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Daito Bunka University vs Hosei University

(Written by AZUL: December 7, 2024)

The Kanto University Rugby League Group has finally reached its 7th and final match. In the 6th round, the top four teams all lost their matches, which was a big upset, and the top positions changed drastically. As of the end of Section 6, the league group standings are as follows. The top five schools had a chance to win the championship.

	Kanto University Rugby League Group Order 2024
order	team	Win	Even	Lose	Winning Point
1	Ryutsu Keizai	4	0	2	26
1	Daito Bunka	4	1	1	26
3	Toyo	4	0	2	24
3	Tokai	3	1	2	24
3	Hosei	4	0	2	24
6	Nihon	2	0	4	16
6	Rissho	2	0	4	16
8	Kanto Gakuin	0	0	5	2

Daito Bunka University and Hosei University played each other on this day, and in the last four years, Hosei University has had the upper hand in the matchups, winning 3 and Daito Bunka University winning 1. Both schools were cheering enthusiastically for their team to win the league group championship and participate in the University Championships, which was at stake in this match. Hosei University’s cheering group was noticeable from the right end of the back stand where I was sitting.

Here are the two schools that will be playing against each other on this day.

First, an update on Hosei University, currently in third place.

Hosei University was in its final match, and KIM, the team’s captain and SO, who has been the team’s commanding force, was unable to play in this match due to injury. Therefore, sophomore SUZUKI was chosen as the substitute SO. Suzuki is a regular player who has been playing in official matches since he was a freshman, so he was expected to be able to play as a substitute. The rest of the team members were unchanged from the previous game. WTB KOBAYASHI will be the game captain for this match.

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

Hosei University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Fuminari MORIYASU	172cm	107kg	19
2	Yuta HANAZAWA	175cm	108kg	19
3	Meishi WATANABE	171cm	106kg	22
4	Kota YAMAUCHI	189cm	100kg	20
5	Kanta HOSOKAWA	185cm	103kg	20
6	Kuu OSAWA	172cm	90kg	19
7	Kanta MIURA	184cm	78kg	20
8	Kohki MIYASHITA	187cm	110kg	20	U18,U20Japan
9	Yugo OYAMADA	170cm	70kg	21	U18 Japan
10	Sota SUZUKI	173cm	82kg	20
11	Masaharu KOBAYASHI	173cm	81kg	21
12	Taisei TANAKA	176cm	91kg	21
13	Shun NAKAI	172cm	84kg	22
14	Yuzuto SUMIKAMA	174cm	99kg	19
15	Takuru KITAGAWA	170cm	78kg	21

** Player to watch **

Yugo OYAMADA. 170 cm, 70 kg, 21 years old. His father, Atushi OYAMADA, played for Toshiba Fuchu and played CTB for Japan. He is also an aggressive player who can find open space in the opposition’s ranks and use run play to try to break through. Will he be able to lead his alma mater to the university championship in the 100th anniversary year of the Hosei University Rugby Club?

Next up is the Daito Bunka University Rugby Club, which stands at the top of the Kanto University Rugby League group this season.

Daito Bunka University Rugby Club was founded in 1963. In the past, the team has won the Kanto University Rugby League group 9 times and the National University Rugby Championship 3 times. If they win the league championship this season, it will be their first in seven years, since 2017. The school’s rugby team has deep ties with the Kingdom of Tonga, and several international students have joined the rugby team every year. Many of these players have been selected for the Japanese national rugby team and are remembered by Japanese rugby fans.

This season’s team also has Tongan players playing an active role at the heart of the team. The international players have been playing the role of breaking through the opposing defensive network, and following them, they have been connecting and scoring points with both WTBs who are very decisive.

One of their weaknesses is that they concede a lot of points even in winning games, so they need to stabilize their set plays and reduce the number of penalties in order to win the University Championship in the future.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Daitou Bunka University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Matsuri ODAGIRI	174cm	107kg	20
2	Shura SAGA	169cm	97kg	21
3	Lisala FINAU	189cm	120kg	22
4	Genta ITABASHI	178cm	99kg	22
5	Yuzuki SASAKI	188cm	105kg	22	Junior Japan,U20 Japan
6	Koji MINOHORA	173cm	90kg	22
7	Kou NOBUHARA	177cm	94kg	20
8	Yoshinobu OTAKE	181m	93kg	20
9	Shoei ADACHI	170m	73kg	21
10	Mahito FUKUI	171cm	82kg	21
11	Iori OKATA	166cm	64kg	19
12	Haniteli VAILEA	180cm	100kg	22
13	Sota HASHIMOTO	177cm	90kg	21
14	Towa KANDA	170cm	82kg	22
15	Tavake OTO	182cm	97kg	20

** Player to watch **

Haniteli VAILEA. 180 cm, 100 kg, 22 years old. Born in the Kingdom of Tonga, graduated from Aomori Yamada High School. In this season’s team, he plays a breakthrough role in the BK and is also a placekicker. In games, he not only uses his strong physical ability to break through, but also shows his cleverness in knowing who to follow and being a good link between the players.

This season, Daito Bunka University has a back-3 of fast, decisive players, so VAILEA should be able to make the most of its strengths. I expect Daito Bunka University to make a great leap forward in the University Championship.

Let’s begin the first half.

10 minutes into the first half:

Daito Bunka University, with its FWs at the center, moves forward with power, while Hosei University, with its BKs at the center, runs and connects with its opponents. The two teams had completely different styles of play. After kicking each other, Hosei University tried to counter-attack with their BK, but Daito Bunka University’s defense held firm and they were unable to make much headway. Looking at Daito Bunka University’s previous games, it seemed that they had studied their defense quite a bit in preparation for this match, as they had lost a lot of points.

Daito Bunka University then chose to take a penalty kick after an infringement by their opponents, resulting in a own ball lineout in front of the enemy in-goal. Daito Bunka University secured the ball, and after a maul, they moved forward and scored a try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Daito Bunka University succeeded in scoring the first point, making the score 7-0.

15 minutes into the first half:

Hosei University chose to go for the PG when their opponents committed an infringement near the halfway line. The PG was a difficult one, as it was 50 meters long.

Hosei’s CTB TANAKA scored to make the score 7-3.

The Hosei University supporters cheered loudly for Hosei University’s score.

17 minutes into the first half:

Daito Bunka University secured the ball in their own lineout from their own line and expanded to the right. Daito Bunka University’s CTB VAILEA received the ball here, dodged the opposing day defense, and made a big advance deep into enemy territory. Here, VAILEA was caught by the opposing defense, but he connected with No. 8 OTAKE via an offload pass, and OTAKE scored a try to the left side of the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal.

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

20 minutes into the first half:

After the try, Hosei University took the restart kickoff, secured the ball in the enemy territory, and with the FW and BK working in unison, they attacked left and right and advanced to the enemy 22m line.

However, Daito Bunka University lost the ball in front of the enemy in-goal. Daito Bunka University counter-attacked from this position, and the FWs attacked deep into the enemy territory, and CTB BAILEA followed up on the pass and scored a try right under the enemy goal posts.

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

The photo above shows the screams of Daito Bunka University’s passionate supporters.

From the restart kickoff, Hosei University pushed forward to the enemy’s in-goal, but Daito Bunka University’s defense made them hesitate in their attack, and they missed the chance.

4 minutes into the first half:

Daito Bunka University’s WTB OKATA caught Hosei University’s SO SUZUKI’s kick from his own line at the 22m line, but his foot stepped on the line, resulting in a lineout for Hosei University.

From this position, Hosei University launched a series of attacks, but Daito Bunka University’s stout defense prevented them from advancing. However, Hosei University moved to the left, and with skillful passing, passed the ball to WTB KOBAYASHI, who was positioned on the outside, and KOBAYASHI scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal. This was the first try of the match for Hosei University.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 21-10.

The first half ended with the score at 21-10.

In the first half, Daito Bunka University’s solid defense was outstanding as they almost completely stopped Hosei University’s counter attacks.

