Here we are at halftime. How will both teams regroup for the second half?

Now, let’s start the second half.

Early in the second half, Los Teros got into enemy territory. The BK players are passing the ball well, and are getting close to the goal line.

3 minutes into the second half:

Brave　Blossoms kicked the ball back from deep in their own territory, and the backs chased it well, putting pressure on the opposition players to get it out. Brave Blossoms got a lineout from the right edge of the enemy 22m line. The Flanker Yamamoto received the ball, got behind the enemy line defense, and then ran to the goal line and passed the ball to the Hooker Horikoshi, who followed up on the ball. He continued to run and scored a try at the right side of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-3.

17 minutes into the second half

Both teams tried to advance with kicks. After several kicks were exchanged, Blave Blossoms WTB Nezuka’s kick was fouled by a Blave Blossoms player who was in an offside position. Los Teros won the ball here and their FW made a series of attacks towards the goal line. Los Teros easily escaped the enemy defense with their second side-attack and finally scored a try by Manu, who was substituted midway through the game. The conversion goal after the try was missed.

23 minutes into the second half.

Blave Blossoms made a big gain as they were closing in on the goal line when their opponents committed an foul. From the lineout, Blave Blossoms were able to maul their way forward, and the Hooker Hino was able to hold the ball in the middle left of the in-goal for the try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 29-8, giving Blave Blossoms a 21-point lead.

31 minutes into the second half.

Blave Blossoms made a strong start to the second half, with WTB Nezuka receiving the ball from near the halfway line and breaking through the opposing team’s defense. The defender stopped him just in time. However, an foul by Los Teros resulted in a lineout, and once again a maul was formed to push forward. The maul was broken up, but Blave Blossoms’ Hooker Hino broke through the crowd and scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 34-8.

36 minutes into the second half:

With time running out, Los Teros came together as a team and attacked boldly in an attempt to get one last shot at the game. Several chances for tries were denied by Blave Blossoms defense. However, Los Teros was able to get on from near the 22-meter line. The SH Albareth of Los Teros broke away the defense line and went close to the goal line. No.8 Ardao followed up and scored a try at the center of the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 34-15.

Los Teros was a young team this time, but the veterans who came on in the second half did a remarkable job, and we look forward to an interesting second test match in a week.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, June 5, 2022)

Starting June 11, 2022, Japan’s national team will play five consecutive weeks of matches until July 9, 2022. The schedule of the matches are as follows

* 6/11  Japan Selected Team vs. Tonga Selected Team

(Venue: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo)

*6/18  Japan vs Uruguay

(Venue: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo)

* 6/25 Japan vs Uruguay

(Venue: Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka)

＊7/2  Japan vs France

(Venue: Toyota Stadium, Toyota City, Aichi Pref.)

＊7/9  Japan vs France

 (Venue: National Stadium, Tokyo)

On June 11, 2022, the first match was held at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo. The Kanto area is currently in the rainy season, but fortunately the weather on this day was cloudy.

Today’s match was not an official test match, so the Japan Selected Players will not be given a national cap. However, today’s match is actually the start of the selection process for the RWC 2023 in France, so it is an important match for the players who are aiming for the national team.

The attendance on the day of the match was 8,055, which was not bad.

Another purpose of today’s match is to support the reconstruction of the Kingdom of Tonga, which was damaged by the eruption of an undersea volcano early in 2022. As you can see from the current lineup of Japan’s national team, players from Tonga now form the core of the national team’s strength.

The Japan Rugby League One teams are now made up of players from many different nationalities, but the largest number of players are from Tonga. Tongan students are now playing an active role in Japanese high schools and universities.

Prior to today’s game, the Tongan Ambassador to Japan gave a speech.

The national anthems of both countries were then sung.

The atmosphere at the venue today was appropriate for a representative match.

Personally, I was curious what uniforms both teams would be wearing today.

The Japan Selected Team wore gray and white team uniforms.

The photo above is WTB Takeyama of the Japan Selected Team. The company that produced the uniforms was CANTERBURY.

And the uniform of the Tonga Selected Team

The uniform is composed of two colors, red and white. The production company is MIZUNO, a Japanese company. The photo above is SH Hitora, the only Japanese player called up to the Tongan team. He was called up because there was only one SH in the Tongan selection team. We hope he will take this as an opportunity to do his best.

