Month: September 2022

(Author: Azul, September 24th, 2022)

Kanto Intercollegiate Rugby reached its second round on September 18. This time, I watched the match between Waseda University and Tsukuba University in Group A of the Kanto Intercollegiate Rugby League. The venue this time was the Earthcare Shikishima Soccer/Rugby Stadium in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture.

The distance from Hachioji City, Tokyo, where I live, to Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, is 110 km. However, there are not many trains running on this section of road, so it took me a long time to reach my destination.

After all, there is only one train running every hour, so if you miss a train connection, it will take about an extra hour.

I left my house at 8:00 a.m. and arrived at my destination, Maebashi City, at 11:30 a.m., one hour before kickoff. I had no choice but to take a cab to the stadium because there were no buses running even though it was an hour before the game. The fare was 1,800 yen. It was an unplanned expense for transportation.

Furthermore, a typhoon had hit the Kanto area that day, so it was raining heavily. My original plan was to arrive at the stadium early and watch the game under the roof of the main stand, but it was already occupied by local spectators.

I had no choice but to watch the game on the grass in the back stand, wearing a rain coat. It had been raining for a long time, so it was physically demanding to watch the game.

Now, let me introduce today’s opposing teams.

Waseda University (2nd place last season in the league 2021) vs. University of Tsukuba (6th place last season in the league 2021)

Waseda was the better team last year, but Tsukuba has a better team this year, and according to newspaper reports before the match, a close match was expected.

Let me give you an update on both teams.

First, let me introduce the Waseda University Rugby Club, which will be the home team in this match.

The team is one of the most popular and traditional teams in Japan. The team’s attacking style is traditionally “close, continuous, and deployed”. The student team changes players every year, so the strengths of the team change from year to year, but Waseda University’s lifeblood is its development rugby, which utilizes the entire field.

Waseda’s tactic is to study the opposing team well before the match, so it will be interesting to see how they fight in the first half of the match.

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

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shota IMOTO	165cm	98kg	21
2	Kenji SATO	177cm	108kg	19
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	115kg	20
4	Tomoki MAEDA	179cm	103kg	21
5	Daiki IKEMOTO	186cm	105kg	20
6	Jingo MURATA	185cm	102kg	20
7	Ken AIHARA	180cm	88kg	21
8	Masahiko SAGARA	180m	99kg	21
9	Masanori MIYAO	165m	70kg	20
10	Ko YOSHIMURA	175cm	84kg	21
11	Sena HOSOYA	162cm	63kg	20
12	Kengo NONAKA	181cm	93kg	19
13	Reo MATSUSHITA	183cm	93kg	21
14	Eito MAKI	175cm	88kg	21
15	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	22

＊＊Players to watch　＊＊

Kenji SATO. 177 cm, 108 kg, 19 years old.  Position＝Hokker, No.8. He is a graduate of Toin Gakuen High School in Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a strong player at Waseda University, where he has been a regular since his freshman year. Last season, he played as No.8, but this season, he will lead the entire FW as a hooker. How close Waseda’s FW will be to Meiji and Teikyo, which have strong FWs in the second half of the season, will rests on his shoulders.

Next, I would like to introduce the visiting team, the University of Tsukuba Rugby Club.

Developmental attack rugby, similar to that of Waseda, will be the team color of Tsukuba. The team’s characteristic is to fight through strong opponents with tenacity. This season’s team has no holes in both FW and BK, and in fact, the FW has been outstanding in recent years. Will they be able to win their matches in the rivalry group and advance to the University Championship?