For Hosei University, the score was a direct result of repeated line breaks by Daito Bunka University’s leading scorer, CTB Vailea, which led to the score.

Can Hosei University overcome their first half mistakes and close the gap?

Let’s get the second half underway.

10 minutes into the second half:

Hosei University was unable to match Daito Bunka University’s strong in-goal defense in attack in the first half. However, Hosei University’s FWs made strong contact, connected the ball, kept moving forward, and found a rhythm of continuous attacks. Hosei University came close to the enemy’s in-goal several times and even created a try chance, but failed to score a try. However, Hosei University got a PG opportunity deep in enemy territory after a foul on their opponents, and CTB TANAKA converted it to make the score 21-13.

12 minutes into the second half:

Daito Bunka University caught the ball from a PG restart and launched an attack. Again, the ball was passed to CTB VAILEA, the key man in Daito Bunka University’s attack, who bounced off the opponent’s defense and quickly approached the enemy’s in-goal. Hosei University stopped VAILEA just before the in-goal, but VAILEA connected with No.8 OTAKE via an off-load pass, and OTAKE scored a try in the left center of the in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 26-13.

As Daito Bunka University spent more time on the attack, they gradually added to their tally. First, in the 16 minutes into the second half, a driving maul in front of the in-goal resulted in a try. The scorer was hooker SAGA, and the conversion goal was successful. The score was 33-13.

21 minutes into the second half:

Hosei University was penalized for a dangerous tackle, and FB KITAGAWA was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes.

Daito Bunka University gained a numerical advantage and used a series of aggressive attacks to their advantage, and WTB OKATA scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 38-13.

25 minutes into the second half:

From the kickoff after the try, Hosei University took possession of the ball in the enemy territory and launched a series of attacks, but the teams did not communicate well with each other, and there were two occasions when no one received a pass. Daito Bunka University’s WTB OKATA did not let this go. After a mistake by Hosei University, Daito Bunka University’s WTB OKATA picked up the ball that had rolled into their own territory and ran 80 meters to score a try in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 45-13, Daito Bunka University’s 32-point lead, and considering the time remaining, Daito Bunka University’s victory was almost assured in this match.

Hosei University suffered a great deal of mental damage as they attacked right up to the enemy in-goal, where a mistake cost them a try.

29 minutes into the second half:

Hosei University started a counterattack from the restart kickoff with 11 minutes remaining. Hosei University attacked in good rhythm, with each player moving forward at key points to close in on the enemy in-goal, and finally WTB KOBAYASHI scored a try right in the middle of the in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 45-20.

36 minutes into the second half:

With only a few minutes remaining, Hosei University broke the line on a run play from their own line and moved deep into the enemy territory. With the enemy in-goal closing in, they went on a series of attacks, but were unable to break through Daito Bunka University’s defensive network because of their monotonous attacks. However, Hosei University continued to attack tenaciously, and Lock HOSOKAWA scored a try in the left center of the in-goal.

The score was 45-25, despite a failed conversion attempt.

38 minutes into the second half:

Hosei University, hoping to get as many points back as possible, kicked off from the restart after the try and tried to break through, even from deep in their own territory. Hosei’s attack was not interrupted, and the ball flowed smoothly, with Hosei’s FB KITAGAWA running along the left line deep in the enemy territory and kicking a grounder punt toward the in-goal. Hosei University’s WTB KOBAYASHI, with his quick feet, followed up and scored a try right under the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 45-32.

The time remaining was running out, but Hosei University’s explosive attack continued. On the return from the kickoff, the FW and BK worked in unison to push forward and close in on the enemy in-goal, creating a try opportunity right in front of the goal posts.

However, the final pass of the try chance was ruled as a throw forward, and the scoring opportunity was missed.

Hosei University tried to fight back, but time ran out, and Daito Bunka University won the Kanto University Rugby League group championship for the first time in seven seasons.

Many Daito Bunka University supporters could be seen in the stands cheering on their team.

Hosei University was also down by a large margin of points at one point, but they made a spectacular game by catching up at the end of the game.

The final score was 45-32. As a result of this match, Daito Bunka University won the Kanto University Rugby League group championship for the first time in seven seasons, and will participate in the National University Rugby Championship Tournament.

Hosei University, on the other hand, finished 5th in the league standings, cutting off their path to the University Championship.

Both schools gave their all in this match, and we commend Hosei University for their good effort and wish Daito Bunka University the best of luck in the University Championship Tournament.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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Tokai University vs Hosei University

(Written by AZUL: November 27, 2024)

There are only two rounds left in the Kanto University Rugby League. The standings at the end of the 5th round were as follows.

	Kanto University Rugby League Group Order 2024
order	team	Win	Even	Lose	Winning Point
1	Daito Bunka	4	1	0	25
2	Toyo	4	0	2	22
2	Tokai	3	1	1	22
4	Ryutsu Keizai	3	0	2	19
5	Hosei	3	0	2	17
6	Nihon	1	0	4	6
6	Rissho	1	0	4	6
8	Kanto Gakuin	0	0	5	1

At the top of the table, there is only a small difference in points, and with two games remaining, the top 5 teams have a chance to win the championship. In addition, since only the top 3 teams can participate in the University Championship, the competition for the right to participate is also fierce. In addition, the 4th-placed team or below may be sent to the second division league if they lose again. Therefore, both Tokai University and Hosei University were determined not to lose the match on this day.

The venue for the match that day was the Edogawa-ku Athletic Field in Tokyo. The game started at 11:30 a.m., and the temperature was 18 degrees Celsius, making it a perfect day to watch the game.

The number of spectators on the day was 899, which was small compared to the previous week’s match between Teikyo University and Waseda University. We hope that the Kanto University Rugby League group matches will be a little more exciting. For this to happen, the top schools in the league group need to win the University Championship.

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

First, an update on Tokai University, the reigning champions of the league for six straight years.

Tokai University, the absolute champion until last season, is now in second place with 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. In previous years, the team has dominated the league matches with their physicality, but this season, they have not been as strong as they could have been. The team is trying to compensate for its lack of physicality with its ability to expand, especially in the BK, but they are not meshing as a team. Will Tokai University be able to win the Kanto University Rugby League group championship for the seventh straight year?

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

Tokai University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Ryusei KOYANAGI	178cm	106kg	20
2	Kosuke SHIMOE	173cm	101kg	23
3	Kosuke SUGIURA	177cm	110kg	20
4	Yuga KAWASE	187cm	97kg	22
5	Ikuta IMAI	178cm	97kg	21
6	Shuki USUDA	180cm	98kg	21
7	Yushin SHIOTSUKI	172cm	93kg	20	Captain
8	Hikaru OHMORI	180m	96kg	22
9	Tentaro IKAWA	165m	74kg	21
10	Taishin OKUDA	174cm	88kg	21
11	Yuta OKAMURA	176cm	85kg	22
12	Towa KONDO	180cm	90kg	22	Captain
13	Koki KITAMURA	172cm	80kg	21
14	Yuma NAKAGAWA	169cm	76kg	22
15	Conrad SEVENSTER	196cm	98kg	21

** Player to watch **

Towa KONDO. 180 cm, 90 kg, 22 years old. He is a graduate of Tokai University Auxiliary Gyosei High School. His senior year in high school, he was the captain of his team in the quarterfinals of the National Tournament, and his fierce 18-minute loss against Higashi Fukuoka High School will remain in the memories of many rugby fans. This season, he is not only a strong breakthrough player who makes use of his strong physicality, but also a game-maker as a commanding presence in the team. He is aiming for Tokai University’s seventh consecutive victory in the Kanto University Rugby League group, as well as a long-sought first victory in the National University Rugby Championship.

Next, I would like to introduce the Hosei University Rugby Club.

Founded in 1924, Hosei University Rugby Club is one of the pioneer teams of Kanto University Rugby. The team has won the Kanto University Rugby League group 13 times, the most in its history, and the National University Rugby Championship 3 times. In recent years, the team has fallen behind other universities and has not won a championship for a long time, but their traditional style of rugby, in which the FW and BK play as a unit using the entire ground, still fascinates the audience. One of their weaknesses this season is that they are not good against teams that are physical and push hard. However, all of the teams in the top tier and in the University Championships are strong and physical, so the question for the future is whether Hosei University can maintain its style of play against such opponents.