Before the start of the match, Ikale Tahi, Tonga’s War Cry, was performed.

It lifted the mood before the match started.

Now, let me introduce both teams.

First, let me introduce the home team, the Japan Selected Team, also known as the Emerging Blossoms.

The current Japan team has two levels: the first level players are currently in Miyazaki Prefecture for a training camp. The players who participated in the match today are the so-called second team players. The Rugby Association of Japan calls these players the National Development Scod. They are the reserves, so to speak. Some of them will be given a chance to be promoted based on the results of the matches on June 11 and 18.

The starting lineup is as follows.

Emerging Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shogo Miura	180cm	113kg	26	TOYOTA Verblitz
2	Kosuke Horikoshi	175cm	100kg	27	SUNTORY Sungoliath
3	Shunsuke Asaoka	185cm	121kg	25	TOYOTA Verblitz
4	Wimpie Vanderwalt	188cm	112kg	33	Red Hurricanes
5	Takayasu Tsuji	190cm	113kg	26	SUNTORY Sungoliath
6	Sione Lavemai	189cm	120kg	27	Brave Lupas
7	Naoto Shimada	181cm	99kg	31	Yokohama Eagles
8	Tevita Tatafu	183m	124kg	26	SUNTORY Sungoliath
9	Kaino Shigeno	170cm	75kg	31	TOYOTA Verblitz
10	Yu Tamura	181cm	92kg	33	Yokohama Eagles
11	Koga Nezuka	173cm	82kg	23	KUBOTA Spears
12	Harumichi Tatekawa	180cm	93kg	32	KUBOTA Spears
13	Timothy Lafaele	186cm	96kg	30	Kobe Steelers
14	Koki Takeyama	175cm	84kg	25	Panasonic Wild Knights
15	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	26	SUNTORY Sungoliath

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Nezuka Koga 173 cm, 82 kg, 23 years old. Position = WTB. He belongs to KUBOTA Spears. He won the Rookie of the Year Award and the Best Line-Braker Award in League One this season. He is a graduate of Hosei University, but at that time, he played mostly at CTB and FB. I hope that he will continue to play an active role and be selected for the Japan national team.

Next, I would like to introduce the Tongan Selected Team, the Visitor. The members of this team were selected earlier than the Japanese team, and they have been preparing for this day’s game through training camps.

The members of Tonga Samurai 15 have been the mainstay of each team in League One until just a few days ago. Their potential is not to be underestimated. The Japanese team is expected to have a hard time in this match, especially in terms of their ability to break through. Here is an introduction of the starting lineup for the day.

Tonga
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Ishileli Nakajima	186cm	120kg	32	Kobe Steelers
2	Nesta Mahina	167cm	110kg	21	Hanazono Liners
3	Sila Puafisi	185cm	135kg	34	Hanazono Liners
4	Talau Fakatava	194cm	118kg	27	Black Rams
5	Esei Haangana	198cm	120kg	22	Panasonic Wild Knights
6	Viliami Afu Kaipouli	189cm	115kg	24	HONDA Heats
7	Sione Vatuvei	190cm	105kg	38	KUBOTA Spears
8	Lui Naeata	193m	119kg	27	Red Hurricanes
9	Shinnosuke Oka Tafokitau	173m	81kg	28	Scrum Human Power
10	Lomano Lava Lemeki	178cm	96kg	32	NEC Green Rockets
11	Michael Toloke	183cm	101kg	31	Munakata Sanix Blues
12	Mifiposeti Paea	180cm	109kg	34	Red Hurricanes
13	Silivenusi Taumoepeau	181cm	89kg	36	Shuttles Aichi
14	Kruger Latu	186cm	97kg	26	Sagamihara Dynaboars
15	Larry Sulunga	183cm	102kg	23	Red Hurricanes

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Silivenusi Taumoepeau. 181cm, 89kg, 36 years old. He has played for many Japanese teams, including TOYOTA Verblitz, KINTETSU Liners and Aichi Shuttles. He has 1cap of Tonga national team and was selected for the Top League All-Star team. We hope he will continue to play an active role as a bridge between Japan and Tonga. His soft smile is impressive, but he is a hard contact player.

Let the game begin.

Eight minutes into the first half.

