(Written by Azul: September 14, 2024)
On September 7, 2024, Japan’s Test Match Series reached its seventh match. The results so far 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 | |
| 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 | Yokohama | |
| 11 | 11/9 | France | Paris | |
| 12 | 11/24 | England | London |
Japan has played 6 matches so far, winning 2 and losing 4 (the Maori All Blacks match was not a test match, but it was in fact a Japan match, so I was including it in the same category).
The Japanese national team is currently participating in the Pacific Nations Cup, aiming to win the championship. Here is a brief explanation of the Pacific Nations Cup.
The Pacific Nations Cup is a rugby tournament in which six countries from the Pacific Rim region participate. The following six countries are participating in this year’s tournament.
Group A: Fiji, Samoa, Tonga
Group B: Japan, USA, Canada
Each group will play a round-robin tournament to determine their ranking, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the final tournament.
The schedule for the final tournament is as follows
9/14:
*Semifinals 1 : Group A 1st place vs Group B 2nd place
*5, 6 Ranking game: Group A 3rd place vs Group B 3rd place
9/15:
Semifinals 2 : Group A 2nd place vs Group B 1st place
9/21:
*3rd place match: Loser of each semi-final
*Final: Winners of each semifinal match
This PNC Cup is expected to be a qualifier for RWC 2027 next season; Fiji and Japan have already qualified for RWC 2027, but the other teams will need to finish high in the PNC to qualify.
Let me introduce the two teams that will be competing on this day.
First, let me introduce the Visitor Team, the United States National Rugby Team, also known as the American Eagles.
American Eagles:
Ranked 19th in the world (as of September 10, 2024), the American Eagles have participated in 8 of the 10 RWC tournaments. In the RWC tournament, they have been eliminated in the group leagues and have never made it to the finals tounament. In North America, a professional rugby league has been established in recent years, and the number of players is expanding. In addition, the U.S. is the host country of the RWC 2031, and is making efforts to strengthen its players. The U.S. team has won 10 games, lost 13, and drawn one against Japan, with the U.S. team winning more games than Japan. However, in the last 10 matches, Japan leads with 7 wins and 3 losses.
In this year’s PNC, the U.S. team won its first match against Canada 28-15 on August 31. The winner of today’s match against Japan will finish first in their group and advance to the semi-finals.
This day’s starting lineup was as follows.
| American Eagles | |||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | USA Caps |
| 1 | Jack ISCARO | 185cm | 122kg | 27 | 8 |
| 2 | Kapeli PIFELETI | 183cm | 110kg | 25 | 12 |
| 3 | Alex MAUGHAN | 178cm | 122kg | 29 | 4 |
| 4 | Viliami HELU | 193cm | 107kg | 28 | 8 |
| 5 | Greg PETERSON | 206cm | 125kg | 33 | 45 |
| 6 | Paddy RYAN | 188cm | 111kg | 25 | 8 |
| 7 | Cory DANIEL | 188cm | 104kg | 28 | 4 |
| 8 | Jamason Fa’anana SCHULTZ | 188m | 122kg | 28 | 12 |
| 9 | Ruben de HAAS | 183m | 90kg | 25 | 31 |
| 10 | Luke CARTY | 183cm | 91kg | 26 | 19 |
| 11 | Nate AUGSPURGER | 173cm | 82kg | 34 | 44 |
| 12 | Tommaso BONI | 185cm | 103kg | 31 | 7 |
| 13 | Tavite LOPETI | 180cm | 91kg | 25 | 13 |
| 14 | Conner MOONEYHAM | 183cm | 93kg | 26 | 2 |
| 15 | Mitch WILSON | 175cm | 81kg | 24 | 9 |
** Player to watch **
Jamason Fa’anana SCHULTZ. 188 cm, 122 kg, 28 years old. Position = FL, No. 8. caps for USA = 12.Born and raised in Australia, he played for the Queensland REDS of Super Rugby and the Red Hurricanes of Japan, and is currently a regular for Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby in North America. He is currently a regular player for Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby in North America.
In the American Eagles, he is the nucleus of the FW attack and has a strong offensive and defensive presence. For the Japanese national team, this is the player to look out for when they are attacked deep in their own territory.
Next, I would like to introduce the Japanese National Team, Brave Blossoms, which is the Home Team.
Brave Blossoms
Ranked 14th in the world (as of September 10, 2024), they have participated in all 10 RWC tournaments. In its own RWC 2019, the Japanese national team reached the final tournament for the first time. At the most recent RWC 2023, the team did not advance to the finals after winning two games and losing two games in the qualifying pool.
Starting in the 2024 season, the team will be led by world-class coach Eddie Jones, and will be aiming for a top-four finish at RWC 2027.