The starters for the day are as follows.

Hosei University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Fuminari MORIYASU	172cm	107kg	19
2	Yuta HANAZAWA	175cm	108kg	19
3	Meishi WATANABE	171cm	106kg	22
4	Kota YAMAUCHI	189cm	100kg	20
5	Kanta HOSOKAWA	185cm	103kg	20
6	Kuu OSAWA	172cm	90kg	19
7	Kanta MIURA	184cm	78kg	20
8	Kohki MIYASHITA	187cm	110kg	20	U18,U20Japan
9	Yugo OYAMADA	170cm	70kg	21	U18 Japan
10	You KIM	175cm	85kg	22
11	Masaharu KOBAYASHI	173cm	81kg	21
12	Taisei TANAKA	176cm	91kg	21
13	Shun NAKAI	172cm	84kg	22
14	Yuzuto SUMIKAMA	174cm	99kg	19
15	Takuru KITAGAWA	170cm	78kg	21

** Player to watch **

Yuzuto SUMIKAMA. 174 cm, 99 kg, 19 years old. He is a graduate of Houtoku Gakuen High School. In high school, he was the main CTB of Houtoku Gakuen High School, which won the Spring National Rugby Championship, the National 7-man Rugby Championship, and the National Tournament runner-up title. After entering Hosei University, he has participated in official matches since his freshman year, and this season, his sophomore year, he is a regular WTB. With his imposing physique, he has the look and feel of a FW, but his ability to break through is the main reason for his success as a scorer for Hosei University. He is a very prominent player when given the ball in his hands, and how much of the ball is passed to him will be the barometer of Hosei University’s offensive success.

Let the match begin.

９ minutes into the first half:

Looking at the start of both teams, Tokai University was stable in the set plays of scrums and lineouts. In contrast, Hosei University was clearly superior to their opponents in attacking after winning the ball, especially in their ability to develop.

In such an early flow of the game, it was Hosei University

After securing the ball, they made a wide left-right move, moved deep into the enemy territory, and with some excellent passing, got past the opposing defense to score a try by WTB SUMIKAMA in the right corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but Hosei University succeeded in scoring the first point.

The score was 0-5.

24 minutes into the first half:

Tokai University had twice gone close to the enemy’s in-goal, but failed to score. The team’s inability to score goals at the right time has been a reason for their poor performance this season.

Also, when it came to kicking battles in the BK, Tokai University was unable to gain an advantage, and their offensive moves gradually became fewer and fewer.

This season, Tokai University has been trying to develop and attack, but in such cases, Hosei University’s defense and attack were superior, and there were many scenes where the ball was taken away from them. When Hosei University took the ball away from the opposing team, they deployed brilliantly from their own line and gained a lot of ground, coming close to the in-goal on the left side of the enemy line. From a tight battle at this point, Hosei’s lock MIYAKAWA broke away and, despite being tackled, scored a try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-0.

32 minutes into the first half:

On this day, Hosei University had the upper hand in the dense battle and counter-attacks after kicks, but they could not secure their own ball lineout at all in the set play. Even when Hosei University won a penalty kick for a foul by their opponents and kicked deep into the enemy territory, they lost the ball at every own-ball lineout. It was as if Hosei University was reading the lineout and where to throw. Then, Tokai University took the ball out of Hosei University’s lineout and advanced at once, closing in on the enemy’s in-goal and scoring a try by No.8 OOMORI right under the goal post.

Tokai University also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, making the score 12-7.

36 minutes into the first half:

Tokai University seemed to have caught on to the flow of the game with their earlier score, and after gaining ground through successive attacks, they moved right into the enemy territory, where WTB OKAMURA scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

Tokai University missed the conversion goal after the try, but the score was tied 12-12.

43 minutes into the first half:

Hosei University had a chance to score a PG at the end of the game after an infringement by their opponents just past the 10-meter line. Hosei’s SO KIM scored it, and the first half ended with the score 12-15.

At the end of the first half, for Tokai University, the challenge was to reduce the number of infringements after attacking into the enemy territory, and for Hosei University, the challenge was to steadily secure their own ball lineout.

How far can both teams go to correct their issues for the second half?

Let’s kick off the second half.

2 minutes into the second half:

In the second half, it was Tokai University who first took control of the game. After catching Hosei University’s kickoff, the FW and BK teams worked together to gain ground and move deep into enemy territory, closing in on the enemy in-goal, and finally prop Sugiura broke the line and scored a try right under the goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-15, and Tokai University succeeded in turning the score around.

10 minutes into the second half:

In the second half, Hosei University’s own ball lineout became more stable. This allowed them to make steady progress in their position. Hosei University moved deep into the enemy territory, and after a right-to-left move, they had an extra man on the field, and WTB KOBAYASHI scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal.

Hosei University scored the conversion goal after the try to make the score 19-22.

22 minutes into the second half:

With the game slightly stalemated, Hosei University attempted a PG on a foul by their opponents in front of the enemy 10-meter line, but failed.

23 minutes of the second half:

Both teams exchanged kicks, and Hosei’s SO KIM attempted a DG from near the halfway line, but failed.

The game remained close with Hosei University leading by 3 points. Both teams recovered from their first-half mistakes and showed each other what they had, making it a match worth watching.

36 minutes into the second half:

Tokai University went on the offensive, controlling the ball deep in enemy territory and continuing to push forward toward the in-goal. Here, Hosei’s FL MIURA intercepted a Tokai University pass deep in their own territory and ran nearly 80 meters to score a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal was also successful, making the score 29-19 in favor of Hosei University.

41 minutes into the second half:

Hosei University had a chance to score a PG deep in the enemy territory after a foul by their opponents. Hosei’s SO Kim attempted a PG for the final score, but missed.

With time running out, Tokai University tried their best to connect the ball, but the game was over.

Tokai University suffered a humiliating second loss, and their bid for back-to-back championships was over. Hosei University, on the other hand, had a chance to qualify for the University Championships on their own with a win in the final game.

The sixth and final match of the season was a heartbreaker for both teams, as they both had a chance to qualify for the championship. The final match will be held on November 24 at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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 (Written by Azul: November 15, 2024)

This time, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo to watch the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group match between Teikyo University and Waseda University.

The weather was fine and the temperature was 20 degrees Celsius, making it a perfect day to watch the game.

This season’s Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group League started in early September, and so far three teams, Teikyo University, Meiji University, and Waseda University, have all won and are competing for the championship. With the second half of the season now upon us, the top-ranked schools will now begin to face each other directly, and rugby fans can look forward to a series of exciting matches.

In the first match of the day, Meiji University vs. University of Tsukuba was played, kicking off at 11:30.

The result of the match was 31-0 in favor of Meiji University, defending their unanimous victory.

Next, the second match kicked off at 14:00.

Here is the latest information on both schools going into the second match.

First, let me introduce the Defending Champion, Teikyo University Rugby Club.

Last season, the team won the University Championship for three years in a row, but the most senior students have graduated and the team has become a new team. The results of the competitions so far this season were as follows.