Tonga Samuri 15 had a strong defense in front of their own in-goal, and Emerging Blossoms’ BK made few mistakes in signing plays. The score came when the Japanese team dropped the ball in front of the enemy goal line, which was picked up by Emerging Blossoms’ lock Vanderwalt and advanced. The SO Tamura of the Emerging Blossoms ran in the opposite direction. Vanderwalt then deftly passed the ball to Tamura, who received the ball and dodged two enemy defenders, and scored an in-goal try right in the middle of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the Emerging Blossoms took a 7-0 lead.

23 minutes into the first half:

Looking back at the most recent test match between Japan and Tonga, it was a complete victory by a surprisingly large margin. Tonga Samurai 15 was a team with few turn overs, but they were almost evenly matched except for the scrums at set pieces and in close quarters battles.

Tonga’s first scoring opportunity came from a series of attacks in enemy territory, with a short pass from the prop Nakajima to the lock Haangana, who got behind the enemy defense and scored a try in the center of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was tied 7-7.

26 minutes into the first half:

The Emerging Blossoms attacked the goal line in front of the enemy goal. Tonga Samurai 15 straddled the goal line and formed a ruck. Emerging Blossoms’ SH Shigeno, who had been watching the situation closely, skillfully held the ball as it went into the in-goal. This allowed the Emerging Blossoms to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was now 12-7, a 5-point lead for Emerging Blossoms. SH Shigeno’s calm assessment of the situation was excellent.

36 minutes into the first half:

The Emerging Blossoms were pushed to their own 22m line, but the ball spilled out of their hands of Tonga Samurai 15 and Blossoms counter-attacked. The CTB Lafaele of the Blossoms made a big gain, and then six players connected to bring the ball almost to the goal line of the enemy territory.

However, the Tonga Samurai 15 did a great job of getting back deep into their own territory and preventing the attack.

But after that, The Tonga Samurai 15 then committed an offsides foul, and from a lineout the Emerging Blossoms were able to maul the Tonga Samurai 15.　The hooker Horikoshi of the Blossoms scored a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 17-7, the Emerging　Blossoms had a 10-point lead.

The first half ended with this score. This match was better than expected. Above all, Tonga　Samurai 15’s concentration on this match was excellent.

We were lucky to be able to watch the game in pleasant weather. After halftime, we expected to have good game in the second half.

Let the second half begin.

Three minutes into the second half:

Right at the start, the Emerging Blossoms started the second half by using the ground as wide as possible to avoid contact without making contact. However, on this day, Tonga　Samurai 15 defended very well. Even when the Emerging Blossoms got behind their own defensive net, they were not allowed to score easily. Emerging Blossoms could not easily score even if they got behind the enemy defensive net. Finally, the Emerging　Blossoms swung wide left and right. The WTB Takeyama of the Blossoms scored a try in the right corner. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the Emerging　Blossoms went up by 17 points, 24-7.

However, from this point on, both teams changed a lot of players, and perhaps this had an effect on the score.

25 minutes into the second half:

The Emerging　Blossoms scored through a spread attack, while Tonga Samurai 15 repeated side attacks in front of the enemy goal. Once they scored a try in the left center, but it was cancelled out by the TMO. Shortly after, however, Tonga Samurai 15 drew an infringement in enemy territory and opted for a lineout from a penalty kick, which the Prop Harasiri of Tonga Samurai 15 caught and scored a try in the right-center. Harasiri was able to outflank more than six Emerging Blossoms players to score an amazing try. The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was 24-12 and Tonga Samurai 15 was up by 12 points.

34 minutes into the second half

The No.8 Tatafu, a member of the Emerging Blossoms, was in the starting lineup for this match and showed no signs of fatigue in the final minutes of the match. He made a series of gains at the crucial point of contact, and when he crossed the enemy 22-meter line, he fended off more than five strong Tongan players and scored a try right in the middle of the field with individual skill. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the Emerging　Blossoms made the score 31-12. The score was 31-12.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, June 7, 2022)

Japan Rugby League One, which started on January 8, 2022, finally reached its final match on May 29.

During the week, there were several big matches before the finals, so let us report the results first.

The Division 1 and Division 2 matchups held at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka on Friday, May 27 and on Saturday, May 28 were as follows.

(1) Mie Honda HEAT vs NEC　Green　Rockets

The HEAT won the 2^nd match at the score 24-22, however lost the 1^st match at the score 10-33.