Today’s starting lineup is as follows

Tsukuba University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yusaku KIHARA	176cm	108kg	21
2	Koki HIDA	178cm	104kg	21
3	Daisuke KURASAKI	179cm	105kg	21
4	Kodai Sean YOKOMIZO	187cm	88kg	20
5	Ryuto YAGISAWA	188cm	108kg	21
6	So IBARAGI	186cm	90kg	19
7	Kotaro NARAMOTO	171cm	92kg	22
8	Hayata TANIYAMA	184cm	95kg	20
9	Takuya SHIRAE	164cm	69kg	21
10	Kanjiro NARAMOTO	178cm	84kg	23
11	Ryota OHATA	174cm	77kg	20
12	Ryotaro ASAMI	178cm	90kg	20
13	So MATSUSHIMA	173cm	81kg	21
14	Ryo HAMASHIMA	175cm	70kg	18
15	Haruhiko UEMURA	177cm	80kg	21

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Ryotaro　ASAMI. 178cm, 90kg, 20 years old. Position = CTB, SO. A player who can lead the strong Tsukuba BK team and play a decisive role in scoring points in the game. He sees the breakdown of the opposing defense and uses precise passing, kicking, and running.

The match kicked off at 15:00.

2 minutes into the first half:

It was Waseda who scored the first score.

Immediately after the kickoff, both teams started cautiously, kicking the ball deep into the opponents’ territory. Waseda’s SO Yoshimura kicked the ball from deep in their own territory, and Tsukuba’s FB Uemura tried to kick it back. Waseda’s SO Yoshimura successfully charged down the ball. Waseda’s FWs rushed in and connected with the ball, and finally NO.8 Sagara scored a try right under the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda scored first to make the score 7-0.

9 minutes into the first half:

Perhaps due to the wet and muddy ground, Tsukuba was infringed for intentionally collapsing a scrum. The penalty kick was 10 meters from the goal post, so Waseda opted to go for the PG. SO Yoshimura scored the PG to make the score 10-0.

28 minutes into the first half:

Tsukuba took advantage of a lineout and a lineout.

Tsukuba was able to go toe-to-toe with Waseda in the lineout and in the densely contested battle, and were able to make some headway. However, Tsukuba was pushed down by Waseda at every scrum on the day. In last week’s match against Meiji University, they had never been pushed down so far in the scrums, so this was probably a result of Waseda’s prior research.

Then, when Waseda attacked deep into Tsukuba’s camp, Tsukuba was penalized for a high tackle. The spot where this foul was committed was also right in front of the goal post, about 15 meters away, so Waseda chose to go for the PG again. The SO Yoshimura of Waseda scored to make the score 13-0.

37 minutes into the first half:

Waseda attacked into Tsukuba’s territory, and on the right side of Tsukuba’s 22m line, Tsukuba was fouled by a scrum on their own ball. Here, Waseda again opted for the PG, and the SO Yoshimura scored it to make the score 16-0 in Waseda’s favor.

41 minutes into the first half:

Tsukuba was pushed back in the scrum and lost the ball.

Tsukuba had been creating a vicious cycle of pushing and losing in the scrums, which in turn led to mistakes in their own attack.

Deep in their own territory, Tsukuba dropped the ball, and Waseda hooker Satoh picked it up and drove straight ahead. Waseda’s Satoh did not look very fast in the way he ran, but in fact, he carried the ball deep into the opponents’ camp at speed. Waseda’s BK players connected with this ball, and finally the SH Miyao of Waseda took it into the in-goal, but Tsukuba’s defenders prevented him from doing so.

However, Tsukuba kicked the ball from the in-goal, and Waseda connected from the left edge of the enemy line. Finally, No.8 Sagara dribbled the ball with his foot, moved forward, and held it at the right side of the goal post for a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda finished the first half 23-0.

Looking back at the first half, this match was expected to be close, but as it turned out, Waseda scored one-sidedly. As for Tsukuba, they showed some good attacks at times, but they could not win the ball at all at the scrum for set plays, so they could not create their own attacking rhythm. Will Tsukuba be able to recover in the second half by taking advantage of their strengths?

Let’s start the second half.

University of Tsukuba replaced the right prop Kurasaki with Tanaka in order to regroup from the scrum that was being held up.

