Month: July 2024

 (Written by Azul: July 23, 2024)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

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

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

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

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

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

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

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

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

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

The starting lineup for the day was as follows.

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

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

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

Let’s get the match underway.

10 minutes into the first half:

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

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

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

22 minutes into the first half:

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

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

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

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

Let’s get the second half underway.

5 minutes into the second half:

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

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

10 minutes into the second half:

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

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

13 minutes into the second half:

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

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

27 minutes into the second half:

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

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

33 minutes into the second half:

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

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

36 minutes into the second half:

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

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

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

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

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: July 15, 2024)

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

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

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

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

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

Here is the latest information on both teams.

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

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

The starters for the day were as follows.

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

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

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

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

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

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

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

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

1961: Defeat the French national team: 5-3

1981 Draw against South Africa: 12-12

2005 Defeat British & Irish Lions: 19-13

2010: Defeat England: 35-28

2022: Defeat Ireland: 32-17

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

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

The starting lineup for the day was as follows.

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

＊＊ Player to watch **

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

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

6 minutes into the first half:

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

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

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

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

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

9 minutes into the first half:

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

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

After that, both teams remained close on the score.

28 minutes into the first half:

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

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

36 minutes into the first half:

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

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

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

Let’s start the second half.

3 minutes into the second half:

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

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

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

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

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

21 minutes into the second half:

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

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

29 minutes into the second half:

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

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

40 minutes into the second half:

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

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

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

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

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: July 3, 2024)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let me introduce the two teams that played that day.

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

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

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

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

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

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

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

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

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

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

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

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

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

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

The starting lineup for this match was as follows

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

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

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

Now, let the games begin.

The attendance for the day was 44,029.

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

2 minutes into the first half:

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

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

14 minutes into the first half:

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

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

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

24 minutes into the first half:

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

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

29 minutes into the first half:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The first half ended here.

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

Let’s begin the second half.

３ minutes into the second half:

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

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

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

9 minutes into the second half:

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

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

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

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

18 minutes into the second half:

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

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

26 minutes into the second half:

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

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

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

29 minutes into the second half:

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

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

37 minutes into the second half:

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

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

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

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

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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