Month: October 2024

 (Written by Azul: October 28, 2024)

This time, I went to Kiryu Stadium in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, to watch the official Kanto University Rugby League match between Tokai University (1st) and Toyo University (4th).

About Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, the population is about 100,000 and it is located about 150 km away from the center of Tokyo. It took me about 3 hours by train from Tokyo Station.

This day’s stadium was Mori Engineering Kiryu Stadium. The stadium seats 692 spectators, which is not very many. I don’t think it meets the standards for professional sports such as soccer and rugby. Today’s game was an amateur college rugby match, so there was no problem in terms of entertainment. By the way, the ticket price was 2,000 yen for all unreserved seats.

When I went to the venue, I found that the actual spectators were mostly alumni of both universities who had some kind of relationship with the rugby clubs, according to the conversation at the venue.

General rugby fans who have no particular connection with both universities are considered to be in the minority.

Let me introduce the two schools that played the matches on the day.

First, let us talk about Tokai University, which is ranked first in the Kanto University League group.

Tokai University, the champion of the Kanto University Rugby League group, is currently on a six-game winning streak in the league. In the National University Rugby Championships, they have been runners-up three times, and in the University Championships, they have been regular semifinalists. According to pre-match predictions in sports newspapers and other media, Tokai University was expected to win the game on the day of the match.

However, Tokai University’s FWs were smaller than usual this season. The only foreign student registered in the starting lineup FW member that day was No.8 FONUA, who plays the role of breaking through the opponent’s defensive network.

Tokai University’s scoring pattern this season is running rugby, in which the BK plays a central role and develops wide left and right to score points.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows.

Tokai University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Chihiro HOSHIDA	176cm	108kg	20
2	Kosuke SHIMOE	173cm	101kg	23
3	Kosuke SUGIURA	177cm	110kg	20
4	Yuga KAWASE	187cm	97kg	22
5	Noriyasu OHARA	178cm	95kg	21
6	Kaito MIYAMAE	175cm	92kg	20
7	Hikaru OMORI	180cm	96kg	22
8	Caston FONUA	185m	100kg	20
9	Towa TSUJI	174m	80kg	21
10	Mei URAMOTO	175cm	78kg	19
11	Yuta OKAMURA	176cm	85kg	22
12	Towa KONDO	180cm	90kg	22	Captain
13	Koki KITAMURA	172cm	80kg	21
14	Yamato HORITA	176cm	81kg	19
15	Conrad SEVENSTER	196cm	98kg	21

** Player to watch **

Conrad SEVENSTER. 196cm, 98kg, 21 years old. Position = FB. from South Africa. He is a big man of about 2m in height who stands out among the regular players of Tokai University this season, who have become a bit small in stature. His physique and atmosphere remind me of Australia’s Israel FORAU, who was considered the strongest FB in the world.

SEVENSTER has been a regular player for Tokai University since last season, and his speed and ability to break through have increased. As an example, the 50m dash data in the player’s directory has been reduced from 6.7 seconds last season to 6.1 seconds. Furthermore, the distance of touch kicks has increased dramatically. His physical growth has been remarkable, and we look forward to his future success. If he gains game experience at a higher level, he can be considered a gem of a player who can be expected to perform well on the international stage. He will be a key player in Tokai University’s scoring this season.

Next, I would like to introduce Toyo University Rugby Club.

In 2021, the team was promoted from the second division of the Kanto University Rugby League group to the first division for the first time in 22 years. And in 2023, in the first division of the league, they finished in third place and made their first appearance in the University Championship. 2024 season results were as follows,

September 7 ：vs. Daito Bunka University: 20-26 ●

September 15 ：vs Hosei University: 52-43 〇

October 6 ：vs Ryutsu Keizai University: 27-24　〇

In their first match, the team suffered a loss, but after two more wins, they faced the top-ranked Tokai University on the day of the match.

In order to qualify for the University Championship, they will need to grab a victory, even if it is against No. 1-ranked Tokai University. Toyo University’s play style is that each player puts his body on the line at key points and connects the ball, and the FW and BK attack as a team attracts spectators. One of their weaknesses is that they lose a little too many scores, and many games turn into point-scoring battles. With an eye on the University Championship, it is hoped that the team will develop its day defense as the season deepens.