September 7: 　vs Japan University of Health and Sport Science 67-6  〇

September 22: 　vs Aoyama Gakuin University 40-5　〇

Sept. 29: 　vs Rikkyo University 85-7　〇

Oct. 20: 　vs Keio University 57-19　〇

Teikyo University has had some close wins against lower ranked teams from last season. Teikyo University, last season’s university champion, has many U-18 Japan players joining the team this season. If they continue to gain experience in the game, the new players this season will grow steadily, but if we look for weaknesses, there are few players among the regular members who have won last season’s championship, so it remains to be seen whether they can show the same strength as last season in a matchup against a higher-ranked school.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Teikyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hanjiro HIRAI	174cm	94kg	21
2	Ren TOMA	174cm	95kg	22
3	Taro UESUGI	176cm	113kg	21
4	Jo KURAMORI	180cm	102kg	21
5	Takuma MOTOHASHI	194cm	116kg	22	JapanXV,Japan
6	Keito AOKI	187cm	106kg	22	Japan XV
7	Eugene GUAINI	177cm	89kg	22
8	Kaisa DAUNAKAMAKAMA	182cm	120kg	21	U-18 Japan
9	Kumsu LEE	174cm	80kg	22
10	Takaya MOTOHASHI	182cm	86kg	20	U-20 Japan,JapanXV,Japan
11	Kanta MORI	176cm	89kg	21
12	Taichi KUGINO	178cm	89kg	22
13	Yamato UEDA	180cm	84kg	19	U-18,U-20 Japan,JapanXV
14	Genki IKUTA	169cm	83kg	21
15	Ryunosuke AOYAGI	176cm	82kg	20	U-18 Japan

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Takaya Motohashi is 20 years old, 182 cm, 86 kg. A graduate of Kyoto Seisho High School, he is the younger brother of Takuma Motohashi, a regular lock for Teikyo University’s three consecutive university championships. He played mainly at CTB for U20 Japan this summer. He is the leading BK player of his generation, but has only become a regular starter this season, so he is expected to show his ability as the season deepens. Teikyo University’s fourth straight University Championship title this season will depend on the twin shoulders of MOTOHASHI, the commanding leader of the team.

And now, an update on the Waseda University Rugby Club, the right wing of Teikyo University’s team to beat.

Waseda University’s official results so far this season were as follows.

September 14: 　vs Rikkyo University 57-6 　〇

September 22: 　vs Japan University of Health and Sport Science 83-0　〇

October 12: 　vs Aoyama Gakuin University 67-0 　〇

Since forming their new teams for this season, both Teikyo University and Waseda University have played each other twice in open matches.

June 16: 7-60 (Teikyo University won)

August 18: 38-14 (Waseda University won)

With a record of 1 win and 1 loss, both teams have been making adjustments to focus on a direct confrontation in an official match.

This day’s starters were as follows.

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Airou SUGIMOTO	176cm	107kg	21	U19 Japan
2	Kenji SATO	177cm	107kg	21	Japan XV,Japan
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	116kg	22
4	Takeomi NISHIURA	184cm	94kg	22
5	Bunsuke KURITA	184cm	105kg	20	U20Japan
6	Osuke SHIRO	185cm	99kg	18	U18 Japan
7	Yusei TANAKA	166cm	87kg	21
8	Fuuta SUZUKI	183m	99kg	23
9	Sena HOSOYA	162m	64kg	21
10	Ryota HATTORI	178cm	80kg	18	U18 Japan
11	Haruto IKEMOTO	183cm	90kg	20
12	Kengo NONAKA	180cm	93kg	21	U20,U21Japan,Junior Japan
13	Shuhou FUKUSHIMA	183cm	95kg	21	U18 Japan
14	Kenzou TANAKA	172cm	76kg	19
15	Yoshitaka YAZAKI	180cm	86kg	20	U18,U20 Japan,JapanXV,Japan

** Player to watch **

(Ryota HATTORI is the player in the black-and-red striped jersey in the photo above.)

Ryota HATTORI is 178cm, 80kg, 18 years old. He is a graduate of Saga Technical High School and a member of the U18 Japan national team. As an 18-year-old first-year student, he has won a commanding position at Waseda University, where BK players from all over the country gather to compete for the top spot in the high school rugger world. In high school, he won a national championship in 7-man rugby, and his running ability and ability to find space are regarded as the best of his generation. In high school, he played FB, but was converted to SO by Waseda University’s rugby team coach, Otao, who noticed his exceptional kicking ability. Although he has little experience as an SO, he has made a big impact on the team’s tactics with his kicking ability. He is a player that we can expect no end to how far he will develop his abilities as the season deepens.

Before the game began, both teams sang their school anthems, and the fans of both teams were excited for this traditional match and the big game that will determine who will win the championship this season.

The crowd of 12,383 on the day was the largest of the season’s rivalry matches.

Teikyo University, as usual, went on the offensive from the very beginning of the game. However, in the early stages, Waseda University went toe-to-toe with Teikyo University, last season’s university champion, in set plays, dense battles, and development attacks. Last season, Waseda University was crushed by Teikyo University in both set plays and dense battles, so Waseda fans’ expectations for victory must have been heightened by Waseda University’s well-rounded performance this season.

13 minutes into the first half:

The　SO HATTORI, one of Waseda University’s new players of the season, kicked a touch kick from his own penalty kick that went close to the opponent’s in-goal, which made the fans filling Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium roar.

Waseda University secured the ball in their own lineout, and their FW players rushed through the maul and the dense side of the ruck to score a try, but Teikyo University’s defense in front of the in-goal was very strong, and a try was hard to come by. From this point on, Waseda University swung left and right to score with their BK. From a tight pack, SO HATTORI sent a long pass to the right, and WTB TANAKA, who ran to the left edge, scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 0-5, with Waseda University scoring first.

TANAKA, who scored the try, is one of Waseda University’s promising new players this season.

19 minutes into the first half:

From the restart after the try, both teams exchanged long kicks. However, Waseda’s SO HATTORI kicked from deep in his own half, which went out beyond the enemy 22m line. At this point, the 50-22 rule was applied, and the lineout became Waseda University’s ball. Here, Waseda University made a series of attacks in the enemy territory. Teikyo University then committed a knock-on infringement, resulting in a scrum that was Waseda’s own ball. For Teikyo University, it was a humiliating scrum push loss. Last season, Teikyo University had never lost a scrum to Waseda University, so the shock must have been great for Teikyo University. After that, Waseda University secured the ball, and made the best use of attacking from both sides, and finally, WTB Tanaka, who received the ball from FB YAZAKI, ran through on the right side and scored the second try of the day. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 0-12.

21 minutes into the first half:

Again, from the restart kickoff by Teikyo University, Waseda University deployed the ball in their own territory, and SO HATTORI kicked a long kick which was stopped in front of the enemy in-goal, The ball was passed from hooker SATOH to WTB TANAKA, and TANAKA scored his third try of the day. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 0-19.

Teikyo University suffered an unprecedented series of losses, and each player’s face showed signs of impatience.

27 minutes into the first half:

After a long period of Waseda’s attacking time, Teikyo University finally got a chance to attack in the enemy territory from the restart kick-off. Teikyo University’s FWs had been dominant in the contact phase of the game so far, so they connected short passes and their break-through FWs piled up the gains to close in on the enemy’s in-goal. Waseda University committed an infringement in their own half, and Teikyo University opted for a penalty kick and gained their own ball lineout just in front of the enemy in-goal. Teikyo University made a sign play, and from the lineout, FL AOKI received a short pass and went all the way to the left middle of the in-goal for a try. After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 5-19.

35 minutes into the first half:

Teikyo University seemed to have confirmed their strength after the try they scored earlier, and they began to play a strategy of penetrating the enemy line, mainly with their FWs, and attacking the dense side of the field. Teikyo University chose to take a penalty kick after an infringement by their opponents, advanced their position to just before the enemy’s in-goal, secured the ball in a lineout on their own ball, and then formed a maul, which the FWs exploited to gain the ball. The try was scored by FL AOKI, who dragged 4 players to the right of the enemy in-goal for the second try of the day.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 10-19.

With this try, Teikyo University turned the tide of the match back in their favor.

40 minutes into the first half:

From the restart kick-off after the try, Waseda University advanced into the enemy territory and gradually advanced their position through a series of attacks. From a lineout near the 22-meter line, Waseda University was in a tight spot with the opposing defense, but hooker SATOH managed to secure the ball and pass it to SO HATTORI, who stepped past four men and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 10-26.

The first half ended here, with Waseda University pulling the game back into their own hands.

Now, will Teikyo University, the winner of three consecutive University Championships, be able to pull themselves back into the game in the second half and capture a come-from-behind victory?