10 minutes into the second half.

In this period, Waseda attacked into Tsukuba’s territory and had to scrum again. Tsukuba replaced the right prop with Tanaka, but as usual, they were pushed into the field. In the ensuing scrum, Waseda made a series of handling errors, which did not lead to a score, but Tsukuba continued to barely prevent an additional score.

22 minutes into the second half:

Waseda was fouled, and Tsukuba got the ball from there. No.8 Taniyama kicked the ball from deep in his own half, and it went out beyond the opponent’s 22m line. This was the application of the 50-22 rule, and Tsukuba got the right of the lineout for their own ball deep in the right end of the opponents’ line.

Tsukuba secured their own ball, and then formed a maul to move forward at a dash. Tsukuba then ran into the in-goal and scored a try in the middle of the field on the right. The try was scored by hooker Hida. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 23-5, and Tsukuba scored their first points of the match.

31 minutes into the second half:

With the try, Tsukuba tried to move forward in a similar pattern, and had a lineout opportunity at the right end of the enemy 22m line. From there, Tsukuba again formed a maul to advance. Waseda tried to prevent Tsukuba from scoring in the same pattern, and they persisted in front of the goal. However, Tsukuba’s backs joined the maul and scored a try in the in-goal, right in the middle of the field. The try was scored by Tsukuba’s WTB Ohata. The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was 23-10.

37 minutes into the second half:

Waseda had dominated the score in the first half, but now Tsukuba had taken control of the match. This was a typical example of how a match can be unpredictable until the very end. It was interesting to watch.

Three times, Tsukuba had a chance to take the ball inside the 22-meter line. In other words, Tsukuba avoided the scrums, which were their weak point on the day, and built their attack around the lineout, which was their forte, and as a result, they pulled the game out of the game.

As for Waseda, it was humiliating to be scored three times in the same attacking style, so they were determined and wanted to stop it. However, Tsukuba advanced with this maul attack with everyone, not only the FW but also the BK. Finally, Tsukuba’s hooker Hiraisihi, who came on as a substitute, scored a try in the right center of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 23-17.

38 minutes into the second half:

With less than two minutes remaining in the half, the score was 23-17.

With less than two minutes remaining, the crowd began to murmur in unison. Would Waseda continue to dominate? Or would Tsukuba score a try and a goal to complete the comeback victory? At this point, Waseda, who had the ball at this point, tried to advance by continuously developing the ball.

When the continuous attack reached around the 5th phase, Waseda kicked the ball outward as time was running out. At that moment, the referee blew the whistle to end the game.

Waseda got their second win, albeit a hard-fought one. Tsukuba lost the match, but they got one winning point since they lost by less than seven points.

We would like to thank both teams for showing us a heated game in spite of the bad weather.

＊＊ Jersey Collection 64　＊＊

2019 RWC England jersey replica. Classic style long sleeve jersey. Embroidered on the right sleeve with the RWC 2003 winning cup. Made by Canterbury of New Zealand. I got it on Mercari for ¥3,980.00. The price of the 2019 RWC replica jersey has been slow to drop, but it has finally come down to ¥3,980. I personally think around 4,000 yen is a fair price for a used jersey.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, September 17th, 2022)

The 2022-2023 Japanese rugby season began on September 10, 2022. First, the official domestic university rugby season began. From this day, university rugby clubs are divided into groups to play official matches, and the top school among them will be able to participate in the National University Rugby Championship to be held from mid-December.

This time, I watched a match of Kanto University Rugby Group A. It was the opening match of the season. This day was the opening match. The memorable opening card was University of Tsukuba vs Meiji University.

The venue was Komazawa Park Athletic Stadium in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. From my house, I take the train from Hachioji Station to Shinjuku Station, then to Shibuya Station, and finally to Komazawa University Station. It takes about 2 hours one way. After getting off the train at Komazawa University Station, it takes about 10 minutes to walk to the venue.