This day’s starters were as follows.

Toyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Seita KASAMAKI	175cm	108kg	21	Captain
2	Shuto KOIZUMI	171cm	100kg	20
3	Makito ISHIKAWA	184cm	115kg	22
4	Matariki CHANNINGS	195cm	125kg	22
5	Juan OOSTHUYZEN	211cm	132kg	22
6	Shu UEDA	186cm	100kg	21
7	Miu Austin MORIYAMA	181cm	108kg	21
8	Daichi KURIHARA	192m	102kg	21
9	Asahi IKUTA	165m	72kg	18
10	Shinsuke AMO	174cm	83kg	21
11	Kodai SATO	172cm	82kg	21
12	Adam TAMATI	185cm	97kg	21
13	Shion ASAO	174cm	83kg	20
14	Yohei BOND	180cm	87kg	22
15	Kohaku SAKAMOTO	168cm	72kg	19

** Player to watch **

Shinsuke AMO. 174 cm, 83 kg, 21 years old. He is a graduate of Tokushima Prefectural Joto High School. He is the leader of Toyo University’s attack. He plays physical defense and quickly finds holes in the opponent’s defensive network and tries to break through on his own. When the SO receives the ball in attack, he moves the entire BK line away from the opposing defensive line and deploys it. Since this season, he has also taken on the role of placekicker, and his accuracy is improving with each game, making him the team’s leading scorer.

Following the singing of the school anthems of both schools, the game began.

9 minutes into the first half:

FB SEVENSTAR, the point getter for Tokai University, kicked conspicuously and kicked a touch kick deep into the enemy territory at once. This season, Tokai University has been challenging the game with their BK’s ability to develop. Among them, FB SEVENSTAR, with his height of 196 cm and weight of 98 kg, reminds me of Van Den Heaver, a former Japanese FB from South Africa. As Toyo University continued to attack in the enemy territory, FB SEVENSTAR caught the ball near the halfway line and counter-attacked from there, cutting through the opponent’s defensive network and scoring the first try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal, despite being tangled up with the opponent’s defense on the way.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Tokai University scored the first points to make the score 7-0.

19 minutes into the first half:

Toyo University was quick to follow up on attacks and made steady gains at the point of contact with the opposing defense. Toyo University got into the enemy territory, and after a penalty kick opportunity, they advanced just in front of the in-goal of the enemy. Here, Toyo University secured the ball in their own lineout, and from there they attacked in succession. Toyo University’s 211cm tall giant lock OOSTHUYZEN broke through the opponent’s defensive net, and from there, he connected with CTB TAMATI via an offload pass, and TAMATI scored a try in the left center of the enemy in-goal.

28th minutes into the first half:

Toyo University had a penalty kick opportunity after a foul by the opposing team in their own territory. After a lineout deep in enemy territory, Toyo University secured the ball, formed a maul, and advanced nearly 15 meters to score a try by hooker KOIZUMI in the middle right of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 7-14, Toyo University leading by 7 points.

39 minutes into the first half:

At this point in the half, Tokai University found it difficult to score as they were bounced back by the Toyo University defense just before the in-goal.

Toyo University then spent more and more time playing in the enemy territory, and in the midst of this, Toyo University’s FW got behind the enemy defense from a dense battle, and finally prop KASAMAKI, who followed up, scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The photo above shows Toyo University celebrating their try.

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

41 minutes into the first half:

Toward the end of the first half, Tokai University attacked deep into the enemy territory and made a series of attacks, mainly by BK players, to create a numerical advantage, and WTB HOTTA scored a try in the left center of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 14-21. Tokai University scored one more try at the end of the first half to give the visitors hope for a second half comeback.

After watching the match, I noticed that this season Tokai University is oriented toward developmental rugby mainly by the BKs. This was a bit surprising because Tokai University usually pushes with strong physicality, centering on foreign students. However, since they have won all their games so far, it is too early to say whether their team strength has declined this year or not.

Now, let’s start the second half.