Or will Waseda University be able to continue their momentum and defeat the absolute champion, Teikyo University? We look forward to a heated battle in the second half.

６ minutes into the second half:

Teikyo University kicked off the second half and the game resumed. Teikyo University attacked from beyond the 22-meter line, but made a series of mistakes at the crucial moments and missed the opportunity to score.

Waseda University took advantage of Teikyo University’s mistake, and after entering the enemy territory, they moved to the left, and WTB TANAKA made a big gain in the first attack. Waseda University then went in the opposite direction, and the ball was again passed to WTB TANAKA, who made a big move from the left corner to the right corner.

6 minutes into the second half:

Teikyo University kicked off the second half, and the game resumed. Teikyo University attacked continuously beyond the enemy 22-meter line, but at the crucial moment, they made a series of mistakes, which was uncharacteristic of the university champions, and missed a scoring opportunity.

Waseda University took advantage of Teikyo University’s mistake, and after entering the enemy territory, they moved to the left, and WTB TANAKA made a big gain in the first attack. Waseda University then went in the opposite direction and the ball was again passed to WTB TANAKA who made a big move from the left corner to the right corner, where TANAKA got tangled up with three opposing defenders but was able to pull away and score his 4th try of the day in the middle right of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-33. In the second half, it was Waseda University who scored first.

Teikyo University came close to scoring at the enemy’s in-goal, but Waseda University got the ball back, and when the ball passed to Waseda University’s SO HATTORI, he kicked it to the enemy’s 10m line with his amazing kicking ability. Waseda’s SO HATTORI’s kick flew about 20 meters farther than a normal SO of a university team. Even if Teikyo University took their time and attacked deep into the enemy territory, Waseda University’s SO HATTORI’s amazing kicking ability would bring them down to about 50 meters back. Teikyo University’s FWs were getting tired.

11 minutes into the second half:

Waseda University’s PG attempt is foiled by a foul by the opposing team, and they are about 40 meters out in front of the goalposts.

14 minutes into the second half:

Both teams kicked each other’s kicks, but Teikyo University’s BK, gradually being pushed back, decided that they had the worse of it and counter-attacked from their own 22m line. The penalty was committed in front of the enemy goal post, about 15 meters away, so Waseda University opted to go for the PG, which CTB NONAKA converted to make the score 10-36.

27 minutes into the second half:

Teikyo University made several attacks deep into the enemy territory, but after an infringement just before the in-goal, Waseda’s SO HATTORI took a penalty kick to bring his team back to the enemy 10-meter line, making it difficult to find a rhythm in the game. This led to frequent handling errors by Teikyo University, and each time the ball was lost to Waseda University.

Waseda University then moved closer to the enemy’s in-goal and attacked in a series of rhythmic attacks, culminating in SO HATTORI’s try to the left of the enemy’s in-goal.

Waseda’s conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-43.

40 minutes into the second half:

Teikyo University was still scoreless in the second half at this time. With a 33-point difference, Waseda University was almost certain to win the match, but Teikyo University was looking for revenge in their next matchup. However, Teikyo University was finding it difficult to break the enemy defense and even gain ground.

Teikyo University was in a dilemma on the day, as they were unable to score from inside their own 22-meter line. As Teikyo University was attacking the enemy line, Waseda’s WTB Tanaka intercepted the ball and ran 90 meters to score his fifth try of the day in the middle right of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but the score was 10-48.

42 minutes into the second half:

Toward the end of the match, Teikyo University attacked deep into enemy territory, and at about 15 meters in front of the goal posts, substitute FL MORIMOTO broke out through the side and scored a try just below the goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 17-48.

Immediately after the conversion goal, the game was called “no side. The final score was 17-48. Teikyo University had not lost by such a large margin since their golden era when they became the number 1 university in Japan.

Waseda University’s main reason for winning this match was that their FWs were more than equal to Teikyo University in set plays. The BKs were active in all directions based on the overwhelming kicking ability of SO HATTORI, a newcomer to the Waseda team this season. WTB TANAKA’s overwhelming decisiveness, scoring 5 tries by himself, led to such a large points difference against last season’s university champion, Teikyo University.

Waseda University has 2 current members of the national team, hooker SATOH and FB YAZAKI, but even without them scoring tries, the fact that they were able to score so many tries shows the resilience of this season’s Waseda University.

Can Waseda continue their winning streak and become the number 1 university in Japan for the first time since 2020? Or will Teikyo University be able to regroup and take revenge in the University Championship? This season’s college rugby is becoming more and more exciting.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: November 6, 2024)

On October 26, 2024, a test match between the Brave Blossoms of Japan and the All Blacks of New Zealand took place at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The temperature was 22 degrees Celsius and the weather was cloudy. The crowd was 60,057, 83% of the capacity of Nissan Stadium, the largest stadium in Japan.

Considering that the attendance at the PNC final in September was less than 20,000, this means that the All Blacks are an especially popular team among Japanese rugby fans.

The Brave Blossoms are ranked 14th in the world, while the All Blacks are ranked 3rd in the world, making this the strongest match Japan has played so far this season.

The previous matchups between the Brave Blossoms and the All Blacks are as follows

October 25, 1987: 0-74 ●

November 1, 1987: 4-106 ●

June 4, 1995: 17-145 ●

September 16, 2011: 7-83 ●

November 2, 2013: 6-54 ●

November 3, 2018: 31-69 ●

October 29, 2022: 31-38 ●

The Japanese national team has lost six straight, with an average score of 14-83, and with the exception of 2022, they have racked up heavy defeats.

Let us introduce you to the two teams that would be competing on this day.

First, let’s talk about the New Zealand All Blacks, who was the Visitor Team of this day.

He has won three of the ten RWCs held so far,

New Zealand is the only country that has won 3 of the 10 RWCs held so far,and has won more than three-quarters of its matches against all other countries in Test matches. Before the RWC, the Japanese national team was not allowed to play in the Rugby World Cup due to its lack of ability. In recent years, many All Blacks players have joined League One, a professional rugby league in Japan, and the All Blacks are very popular and well known in Japan.

Currently ranked third in the world, the All Blacks will travel to Europe this November to compete with the best European rugby teams in the world and try to regain the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

All Blacks
No.	Name	height	weight	age	NZ Caps
1	Tamaiti　WILLIAMS	196cm	140kg	24	14
2	Asafo　AUMUA	177cm	108kg	27	15
3	Pasilio　TOSI	193cm	140kg	26	3
4	Sam DARRY	203cm	110kg	24	5
5	Patrick TUIPLOTU	198cm	120kg	31	46
6	Samipeni FINAU	193cm	115kg	25	4
7	Sam CANE	189cm	103kg	32	100
8	Wallace SITITI	187m	113kg	22	5
9	Cameron ROIGARD	183m	88kg	23	5
10	Damian MCKENZIE	177cm	78kg	29	56
11	Mark TELEA	186cm	94kg	27	15
12	Anton LIENERT-BROWN	185cm	96kg	29	79
13	Billy PROCTOR	187cm	96kg	25	1
14	Sevu REECE	179cm	87kg	27	30
15	Stephen PEROFETA	181cm	85kg	27	5

** Player to watch **

Mark TELEA. 186cm, 94kg, 27 years old. Position = WTB. Caps for NZ = 15. Club: Blues (Super Rugby).

He made a strong impression on rugby fans around the world at the RWC 2023, scoring his first try in his first RWC appearance in the opening match of the tournament. Even when surrounded by opposing defenses, he slips through tackles like an eel and scores a lot of tries. Will he be able to showcase their superior skills on this day?

Next, I would like to introduce the home team of the day, the Brave Blossoms of Japan.