After getting off the train, we entered Komazawa Park and walked around the park.

It was mid-September, but it was still hot. The maximum temperature rose to 31 degrees Celsius. If we were not careful, we were likely to suffer heat stroke.

We finally arrived at the Komazawa Park Athletic Field.

Before the game, I would like to check the ranking of Group A of the Kanto University Rugby Tournament last season.

	Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group A　Order 2021
order	team	Win	Lose
1	Teikyo	7	0
2	Waseda	6	1
3	Meiji	5	2
4	Keio	4	3
5	Nippon Sport Science	3	4
6	Tsukuba	2	5
7	Aoyama Gakuin	1	6
8	Rikkyo	0	7

From this group, the top five schools will advance to the University Championship.

Last season, Tsukuba University finished in 6th place and failed to qualify for the University Championship due to a late game setback.

Now, let me introduce both teams before the match.

First, let us talk about the University of Tsukuba Rugby Club.

Tsukuba University is the strongest team among Japan’s national universities, both in name and reality, and was the runner-up in the 2012 National University Championship. The team is characterized by strong FW scrums and fast development of BK players. The University of Tsukuba is located in Ibaraki Prefecture, and teams from this area, both high school and university, are known for their skillful handling. When watching the matches, one is impressed by their creative play.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows：

Tsukuba University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yusaku KIHARA	176cm	108kg	21
2	Koki HIDA	178cm	104kg	21
3	Masato TANAKA	182cm	107kg	21
4	Kenkichi YANAGAWA	188cm	100kg	20
5	Ryuto YAGISAWA	188cm	108kg	21
6	So IBARAGI	186cm	90kg	19
7	Kodai Sean YOKOMIZO	187cm	88kg	20
8	Hayata TANIYAMA	184cm	95kg	20
9	Takuya SHIRAE	164cm	69kg	21
10	Kanjiro NARAMOTO	178cm	84kg	23
11	Ryota OHATA	174cm	77kg	20
12	Ryotaro ASAMI	178cm	90kg	20
13	So MATSUSHIMA	173cm	81kg	21
14	Ryo HAMASHIMA	175cm	70kg	18
15	Kenshin TAKADA	173cm	78kg	22

＊＊　 Playerｓ to watch 　＊＊

Hayata TANIYAMA. 184 cm, 95 kg, 20 years old. Position = FL, No. 8, CTB. 2019 high school representative for Japan. He participated in the 2019 Japan High School Team tour to Wales. He has been playing as a No.8 this season, and his ability to break through is outstanding, and his movements stand out in the game. He is a player with great promise for the future.

Next, I would like to talk about the Meiji University Rugby Club.

The team is one of the top university teams in Japan in terms of tradition, popularity, and ability. Traditionally, the team’s colors are based on a strong front line, but this season, the team will also refine its BK development ability, led by captain ISHIDA, a WTB who represented the 7-man Olympic team.

Today’s starting members are as follows：

Meiji University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kosei NAKAMURA	183cm	112kg	21
2	Junichiro MATSUSHITA	173cm	87kg	21
3	Keijiro TAMEFUSA	180cm	115kg	21
4	Reijiro YAMAMOTO	190cm	107kg	20
5	Senfu KAMEI	193cm	106kg	27
6	Yuta MORIYAMA	185cm	96kg	21
7	Daiki ISHIURA	178cm	100kg	20
8	Taishiro KIDO	185m	96kg	20
9	Shu HAGIWARA	173m	78kg	21
10	Kotaro ITO	175cm	84kg	20
11	Yuta AKIHAMA	174cm	84kg	20
12	Yuya HIROSE	179cm	93kg	21
13	Takaya SAITO	181cm	93kg	21
14	Kotaro HARAGUCHI	181cm	90kg	21
15	Kohei YASUDA	181cm	86kg	20

＊＊　Playerｓ to watach　＊＊

Kotaro ITO. 175 cm, 84 kg, 20 years old. He has been a regular player as the control tower of Meiji University’s BK since last season. He is a very talented player, not only in passing and kicking as a SO, but also in breaking through with the ball in his own hands.　Teikyo’s TAKAMOTO, Tokai’s MUTO and Steelers’ LI, there are strong rivals in the same generation. Can he lead Meiji University to the top this season?