10 minutes into the second half:

While Tokai University was unable to make gains in the attacking phase, Toyo University gained the upper hand in the contact phase and steadily made progress in the enemy territory. After a series of line breaks just before the enemy in-goal, No.8 KURIHARA finally scored a try by diving into the enemy in-goal and finishing just under the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-28.

With Toyo University scoring the first points of the second half, the game began to turn in Toyo University’s favor.

17 minutes into the second half:

Tokai University repeatedly entered the enemy’s territory and created chances, but repeated mistakes in the dense battle and kick handling prevented any play that would lead to a score. Toyo University began to dominate the ball more and more. Toyo University gradually moved forward with a series of attacks near the enemy 22m line, and finally hooker KOIZUMI scored a try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 14-33.

24 minutes into the second half:

Tokai University had a bad day in the FW game. They were outpushed in the scrums at set plays, and were also heavily outpaced by Toyo University in the maul attack in a tight battle.

However, Tokai University’s FWs showed their mettle at this time of the game. From the enemy 10-meter line, they formed a maul and advanced more than 10 meters at a stretch. The FWs attacked relentlessly on the flanks in a tight battle, and lock OOHARA scored a try in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal on the left.

After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 19-33.

Tokai University showed that they could also score in the FW game, changing their focus from a tactical strategy that focused solely on backs’ deployment. Then, would Tokai University be able to regain their footing from this point on?

30 minutes into the second half:

Tokai University came back to life through the spirited play of their FWs. After a series of penalties, Toyo University kicked the ball deep into their own territory, but FB SEVENSTAR counter-attacked, connecting with WTB and flanker, and finally FB SEVENSTAR re-received the ball and scored a try in the enemy’s in-goal. FB SEVENSTAR.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-33, and Tokai University was within 7 points.

The tide of the game turned in Tokai University’s favor toward the end of the game.

Tokai University attacked continuously in the enemy’s territory, but Toyo University, showing their determination to win, continued to prevent their opponents from making big gains. A fierce battle ensued between the two sides, and both props, CTB and SO were replaced by Toyo University.

46 minutes into the second half:

With less than one minute remaining, Tokai University drew an infringement from their opponents in a scrum, giving them a penalty kick opportunity. Here, Tokai University’s SO Uramoto kicked deep into the enemy territory, resulting in a own ball lineout just in front of the enemy’s in-goal. This was the last chance for Tokai University. Tokai University secured the ball from the lineout, and advanced with a maul. However, in the ensuing densely contested battle, Toyo University regained possession of the ball. From this point on, Toyo University dominated the ball, and in the end, Toyo University advanced and kicked the ball out to end the game.

For Toyo University, this was a big win for their bid for the University Championship, while Tokai University fell from the top of the standings with the loss of the day. However, it was a good match worth watching.

The final score was 33 points for Toyo University and 26 points for Tokai University, confirming Toyo University’s victory.

The Kanto University League will now enter the second half of the season, and the fierce competition will continue for the right to participate in the University Championship, which is awarded to the top three schools.

We hope to see more exciting matches like the one that took place this day.

 (Written by Azul: October 14, 2024)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

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

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

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

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

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

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

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

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

** Player to watch **

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 minutes into the first half:

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

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

8 minutes into the first half:

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

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

19 minutes into the first half:

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

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

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

30 minutes into the first half:

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

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

31 minutes into the first half:

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

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

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

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

Let the second half begin.

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

15 minutes into the second half:

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

19 minutes into the second half:

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

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

23 minutes into the second half:

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

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

26 minutes into the second half:

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

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

28 minutes into the second half:

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

29 minutes into the second half:

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

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

34 minutes into the second half:

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

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

37 minutes into the second half:

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

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

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

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: October 2, 2024)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let me introduce the opposing teams of the day.

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

Their record so far in the PNC is as follows.

August 23 vs Fiji 16-42 ●

August 30 vs Tonga 43-17〇

September 15 vs Japan 49-27●

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

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

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

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

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

Their record so far in the PNC is as follows.

September 1 vs Canada 28-15 〇

September 7 vs Japan 41-24 ●

September 14 vs Fiji 22-3 ●

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The match began.

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

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

The Eagles made a successful dash for the stat.

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

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

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

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

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

Second half:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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