The Green Rockets was superior to the HEAT on its total winning points. Unfortunately, the HEAT could not move up to Division 1.

(2) Sagamihara Dynaboars vs NTT Shining Arcs

Dynaboars won this match 33-19. As a result, Dynaboars won two straight games in the replacement round, so they will be promoted to Division 1 next season. The Shining Arcs will be relegated to Division 2 next season.

(3) The 3rd Place play-off of League One was held on Saturday, May 28.　

Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay vs Toshiba Brave Lupas Tokyo

Spears won this match 23-15 and placed 3rd. Brave　Lupas finished in 4th place.

The final match of the season for League One will be held on May 29 in Tokyo.

The game started at 3:00 p.m., but the temperature was 31 degrees Celsius, which was the temperature of mid-summer. This was the first time this season that the National Stadium was used for League One. Originally, the opening match was scheduled to be held on January 7 at the National Stadium, but it was cancelled due to the fact that many of the participating players became infected with the new Corona. Finally, we are now able to watch the League One games at the National Stadium.

Spectators no longer had to take Social Distance, but were required to wear masks. The attendance that day was 33,604. At first, I thought it would be a full house, but the new National Stadium has a capacity of 68,000, so that means it was almost 50% full. Next season, I hope to fill the stadium.

Now, let me introduce the two teams that made it to the finals.

First, Sungoliath, who came in the first in League One.　 They have an overall record of 14 wins and 2 losses in League One. The Sungoliath is the team that has won the first place in League One. The Sungoliath was defeated by the Brave Lupas and the Wild Knights. The Sungoliath will be looking for revenge against the Wild Knights, the team they lost to in the league.

Let’s take a look at the starting members of the final.

Suntory Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shintaro Ishihara	181cm	105kg	31	Japan　11cap
2	Takuya Kitade	180cm	102kg	29	Japan　1cap
3	Shinnosuke Kakinaga	180cm	115kg	30	Japan　10cap
4	Tui Hendrik	188cm	110kg	26	Japan　47cap
5	Wataru Kobayashi	195cm	116kg	27
6	Iino Koji	190cm	110kg	27
7	Naoki Ozawa	182cm	102kg	33	Japan　4cap
8	Tom Sanders	190m	110kg	28
9	Yutaka Nagare	166cm	75kg	29	Japan　27cap
10	Hikaru Tamura	175cm	80kg	28
11	Tevita Li	182cm	95kg	27
12	Ryoto Nakamura	181cm	92kg	30	Japan　30cap
13	Samu Kerevi	186cm	106kg	28	Australia　38cap
14	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	26	Japan　3cap
15	Damian Mckenzie	177cm	78kg	27	New Zealand  40cap

＊＊　Players to watch out for ＊＊

Damian Mckenzie, 177cm, 78kg, position = FB. He is a hero of New Zealand with 40 caps for New Zealand. He was also the leading scorer in League One this season. He plays a decisive role in the critical phases of the game.

Next, we would like to introduce Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, who are aiming for the championship for the second year in a row.

In the league this season, the team lost two games in a row from the opening match due to a new type of corona infection in the team. However, the team then went on a 14-game undefeated streak to advance to the playoffs in second place. In the league, they played with the Sungoliath in the seventh round and won outright with a score of 34-17. They were looking to win back-to-back league titles following last season.

The starting lineup for this final match is as follows

Panasonic Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Keita Inagaki	186cm	116kg	31	Japan 39cap
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	28	Japan 27cap
3	Taiki Fujii	183cm	114kg	24
4	Jack Cornelsen	195cm	110kg	27	Japan 6cap
5	George Kruis	198cm	123kg	32	England 32cap
6	Ben Gunter	195cm	120kg	24	Japan 2cap
7	Lachlan Boshier	191cm	104kg	27
8	Shunsuke Nunomaki	178cm	78kg	29	Japan 6cap
9	Keisuke Uchida	179cm	86kg	30	Japan 22cap
10	Takuya Yamasawa	176cm	84kg	27	Japan 3cap
11	Marika Koroibete	182cm	96kg	29	Australia 42cap
12	Hadleigh Parkes	187cm	107kg	34	Wales 29cap
13	Dylan Riley	187cm	102kg	25	Japan 4cap
14	Koki Takeyama	175cm	84kg	25
15	Ryuji Noguchi	177cm	83kg	26	Japan 13cap

＊＊　Players to watch out for ＊＊

Shota Horie Shota Horie is 35 years old, 180 cm, 105 kg. Position = Hooker. This season, he has often played as an impact player in the second half. He has the tactical acumen and skill to turn the tide when his team is down. Though he is 35 years old, he is showing the best performance of his career. He is also expected to be a key player in Japan’s national team at next year’s RWC.