Let’s take a look at today’s matches.

University of Tsukuba is a regular team in the University Championship, but last season, they finished 6th in the rivalry group and failed to qualify for the championship for the first time in four seasons. Therefore, the University of Tsukuba will have to play against top-ranked teams continuously from the beginning of the season, and will have to be in top condition from the beginning of the season. This team condition was reflected in the morale of the players, and the match turned out to be a heated affair with much to see and do.

The game started at 12:30.

5 minutes into the first half:

Meiji kicked off to start the match. In the early stages of the match, Tsukuba and Meiji were evenly matched in a densely contested match. Both teams were falling off the ball due to handling errors, and both sides were turning the ball over and switching offensively and defensively at a dizzying pace. However, these attacks and defenses took place in Tsukuba’s territory, and Meiji was pushing. Meiji moved forward in the form of a series of dense battles with different points. Meiji formed a dense battle in front of the in-goal at the left end of Tsukuba’s camp, and SO Itoh, who was positioned near the line, ran to the opposite side, received the ball, and jumped into the left end of the in-goal to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was successful. The score was 7-0, and Meiji scored first.

9 minutes into the first half:

From the kick-off after the try, Tsukuba attacked into the Meiji camp and gradually advanced. In addition, the University of Tsukuba team’s characteristic skillful passing and imaginative running captivated the crowd.

After Meiji was fouled for offsides, Tsukuba was able to kick for touch. From there, they won the ball from their own lineout, and closed in on the Meiji side’s in-goal. Tsukuba’s maul led to a ruck, and the FWs connected with a side-attack, and finally, prop KIHARA scored a try in the middle of the left field. The score was tied 7-7 after the conversion goal.

24 minutes into the first half:

Tsukuba kicked the ball from their own territory deep into the Meiji camp, and Tsukuba’s WTB OHATA made a spirited pursuit to bring the teams into a tight battle. Meiji committed a foul here, and Tsukuba opted for the PG. It was a relatively easy PG, about 20m in front of the field, but the kicker, FB　Takada missed.

34 minutes into the first half:

Both teams repeatedly mixed their attacks with kicks, and the game often switched between offense and defense. Tsukuba showed tenacious defense, and even after being overtaken by their opponents, they chased after them from behind and flicked the ball away on several occasions. Tsukuba formed a ruck near the center of the Meiji camp, where Meiji committed a foul by falling down. Tsukuba chose to go for the PG, and from about 30 meters away in front of the goal, FB　Takada kicked it. However, the PG was also unsuccessful.

36 minutes into the first half:

After a kicking duel between the two teams, a lineout was created in Meiji’s possession, but Tsukuba fought back and succeeded in taking the ball. Tsukuba kicked the ball and 　while Meiji’s FB YASUDA was slow in handling the ball kicked by Tsukuba, Tsukuba’s defense caught up with him and brought them into a densely contested battle. Meiji was fouled, and Tsukuba opted for a penalty kick, which they kicked to the goal line in front of the enemy’s goal to gain their own lineout. Tsukuba won the ball, and a maul led to a ruck, but they were able to get close to the enemy’s in-goal, and finally, CTB ASAMI showed great body control, dodging 4 or 5 men in a tight pack and scoring a try in the middle of the field on the right. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 12-7, and Tsukuba finally overturned Meiji.

39 minutes into the first half:

The first half ended on a sour note for Meiji, but from this point on, Meiji’s BKs used the ground widely on both sides of the field to launch a development attack.