The immediate task is to change the team from the old to the new and to expand the player base. In the inaugural season of the new team, the team will actively use young players to gain experience while also aiming to win as a national team.
This day’s starting lineup was as follows
| Brave Blossoms | |||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | Japan Caps |
| 1 | Shogo MIURA | 180cm | 108kg | 29 | 11 |
| 2 | Atsushi SAKATE | 180cm | 104kg | 31 | 45 |
| 3 | Keijiro TAMEFUSA | 180cm | 108kg | 22 | 4 |
| 4 | Sanaira WAQA | 202cm | 120kg | 29 | 6 |
| 5 | Warner DEARNS | 201m | 117kg | 22 | 15 |
| 6 | Tiennan COSTLEY | 192m | 102kg | 24 | 3 |
| 7 | Kanji SHIMOKAWA | 188cm | 105kg | 25 | 7 |
| 8 | Faulua MAKISI | 187cm | 112kg | 27 | 9 |
| 9 | Shinobu FUJIWARA | 171cm | 76kg | 25 | 3 |
| 10 | Seungsin LEE | 176cm | 86kg | 23 | 15 |
| 11 | Malo TUITAMA | 182cm | 91kg | 28 | 1 |
| 12 | Nicolas MCCURRAN | 188cm | 93kg | 28 | 1 |
| 13 | Dylan RILEY | 187cm | 102kg | 27 | 21 |
| 14 | Jone NAIKABULA | 177cm | 95kg | 30 | 12 |
| 15 | Takuya YAMASAWA | 176cm | 84kg | 29 | 7 |
** Player to watch **
Malo TUITAMA. 182 cm, 91 kg, 28 years old. Position = WTB. caps for Japan = 1.He is a native of Samoa, ranked No. 1 in the 2023-2024 League One try rankings, and was selected to start against Canada on August 25 after fulfilling Japan’s national team eligibility requirements in August, a long-awaited move by fans. He excels in decisiveness as a WTB and is always involved in the attack when there is a chance to score points, and does a decisive job. The Japanese national team is currently in a fierce competition with five players vying for the WTB position, and TUITAMA was immediately selected as a starter for two consecutive games after he decided to join the national team, which shows the high expectations of the leadership.
We look forward to seeing TUITAMA score a lot of tries in the upcoming test matches.
Now, let the match begin.
The match of the day was held at the Kumagaya Rugby Ground, the home ground of the Saitama Wild Knights. The attendance for the day was 10,677.
The stadium has a capacity of 15,000, and even though it was a national team game, the seats were a bit empty.
The attendance was a little sad because of the poor results of the test matches between June and August.
Now, let the games begin.
５ minutes into the first half:
Brave Blossoms started the match with a series of attacks from an early ball by SH FUJIWARA, and continued to play in the opponent’s territory. From the center of the enemy position, the ball was developed to the left side and passed to WTB TUITAMA, who ran down the left side and grounded it to the left center of the enemy’s in-goal for the first try. However, a VTR decision revealed that TUITAMA had run off his feet off the line midway through the game, and it was a no try.
The Brave Blossoms then continued to attack continuously in the enemy territory, gradually advancing. The Eagles were then fouled for offside in front of the goal post, 15 meters away. The Brave Blossoms opted to go for the PG, and SO LEE made steady progress to score the first points of the game.
The score was 3-0 and the Brave Blossoms took the lead.
15 minutes into the first half:
The Brave Blossoms had been consistent in their scrum and lineout set plays up until this time, and were successful in winning the ball in the tight battle. After a series of attacks, Brave Blossoms’ SO LEE gave up a short punt deep into the enemy territory, which CTB RILEY re-captured and passed to CTB MCCURRAN, who fo llowed up. He scored a try in the middle of the in-goal.
The try was a perfect example of the Brave Blossoms’ slogan for this year, “Super Fast Rugby”. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-0.
18 minutes into the first half:
The Eagles kicked off after the try, and the scrum was on their own ball, but the Brave Blossoms were fouled at the scrum.
The Eagles elected to go for the PG, which SO CARTY converted to make the score 10-3.
23 minutes into the first half:
Brave Blossoms kicked the ball deep into their own territory, and FB Yamasawa kicked it back to the back right corner. The Eagles then won the ball in their own lineout from deep on their own left flank. However, SO CARTY made a knock-on on a pass from SH HAAS, resulting in a Brave Blossoms scrum just in front of the in-goal. Despite it being a night game, the hot and humid weather with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius seemed to have a negative effect on the handling of the ball.
From this position, the Brave Blossoms relentlessly attacked on the flanks with their FWs and went for the try by force. As they reached the enemy goal posts, LO WAQA dived through the opposing day defense and scored a try at the side of the goal posts.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 17-3, giving the Brave Blossoms a 14-point lead.