The Japanese National Rugby Team, a.k.a. Brave Blossoms, has formed a new team under the leadership of new HC Eddie JONES, and has been playing a series of test matches since June this year. The results of the matches so far and the schedule for the future 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　〇
4	7/13	Georgia	Sendai	23-25　●
5	7/21	Italy	Sapporo	14-42　●
6	8/25	Canada	Bancouver	55-28　〇
7	9/7	USA	Saitama	41-24　〇
8	9/15	Samoa	Tokyo	49-27　〇
9	9/21	Fiji	Osaka	41-17　●
10	10/26	All Blacks	Tokyo
11	11/9	France	Paris
12	11/16	Uruguay	Chambéry
13	11/24	England	London

The team has played 9 matches so far, with a record of 4 wins and 5 losses.The team’s world ranking, which was 12th before the start of the season, has dropped to 14th. The team now has only 4 test matches left in the season, including this one.

After this, the team will continue to play matches against teams higher in the world ranking, so we hope that the team will show growth as a team from this point on.

The team has been made up mainly of young players who have had little experience playing in the past, but the return of some of the core players from RWC 2023 is a good sign for the team’s improvement.

This day’s lineup was as follows.

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Takato　OKABE	180cm	105kg	29	4
2	Atsushi　SAKATE	180cm	104kg	25	46
3	Shuhei TAKEUCHI	183cm	115kg	26	10
4	Sanaila　WAQA	202cm	120kg	29	7
5	Warner DEARNS	201m	117kg	22	18
6	Amato FAKATAVA	195m	115kg	29	10
7	Kazuki　HIMENO	187m	109kg	30	32
8	Faulua MAKISI	187cm	112kg	27	12
9	Shinobu FUJIWARA	171cm	76kg	25	6
10	Harumichi TATEKAWA	180cm	94kg	34	60
11	Malo TUITAMA	182cm	91kg	28	4
12	Nicolas MCCURRAN	188cm	93kg	28	4
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	27	24
14	Jone　NAIKABULA	177cm	95kg	30	13
15	Yoshitaka　YAZAKI	180cm	85kg	20	4

** Player to watch **

（Kazuki HIMENO (Number 7 is HIMENO)

Kazuki HIMENO is 30 years old, 187cm, 109kg. Position = FL, No.8. Japan national team CAP = 32. A graduate of Teikyo University, he was the captain of Japan’s national team at RWC 2023. He was out of the national team in the spring due to elbow surgery, but has recovered from the injury and made a long-awaited return to the national team. We hope that this day’s match would be a step forward in reinvigorating the Japanese national team’s strong FW.

Prior to the match, a ceremony was held. Following the national anthems of both countries, Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko, Honorary President of the Japan Rugby Union, gave encouragement to both teams.

Then, just before kickoff, the atmosphere of the decisive battle reached its climax with the performance of HAKA, the War Cry of the NZ national team.

Kickoff for the first half.

5 minutes into the first half:

One of the characteristics of Brave Blossoms’ catchphrase, “super-fast rugby,” is to attack hard early in the game and score the first point. On this day, the Brave Blossoms got into the enemy territory right from the start, and once they secured the ball, they launched a series of attacks. Both teams then exchanged kicks with each other in an attempt to advance their positions. The Japanese team then launched a series of attacks from around the 10-meter line in enemy territory. A successful sign play saw WTB NAIKABULA run right next to SH FUJIWARA, and NAIKABULA slipped behind the enemy defensive net and headed for the in-goal. NAIKABULA was just in front of the in-goal, he was caught by two All Blacks defenders just before the in-goal, but spun around and scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal.

The Brave Blossoms also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try. The score was 7-0.

12 minutes into the first half:

The All Blacks, as if fired up by the first goal, kicked off from the restart, and gradually advanced deep into the enemy territory. The ball was passed to WTB TELEA who was running on the edge of the line, and despite being tangled up with the enemy defense, TELEA twisted his body into the left corner of the enemy in-goal to score a try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was tied 7-7.

16 minutes into the first half:

The All Blacks showed their physicality by not getting knocked down until they passed the ball off-load to a follow-up player, even if they were caught by the opposing defense. Finally, the lock TUIPLOTU scored a goal in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-14 to the All Blacks.

19 minutes into the first half:

From the restart kickoff, Brave Blossoms got into the enemy territory, and their FW players fought hard to penetrate the defense and advance more than 10 meters. The Brave Blossoms then chose to take a penalty kick and kicked the ball into touch. The Brave Blossoms secured the ball at the lineout. Here, NO.8 MAKISI broke through the opposing defense and scored a try in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal.

After the try, the conversion goal failed and the score was 12-14.

The excitement in the stadium was high as both teams scored points against each other.

20 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms also won the ball back in a tight battle and went on the counter-attack. The All Blacks got the ball and as SO McKENZIE was about to kick, Brave Blossoms’ NO.8 MAKISI made a strong tackle and the ball rolled backwards. Brave Blossoms lock DEARNS ran in and kicked the ball, caught it himself, and took it straight into the in-goal, overcoming the fast-footed WTB REECE of All Blacks who was chasing him, and scored a try in the left center of the enemy in-goal.

The stadium was in full swing, and the crowd went wild for the first time of the day.

However, a TMO video review revealed that when Brave Blossoms’ No.8 MAKISI made a tackle, the passing ball hit MAKISI’s hand, resulting in a knock-on foul by the Brave Blossoms and the try was cancelled.

22 minutes of the first half:

From a scrum in the middle of the field after the restart, the All Blacks went to the right and scored a try on the first attempt by CTB Procter. The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 12-19.

25 minutes into the first half:

In this period, both sides put on a show as they fought for the ball in a dense battle, but here All Blacks outpaced their opponents with their quickness in supporting in dense areas, and finally FL CANE scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal. After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 12-24.

31 minutes into the first half:

From the kickoff after the restart, All Blacks had a scrum, from which All Blacks moved to the left, and SO McKENZIE got behind the enemy defense and made a big gain. The All Blacks then connected with the ball inside the enemy 22-meter line, and as the ball spread out from the right end of the field to the left end, they gained a numerical advantage and finally scored a try by FL FINAU in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 12-29.

34 minutes into the first half:

The All Blacks attacked for more and more time, and the Brave Blossoms’ tackles were no longer able to keep up with them. The Brave Blossoms players became tired from the continuous physical battles, and their tackles became weaker, leading to a vicious cycle where the All Blacks were able to get out of tackles and connect with the ball continuously. Conversely, the All Blacks found a rhythm in their attack and made gain after gain in the enemy territory. In the end, prop TOSI scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-36.

40 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms players started to show signs of fatigue. The All Blacks made a series of relentless attacks on the Brave Blossoms, and after a penalty kick, the Brave Blossoms gained possession of their own ball lineout just inside their own 22-meter line, close to the in-goal. From there, the All Blacks secured the ball, and after a maul, they moved forward to score a try by prop WILLIAMS at the right end of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-43.

The score at the end of the first half was 12-43.

The Brave Blossoms were evenly matched until about 20 minutes into the first half, but after Rock DEARNS’ try was disallowed, the pace of the game became one-sided for the All Blacks.

Could the Brave Blossoms really come back in the second half of the match?

After a 15-minute break, the second half of the match began.

4 minutes into the second half:

The Brave Blossoms tried to move forward from their own territory and connect with passes, but were unable to gain any ground. In contrast, when the All Blacks got possession of the ball, they were able to break through their opponents’ defenses and make progress, perhaps due to the strength of their individual players at the point of contact. Then, All Blacks shook off the defense in enemy territory, and SH ROIGARD gained more than 10 meters and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-50.

After this, both teams replaced at least four players, and the newly introduced players stepped up at the point of contact. The Brave Blossoms players in particular put on a good show, but were unable to score.

The Brave Blossoms changed their game and instead of going for the fast break, they started to connect the ball steadily with their individual players at the point of contact.

24 minutes into the second half:

The Brave Blossoms made the biggest show of the second half, when CTB RILEY broke through a gap in the opposing defense and connected with FB YAZAKI, who followed him. YAZAKI’s first try for the national team was expected, but it was stopped by All Blacks’ SO McKENZIE just before the in-goal.

28 minutes into the second half:

Brave Blossoms substitute prop HELU received the ball in front of the enemy 22m line, darted past the defense, and scored a try just under the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-50.