The ball was kicked back by Tsukuba deep into the Meiji camp, and Meiji’s WTB Akihama caught the ball at the left end. From the tight pack that formed at this point, Meiji deployed the ball far to the left, and flanker MORIYAMA took over on the left edge.　

From the crowd here, Meiji moved to the right and CTB　SAITO received the ball and cut in and scored a try at the right side of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-14, and Meiji was back in front by the end of the game.

46 minutes in the first half:

The first half did not end well as there seemed to be a lot of lost time. In such a situation, Meiji got a scrum in front of the goal post in the enemy’s territory. Tsukuba pushed back the scrum, but Meiji’s SO ITOH easily got out of the scrum and scored a try in the left center of Tsukuba’s in-goal. It was the second try of the day for ITOH. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 12-19, and Meiji led by 7 points at the end of the first half.

At this point, it was half time. Against Tsukuba’s high morale, Meiji made many small mistakes, which led to a number of goals. Tsukuba also missed two relatively easy PGs, which was regrettable.

This was a good game, befitting of the opening match of the Kanto University Rugby season. Expectations are high for the second half.

11 minutes into the second half:

Tsukuba attacked into the enemy territory and made steady progress, coming very close to the Meiji side goal posts. From a tight battle, the FWs repeatedly attacked on the flanks and came close to scoring in-goal, but Meiji was able to repel the attack. From there, the ball was turned to the right and Tsukuba’s CTB ASAMI received it and scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right side. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was tied 19-19.

17 minutes into the second half:

Tsukuba kept the ball and continued to attack in succession, gradually making progress. Tsukuba kicked the ball deep into their own territory, but Meiji caught the ball deep in their own territory. From there, Meiji’s SO ITOH dodged the opposing defense and made a huge gain on the right side. Finally, FB YASUDA caught the ball, ran through and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal. Meiji also scored the conversion goal after the try, making the score 26-19.

The decisive work here was done by Meiji’s SO Itoh, who was excellent at finding holes in the opposition’s defense, but also had a remarkable ability to dash past the defense and get to top speed.

20 minutes into the second half:

Immediately after Meiji’s try, Tsukuba attacked into the opponent’s territory and had a PG opportunity about 15 meters to the left of the goal post in the opponent’s territory. FB　Takada made the important PG to make the score 26-22. Tsukuba needed only one more try to pull away from the deficit.

31 minutes into the second half:

After Meiji attacked deep into their own territory, Tsukuba got their own ball from a scrum.　Tsukuba’s inside CTB MATSUSHIMA advanced with skillful running. The team became dense at this point, and outside CTB ASAMI kicked the ball out of the dense pack for a long kick. The kick by ASAMI was kicked from his own line, so he was able to take advantage of the new 50-22 rule and get his own ball out beyond the enemy 22m line, a super move by CTB ASAMI.

From this point, Tsukuba made a series of attacks deep in the enemy territory. Several times, they came close to the goal line, but they just could not break through Meiji’s last defensive net.

36 minutes into the second half:

Both teams exchanged kicks, and this time, Meiji took the right to attack when they went deep into Tsukuba’s territory.

Meiji secured the ball from the lineout, and quickly moved it to the right side. Once Tsukuba’s defense got involved, they formed a dense formation, and here, Meiji’s SH　HAGIWARA broke out of the side of the dense group, and WTB ISHIDA followed him. Finally WTB ISHIDA received the pass from the SH Hagiwara and scored a try just below the goal post. The try by ISHIDA, the captain of the Meiji team, raised the morale of the team to a new high. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 33-22.

In the end, the score remained the same, and the game came to an end, giving Meiji University their first win of the season. However, it was a also a great game as Tsukuba University showed their persistence to win until the very end of the match. We look forward to seeing Tsukuba University continue to build up their game against the higher ranked teams in the early rounds of the Kanto University rivalry group.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

（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.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