30 minutes into the first half:
Brave Blossoms committed an infringement in their own half, giving the Eagles a chance to attack inside their own 22m line, where the Eagles, a physical and confident team, persisted in a flank attack by their flanks. The Brave Blossoms were forced to commit an infringement, and the Eagles came in looking for a try instead of a PG. The Eagles had a chance to take the ball out of their own line inside the enemy 22m line, and from there, they formed a maul, shifted to the right, and rushed into the enemy in-goal.
No.8 SCHULTZ scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was difficult to score in the right corner, but SO CARTY of the Eagles succeeded brilliantly to make the score 17-10.
38th minute of the first half:
The Brave Blossoms showed their team focus in the final minutes of the first half as they launched a series of attacks in the enemy territory in the final minutes of the first half, a time of increasing fatigue. In the continuous attack, each player of Brave Blossoms gradually made progress and approached the enemy’s in-goal. In the narrow area where the sideline was close, with skillful passing, substitute hooker HARADA scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.
After the try, SO LEE scored the conversion goal from a difficult position in the right corner. Here, the first half ended with the score 24-10, Brave Blossoms leading by 14 points.
Here, it was halftime.
The first, middle, and no score were ideal for Brave Blossoms in the first half, but Eagles also scored more points when they got into the enemy’s territory, so we can expect another heated game in the second half.
Let’s get the second half underway.
５ minutes into the second half:
The Brave Blossoms were deep in their own territory, and under pressure from their opponents, they deployed to the right. CTB RILEY received a pass, and after crossing their own 22-meter line, he flew past the opposing defenders one after another with his fast feet, and scored a solo try about 80 meters out. He replicated the Big Gain he had shown in the previous match against Italy.
Once RILEY creates space in front of the ball, he is becoming a monster player who cannot be stopped by anyone.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-10.
11 minutes into the second half:
The Eagles took the momentum in this period, and once they got into the enemy territory, they continued to push forward with a series of flank attacks by their FWs.
The Eagles were able to secure possession of the ball from a lineout deep in enemy territory on the left flank, and from there they were able to be physical and score a try. The Brave Blossoms did well to hold off the attackers, and a tight battle ensued. However, the Eagles were able to move to the left and WTB AUGSPURGER came around and ran in for a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-17.
18 minutes into the second half:
In a scrum in the centre of the ground, Japan committed a collapsing infringement. Here, the Eagles opted for a penalty kick, and SO HAAS kicked an exquisite touch kick, and the Eagles quickly closed in on the opposition in-goal. Brave Blossoms defended hard to prevent the try, but from near the goal post, Eagles substitute SH SMITH moved to the left, and WTB AUGSPURGER went around the outside and scored his second try of the day.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-24, and the Eagles were finally within 7 points. At this point, the game was turning in the Eagles’ favor.
22 minutes into the second half:
From the restart kickoff after the try, the Brave Blossoms attacked in succession, making steady progress and advancing to the 22-meter line. Here, the Eagles committed an infringement and the Brave Blossoms elected to go for the PG. Since the Eagles were now trailing by 7 points, it seemed that the Brave Blossoms intended to use the PG to steadily add points to their lead and make sure that they would not be caught up in a one-chance game. Brave Blossoms’ SO LEE made a steady kick and the score was 34-24, a 10-point lead for Brave Blossoms.
This score brought a sense of calmness to the entire Brave Blossoms team.
26 minutes into the second half:
Brave Blossoms won a scrum in the center of the field, forcing their opponents into an infringement, from which they pushed deep into the enemy territory with a PK. From there, the Brave Blossoms took the ball out of their own lineout, and SO TATEKAWA, a substitute, brilliantly broke through the enemy’s defensive net. The ball was then passed from CTB RILEY to WTB TUITAMA, who grounded it just under the goal posts for a try.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 41-24, giving the Brave Blossoms a 17-point lead over the Eagles and deciding the game.
The Brave Blossoms went on to win the match and their second straight test match victory.
The Eagles, however, were also able to close the gap to seven points in the final 20 minutes to put the Brave Blossoms on their heels.
The semifinals to follow will be played in the following combinations
9/14: Fiji (Group A, 1st place) vs USA (Group B, 2nd place)
9/15: Japan (Group B 1st) vs Samoa (Group A 2nd)
In this PNC, the teams in Group A are stronger in terms of world ranking, so there is a strong possibility that the Japanese team will lose in the semi-finals. As a fan of the Japanese team, I hope that the semifinals will be a match of equal strength.
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Stop the war.
Peace to Ukraine
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