37 minutes into the second half:

The All Blacks had not scored for some time in the second half, but an infringement by their opponents led to a penalty kick that gave them the chance to go inside the enemy 22m line and take the ball out of their own half. After winning the ball, they attempted to move forward in a maul, but the Brave Blossoms defense held firm and prevented them from advancing. However, the All Blacks were able to move to the right and the ball was passed to WTB LOVE, who came on as a substitute, and although he was tangled up with two defenders, he was able to score a try through individual skill.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-57.

41 minutes into the second half:

Just before the end of the game, Brave Blossoms started their final attack from their own line, but WTB LOVE of All Blacks took the ball away from them, and he scored his second try of the day right under the in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the All Blacks won the match with a final score of 19-64.

Despite the heavy defeat for the Brave Blossoms, there were some positives to take away from the match. One was the stability of the FW set play against the All Blacks. The other was that the team was able to create a game without playing “ultra-fast rugby” all the time. We hope that the team will be able to win on their upcoming tour of Europe.

＊＊　New Weapon: The Newly Arrived　　＊＊

I changed the camera for taking pictures from this day’s game.

The new camera is the Canon Power Shot SX70HS, with an optical zoom of 65x. The SX420 camera I had been using until then had a zoom factor of 42x, so I was able to take clearer pictures from a distance at the stadium. The difference is obvious when comparing actual photos.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (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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 (Written by Azul: September 24, 2024)

The PNC Cup semi-finals 2^nd game was held on September 15 at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Rugby is usually played in the cooler months of fall and winter, so it was unusual for the semifinals to be held during the hottest part of the summer, as it was on this day.

The temperature that day was 33 degrees Celsius, making it a very tough game for the fans watching the game. The attendance for the day was 14,893, about 70% of the full attendance.

After yesterday’s match, Fiji, ranked first in Group A, advanced to the finals, but could the Japanese national team, ranked first in Group B, advance to the finals? The Japanese team, ranked No. 1 in Group B, will face a strong Samoan team that has been competing with the Japanese team on an equal footing for the past several years.

Let us introduce you to the two teams that will be competing on this day. First, let us introduce the Visitor Team, the Samoa National Team.

The Samoa team was ranked 13th in the world before this match, one rank higher than the Japan team. The overall record between Japan and Samoa is 6 wins and 12 losses for Japan, with Samoa winning by a wide margin. Samoa has had a period of declining strength, though,

Samoa has been steadily improving since joining the professional rugby league Super Rugby in 2022 under the name Moana Pasifika. Most of the regular members of this year’s team belong to Moana Pasifika.

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	Samuel SLADE	195cm	118kg	27	4
6	Theodore McFarland	198cm	115kg	28	8
7	Izaiha MOORE-AIONO	183cm	99kg	28
8	Iacopo MAPU	184m	110kg	26
9	Melani MATAVAO	171m	73kg	28	14
10	Rodney IONA	177cm	89kg	33	10
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

** Player to watch **

Rodney IONA. 177cm, 89kg, 33 years old. Samoa national team cap=10.

Born in Melbourne, Australia. After playing for professional clubs in Australia, France, Spain, and England, IONA now plays for New Orleans Gold, a professional team in North America. If you have a preconceived notion of the normal Samoan style, i.e., hard contact and physicality up front to break through, opposing teams are in for a world of hurt. His line-breaking technique is something to watch out for.

Next, an update on the home team, the Japanese national team.

Since the PNC in August, the Japanese national team has replaced some of its players, and the team is now made up mainly of young players. Tatekawa himself is a 34-year-old veteran player, having played in the RWC 2015 and 2019. When he next competes at RWC 2027, it will be his first time back after 3 tournaments. It will be interesting to see how TATEKAWA, the new Skipper, will lead the team.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

** Player to watch **

(The player on the left in the photo is FUJIWARA)

Shinobu FUJIWARA. 171 cm, 76 kg, 25 years old. He is a graduate of Tenri University and plays for Kubota Spears. He is aiming to be a regular SH for PNC after SAITO, a regular SH for Japan’s national team, left the team temporarily due to an overseas transfer. One of the most notable features of this team is its quick switching between offense and defense when attacking. When he sees a gap in the opposing team, he instantly goes for it with his aggressiveness. Since FUJIWARA became the starter, Japan’s national team has been on a winning streak, and it will be interesting to see how far they can extend their winning streak.

Let the games begin.

Just before the start of the match, Siva Tau, the War Cry of the SAMOA national team, was performed.

Kickoff for the second semifinal match was at 15:05. On this day, the match was played from the hottest time of the day.

6 minutes into the first half:

Since the JONES HC team came into power, the Japanese national team has been scoring points at once from the start of the game.

From the kickoff, the team took the ball and attacked deep into the enemy territory, launching a series of attacks. The Samoan team did not allow the Japanese team to break the in-goal, as the Japanese team attacked hard from the beginning of the game. However, the Japanese team took the ball out of the opponents’ lineout on the left side, and after an attempt by the FW side attack, the ball was deployed to the right side, where FB LEE rolled a golo punt behind the opposing defense, which CTB RILEY caught, and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also a success.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 7-0, giving the Japanese team the lead for the first time.

10 minutes into the first half:

The Japanese national team was able to push deep into the enemy territory due to some infringements by the Samoan national team. The Japanese team moved to the right deep in the enemy territory, and as they approached the enemy in-goal, SH FUJIWARA released a pass that was intentionally knocked down by WTB ALOFIPO of the Samoan national team.

The video judgment resulted in a certified try for the Japanese team.

7 points were added for the authorized try, and the score was 14-0.

13 minutes into the first half:

Here, the Samoan team showed their true strength. The Samoan team moved into the enemy territory, and individual players made repeated advances through contact play. Then, MAPU, the No. 8, broke through the enemy defense and made a big gain.

The Samoan team then moved to the right when MAPU was caught by the defense, and finally WTB TUITAMA scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-7.

16 minutes into the first half:

After an infringement by the opponents, Japan’s national team advanced into the enemy territory with a penalty kick, and from a lineout on their own ball, hooker HARADA made a quick move forward. Hooker Harada’s advance was caught by the opposing defense just before the in-goal, but from there, the Japanese team moved to the right and FB Lee kicked a pass to the right space, which was caught by WTB OSADA, who scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

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

25 minutes into the first half:

The SAMOA national team drew an offside foul by the opposing defense near the 10-meter line. The SAMOA team then opted for a PG, which was scored by SO IONA to make the score 21-10.

29 minutes into the first half:

At about 30 meters from the goal post, the Japanese team was fouled for Not Release the Ball. The SAMOA team opted to go for the PG, which SO IONA converted to make the score 21-13.

39 minutes into the first half:

Toward the end of the first half, Japan’s national team entered the enemy territory due to a foul by the opposing defense, and developed a series of attacks, mainly open attacks. After swinging left and right, the Japanese team finally created a numerical advantage on the left side of the field, and FB LEE ran in to score a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left side.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 28-13. The first half ended here, and the Japanese national team headed into the second half with a 15-point lead.

Here, it was half time.

In this extremely hot weather, the game was physically demanding for both teams’ players and spectators.

The Japanese national team scored consecutive tries from the first half, and from there they were able to seize control of the match. It will be interesting to see how the Samoan team will come back in the second half, and whether the Japanese team will be able to hold on for victory.

Let’s start the second half.

4 minutes into the second half:

From their own line, SH FUJIWARA broke through the narrow side and got behind the enemy line, and FB LEE rolled in a golo punt, which WTB OSADA advanced and caught. After this, OSADA was caught by the opposing defense and with an offload pass, he passed to FB LEE. LEE was caught by the defense 7 to 8 meters before the in-goal, but he made an off-load pass to FL SIMOKAWA, who scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 35-13.

12 minutes into the second half:

The Samoan national team was down by a few points at this point, but the backs showed some excellent passing work to break down the left flank of the opposition line and connect for a try. The final try was scored by SH MATAVAO.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 35-20.