Now, let the final match begin.

This match was called “the strongest spear” versus “the strongest shield,” as one sports newspaper put it. The “strongest spear” refers to the Sungoliath’s offensive prowess, while the “strongest shield” refers to the Wild Knights’ iron-clad defense.

Six minutes into the first half:

From the start of the match, both sides kicked each other, and before RWC2019, the Japanese national team was not good at handling these kicks, often giving up tries to their opponents from counter-attacks when they kicked in. Today, however, the kicking tactic has spread to all teams in League One. This is a sign of the evolution of Japanese rugby.

The Sungoliath entered the enemy territory and came very close to scoring a try, but were repeatedly blocked by the Wild Knights. After a foul by the Wild Knights in front of the goal posts, the Sungoliath opted to go for the PG, which FB Mckenzie converted to give Sungoliath the lead. Sungoliath scored first. The score was 3-0.

11 minutes into the first half:

The Wild Knights were in the enemy territory, and the ball was played to the right by WTB Takeyama.　Takeyama received the ball in the right corner. He ran behind the enemy defense and kicked the ball forward. The Wild Knights’ SH Uchida then held up the ball in the in-goal to score a try.

However, a video review revealed a throw forward infringement by the Wild Knights, and the try was called off.

14 minutes into the first half:

The Wild Knights were just entering enemy territory when a scrum led to an infringement by the opposing team, giving them the right to go up for a PG. This was scored by the Wild Knights’ SO Yamasawa, tying the score at 3-3. It was a difficult PG with a distance of about 50 meters.

27 minutes in the first half:

The Wild Knights were able to score again in the second half.

On this day, the Wild Knights looked more powerful in attack than in the league. Once they gained the right to attack, they made steady progress with a series of attacks. After a series of attacks, the Wild Knights moved to the left, and FB Noguchi made a big gain. Noguchi passed to WTB Koroibete, who scored a try in the middle of the right field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 3-10 in favor of the Wild Knights.

31 minutes into the first half:

The Wild Knights attacked again and the Sungoliath was unable to stop the Wild Knights attack, and the ball was passed to Koroibete again, who scored another try in the middle of the right field .

However, a video review revealed that the Wild Knights had committed a knock-on infringement and the try was cancelled.

39 minutes into the first half:

The Sungoliath came close to scoring a try in the closing minutes of the first half. Five meters before the goal line, Sungoliath FB Mckenzie picked up the ball and dived into the opposition in-goal. However, the Wild　Knights’ SO　Yamasawa got his hands on the ball and Mckenzie dropped the ball just before the try. The Wild Knights’ Yamasawa’s play was worth it. The Wild Knights were able to end the first half with a 7-point lead.

The second half began.

Six minutes into the second half:

The Wild Knights replaced their hooker with Horie. This allowed the Wild Knights to take a lead over Sungoliath.

12 minutes into the second half:

The Wild Knights were fouled in a tight battle in their own half. FB Mckenzie of the Sungoliath scored a difficult PG from 45m long and an angle in the right center of the field. The score was 6-10 and Sungoliath closed the gap to 4 points.

17 minutes into the second half:

The Sungoliath went on the offensive and made a series of attacks in enemy territory, and the Wild Knights were fouled deep in their own territory, giving up a PG to the Sungoliath. The Sungoliath FB Mckenzie scored to make the score 9-10, and Sungoliath finally pulled within one point.

24 minutes into the second half:.

The Wild Knights attacked into enemy territory and quickly  the Wild Knights’ SO Yamasawa scored to make the score 9-13.

26 minutes into the Second Half:

The Sungoliath was able to get into the enemy territory when they drew a foul of their opponents in a tight battle and selected to go for the PG. FB Mckenzie of the Sungoliath scored to make the score 12-13, again within one point.