18 minutes into the second half:

At this time of the game, almost all of the players in the game were showing signs of fatigue. In particular, the Samoan FW players were noticeably breathing on their shoulders.

The Japanese national team moved deep into the enemy territory, and after a foul by Samoa, instead of going for a penalty kick to touch kick, SH FUJIWARA started a series of attacks from a tap kick. As the Japanese national team deployed their attack, they gradually closed in on the enemy in-goal, and SH FUJIWARA took advantage of a momentary lapse in the opposing defense to score a try in the right corner at the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 42-20.

32 minutes into the second half:

Toward the end of the match, the SAMOA national team began to tire more and more, as they were continuously attacked in their own territory, especially at set pieces and lineouts where they lost the ball. However, from deep in their own territory, the SAMOA BK picked up the kicked ball and counter-attacked from there, connecting with WTB ALOFIPO from SO IONA, who got behind the enemy defense and passed the ball to CTB LALOMILO who followed up and ran over 50m! He overtook the Japan national team lock DEARNS who was chasing him, and scored a try in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 42-27.

39 minutes into the second half:

The score difference indicated that the Japanese national team had almost won the game, but the Japanese national team continued to attack in front of the enemy’s in-goal to score more points. The ball was passed to WTB TAKAHASHI, who took over for the substitute, and he was able to score a try despite being tangled up in the opposing defense.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 49-27, and the game ended with this score.

The fitness of the Japanese national team stood out in this match, despite the extremely hot weather conditions. The team’s ability to run around even in the final minutes of the match showed that Japan’s team strength has improved.

How will they fare against the powerful Fiji team, ranked 10th in the world, in the PNC finals in a week’s time? We look forward to watching with great anticipation.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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 (Written by Azul: September 23, 2024)

September 14 and 15, 2024 The PNC Cup reached its semi-finals, and the results of the PNC matches so far are as follows

Group A = Fiji, Samoa, Tonga

August 23: Fiji vs Samoa 42-16

August 30: Samoa vs Tonga 43-17

September 6: Tonga vs Fiji 19-50

As a result, Group A is as follows

1st : Fiji

2nd : Samoa

3rd : Tonga

Fiji and Samoa will advance to the semifinals, while Tonga will play for 5th and 6th place on September 14.

Next,

Group B: Japan, USA, Canada

August 26 : Canada vs Japan 28-55

September 1: USA vs Canada 28-15

September 7: Japan vs USA 41-24

As a result, Group B is as follows

1st : Japan

2nd : USA

3rd : Canada

Japan and USA will advance to the semifinals, while Canada will play for 5th and 6th place on September 14.

On September 14 and 15, the fifth- and sixth-place matches and two semifinal matches were held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo. I went to watch the matches on both days.

The first match on September 14 was the PNC 5th and 6th place deciding match between Tonga and Canada.

Both Tonga and Canada did not put up a good fight and ended up in last place in their group. However, international training matches like the PNC are a valuable opportunity for the team to qualify for the RWC 2027, and they would like to bring back some results.

Tonga’s world ranking is 16th, while Canada’s is 22nd. Tonga’s team’s weakness is its high frequency of foul play, while Canada’s challenge is its low scoring ability.

It was Canada who scored first. A PG in the first 6 minutes put them ahead by 3 points.

However, it was Tonga that took control of the attack in the first half. With a strong FW attack, the BK showed determination when they saw an opportunity, scoring tries in the 10th and 15th minutes of the first half to lead 14-3.

However, Canada also showed their strength in the set play scrum, breaking down the opponent’s scrum in enemy territory and scoring a try and conversion goal in successive attacks to close the gap to 4 points, 14-10.

Then, 25 minutes into the first half, SO PELLEGRINI kicked a kick from his own line that put the Canada team in front of the enemy in-goal 50-22. From there, Canada’s national team scored a try after a series of side attacks by the strong FW, with the FB running in from the opposite side.

The score was 19-10, and the first half ended.

In the second half, Tonga scored first with a PG in the 7th minute.

The score was 22-10, and Tonga led by 10 points, after which the game was deadlocked for a while.

27 minutes into the second half, Canada won the ball in a tight battle in enemy territory, and CTB MCMULLIN broke through the Tongan defensive net and scored a try in the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-17 to 5 points.

However, shortly after Canada scored, FL FRYER was fouled for a dangerous tackle and was temporarily sent off. After this, Tonga was pushed into the game more and more due to the disadvantage in numbers, and scored 3 points by PGs and 7 points by try and conversion goals to make the score 30-17.

The game was competitive until the middle of the second half, when a foul by Canada resulted in a temporary sending off, and the game tilted in Tonga’s favor. The match ended as it did, with Tonga in fifth place and Canada in sixth place in PNC 2024.

The first game ended at 18:00, and after a one-hour interval, the second game, the PNC 2024 semifinal Fiji vs USA, kicked off.

The world ranking of the two countries.

Fiji is ranked 10th and USA is ranked 19th.

The latest news from Fiji:

At RWC2023, Fiji has reached the finals and is ranked 8th.

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

The USA team, on the other hand, failed to qualify for the RWC 2023 tournament after losing in the regional qualifying rounds, and as the hosts of RWC 2031, they will be looking for a good showing in the next tournament.

The Eagles’ 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

Kickoff for the first semifinal game was set for 19:00.

Just before the kickoff, a shimbi, Fiji’s War Cry, was performed.

Then, the match started.

The attendance for this match was 3,681. This was slightly less than the average number of spectators per League One game last season. The reason for this may be that the Japanese national team did not participate in the match, and the Japanese national team’s record this season has not been good, I guess.

In the match of the day, the U.S. national team put up a good fight. At last year’s RWC 2023, Fiji was more than evenly matched against the world’s top nations. Pre-match predictions called for Fiji to win by a wide margin over the 19th-ranked U.S. team after a convincing victory over Samoa, ranked 14th in the world.

The first goal was scored by the U.S. team on a PG, and by the end of the first half, Fiji had a 7-point lead, 3-10. Looking at the first half of the match, the U.S.’s fighting style was a defensive-oriented one. The U.S. did not use the double tackle that the Japanese national team often uses, and there were many occasions when they were able to beat Fiji one-on-one, a defensive approach that eliminated Fiji’s strengths. This meant that Fiji’s individual players could not connect with off-load passes while being tangled up with the opposing defenders in attack.

The U.S. national team’s tactic was to keep attacking in the enemy territory, while eliminating Fiji’s strengths, inducing penalties, and scoring through PGs. However, the team missed a PG in a relatively easy target position in the 17th minute of the first half, which was painful.

Still, the U.S. national team had a chance to turn things around in the second half, as they finished the first half with a 7-point lead.

And so the second half began.

In the second half, the U.S. team persisted in cutting off Fiji’s attacks. In the 11th minute of the second half, however, the Fiji national team attacked into enemy territory, secured the ball in a lineout, and connected passes for a gain, with WTB KARAWALEVU breaking through the enemy’s defensive net and going close to the in-goal, SH LOMANI received a pass, and

finally, the ball was connected to No.8 CANAKAIVATA, who scored a try in the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 17-3, giving the Fiji team a 14-point lead.

Fiji’s first goal of the second half, scored in ideal fashion, gave the Fiji team momentum, while the U.S. team began to feel tired.

In the 20th minute of the second half, Fiji’s attack became bolder, and the Fijian Magic team began to move the ball more aggressively from their own line, with the FW and BK working in unison. This made the Fijian Magic unstoppable, and SH LOMANI almost scored the winning try for the Fiji national team on the right edge of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 22-3.

The U.S. national team continued to attack, trying to get their revenge, even if it did not lead to victory, but in the end, the score remained 22-3.

Looking back on the match, the Fiji national team’s strength in set pieces, their strong defense after being attacked, and their attacking ability based on the physical strength of the individual players were outstandingly impressive. The current Fiji national team is also a very difficult opponent for the current Japanese team, as they have shown so much strength by bringing in many new players to replace old and new players. The second semifinal match on September 15 will be a lot of fun.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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 (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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