The game was now in a stalemate as both sides traded PGs. Mckenzie of the Sungoliath had been successful in 100% of their PG attempts to this point.

32 minutes into the second half:

The Wild Knights were somewhat pushed by Sungoliath in a dense battle for a while until late in the game. Finally, from a right-handed deployment, Wild Knights’ CTB Riley pushed with great force and scored a try in the middle of the right field. A conversion goal after the try was missed, and the Wild Knights made the score 12-18.

The score remained unchanged, and Wild Knights became the first League One champion. The Sungoliath had a couple of decisive chances, but in the end, the victory went to Wild Knights.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, May 31, 2022)

The Japan Rugby League One Play-offs began this week on May 22, 2022, and only three matches remain in the League One competition.

The remaining matches are

5/22 Semi-Final 2: Wild Knights vs Spears

5/28 3rd place game

5/29 Final match

Semi-Final 1: Suntory Sungoliath vs Toshiba Brave Lupas was played on 5/21 at Osaka Hanazono Rugby Ground and Sungoliath won 30-24.

The Semi-Final 2 will be between Wild Knights and Spears. The match was played at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Even though it was still May, the temperature rose to 27 degrees Celsius, and it was early summer weather.

However, the crowd was huge that day. The number of visitors exceeded that of the opening match, recording 15,353.

Still, we have not yet regained the momentum we had right after the 2019 RWC. At that time, until the new Corona started, we had over 30.000 spectators in a normal league match. That was followed a few months later by the onslaught of the new Corona, which was held as a no-show game and attendance limits were drawn. Although the new corona has not yet subsided, we were finally able to attract more than 10,000 spectators to the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. It has only been three years, but it feels like a long time.

Also, considering that the previous day’s promotion deciding match between the Division 1 and Division 2 teams drew approximately 3,000 spectators, we were reminded of the popularity of the playoff matches.

Let me introduce the two teams that will play today. First up is the Saitama Wild Knights.

The champion team that won the Top League last year aims to become the first champion of the new League One this season. This season, the team lost the first and second games due to several cases of new corona infection in the team. However, the team has since won all 14 of its matches to advance to the playoffs.

The undefeated champions, Wild Knights, have a strong group of players and seem to be a world-class team. Which team will be able to stop Wild Knights’ winning streak?

Today’s starting lineup is as follows.

Saitama Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Keita Inagaki	186cm	116kg	31	Japan 39cap
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	28	Japan 27cap
3	Shohei Hirano	178cm	120kg	28
4	Daniel Heenan	196cm	111kg	40	Australia 2cap
5	Esey Haangana	198cm	120kg	22
6	Ben Gunter	195cm	120kg	24
7	Lachlan Boshier	191cm	104kg	27
8	Jack Cornelsen	195cm	110kg	27	Japan 6cap
9	Taiki Koyama	171cm	74kg	27
10	Takuya Yamasawa	176cm	84kg	27	Japan 3cap
11	Marika Koroibete	182cm	96kg	29	Australia 42cap
12	Hadleigh Parkes	187cm	107kg	34	Wales 29cap
13	Dylan Riley	187cm	102kg	24	Japan 4cap
14	Koki Takeyama	175cm	84kg	25
15	Ryuji Noguchi	177cm	83kg	26	Japan 13cap

＊＊　Players to watch out for ＊＊

Takuya Yamasawa. 176 cm, 84 kg, 27 years old. For the Wild Knights, Matsuda has been starting as the SO, and Yamasawa has been starting in the middle of the second half as the SO. However, Matsuda left the team late in the season with an injury, and Yamazawa was chosen as the starter. Compared to Matsuda’s orthodox SO style of play, Yamazawa chooses a more aggressive style of play, with more kicks and runs. This season, he was selected as a candidate for Japan’s national team and is expected to gain game experience at a higher level.

Next, Kubota　Spears.

Spears has strengthened its players in recent years and is now a regular participant in the playoffs. In particular, they boast the league’s No. 1 strength in FW set plays. The team’s lineup has also grown stronger, and the strength of the FW players, especially those who come on in the second half of the season, poses a threat to opposing teams.

The BK players of Spears, whose young players are growing, also have the decisive power to score tries.

The starting lineup for today’s match is as follows

Spears
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kota Kaishi	172cm	102kg	27
2	Hiroaki Sugimoto	181cm	105kg	33
3	Kengo Kitagawa	178cm	110kg	29	Japan　3cap
4	David Bulbring	199cm	113kg	32
5	Ruan Botha	205cm	120kg	29
6	Finau Tupa	190cm	115kg	32
7	Pieter L. Labus Chagne	189cm	106kg	32	Japan　13cap
8	Faulua Makisi	187cm	112kg	24	Japan　2cap
9	Kazuhiro Taniguchi	164cm	73kg	26
10	Bernard Foley	182cm	89kg	32	Australia　71cap
11	Haruto Kida	176cm	90kg	23
12	Harumichi Tatekawa	180cm	93kg	32	Japan 55cap
13	Ryan Crotty	181cm	94kg	23	New Zealand 46cap
14	Koga Nezuka	173cm	82kg	23
15	Gerhard Van Den Heever	192cm	102kg	32	Japan

＊＊　 Players to watch out for　　＊＊

Jaba　Bregvatze. 182 cm, 105 kg, 35 years old. He has a cap of 67 for Georgia.

Spears has a strong FW, but their mainstay hooker, Marx,  is out with an injury. This has caused the Spears to struggle a bit in scrums and lineouts. To compensate for this, Jaba was urgently recruited. Java has played 27 games for the Sun Wolves, Japan’s only SUPER RUGBY team.　Java win  popularity, having played 27 games for the Sun Wolves, Japan’s only SUPER RUGBY team. Although he has been with League One for only a month or so, he is expected to make an impact on the team.

Let the match begin.

6 minutes into the first half:

In the first maul they set up, the Spears were able to push with force. However, the Wild Knights took advantage of the dense battle and skillfully broke through the maul and ruck skids.

As the Wild Knights entered the enemy territory, lock Haangana broke through the side of a formed maul, got behind the Spears defensive net, and moved forward at once to the left. The SO Yamazawa received the ball and brought it into the in-goal for a try almost in the center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 7-0 to the Wild Knights.

15 minutes into the first half:

The Spears pushed the Wild Knights hard in a scrum after entering enemy territory, giving them the opportunity to take a penalty kick. The Speares opted to go for the PG, which was converted by the SO Foley and made the score 7-3.

From this time on, the Spears’ big FWs came into their own, taking control of the game in enemy territory. However, the Wild Knights’ defensive network also cut back when it looked like they might score, and the stalemate continued.

38 minutes into the first half:

The Wild Knights’ defense did its best to hold off the Spears as they came close to scoring again and again.

The Spears moved to the left in an attempt to score a try at this point. The Spears threw a pass to a player on the left end, which was intercepted by the Wild Knights’ WTB Takeyama. Takeyama got behind the Spears’ defensive line and went straight forward. The Spears FB Van Den Heever chased him hard, but Takeyama ran 100 meters to score a delightful try in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-3 in favor of the Wild Knights.

The first half ended with the score at 14-3. The Wild Knights’ WTB Takeyama’s try, a coup de grace, changed the course of the game at the end of the first half. It was a bitter blow for the Spears, who again attacked the enemy line, but failed to score any points.

It was halftime, but there was no halftime show on this day. The game went into the second half with the lingering effects of the first half still fresh in the minds of the players.

11 minutes into the second half:

The Wild Knights had a penalty kick opportunity when the flanker Gunter was fouled in a tight battle in the opponents’ half. The Wild Knights opted to go for the PG and the SO Yamazawa made a steady run to make the score 17-3.

24 minutes into the second half:

The Wild Knights gradually began to get on equal footing in the FW game when the hooker Sakate was replaced by Horie in the second half.

In front of the enemy in-goal, they formed a maul and moved forward to score a try by the hooker Horie in the left center. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 24-3 to the Wild Knights.

42 minutes into the second half

After the horn sounded for the last play of the half, the Spires’ frontline made a relentless charge at the goal. Finally, prop Helu scored a try in the right center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the final score 24-10.

• 　Player of the match　＊

WTB Takeyama of the Wild Knights was selected as the Player of the match. Takeyama’s 100-meter solo try, scored at the end of the first half after intercepting the ball, changed the course of the game. Takeyama also made a notable defensive contribution in the match. He has been selected as a candidate for the Japan national team this season, and is expected to play an active role in the national team.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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