RUGBY JERSEY~Japan Rugby Test Match 2022~Japan Brave Blossoms VS France Les Bleus~ Round 1

(Author: Azul, July 7, 2022)

The Japan Brave Blossoms Rugby Team’s 2022 Test Match Series began on July 3 with the fourth match against Les Bleus of France.

The Japanese national rugby team has never won a match against the French national team, with a total record of 0 wins, 9 losses, and 1 draw. The current French national team is ranked No. 2 in the world and is the strongest team in Europe, having won the most recent Six Nations Rugby tournament.

The current France national team is the favorite to win the 2023 RWC, and the extent to which the current Japan national team can compete with this superior team will give us an idea of the current national team’s strength.

The venue for the first test match is Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture. Hence, this week’s match-watching was also a long-distance expedition.

8:00a.m. Departure from Hachioji Station to Shin-Yokohama Station

9:20a.m. Transfer to Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama Station to Nagoya Station

10:40a.m. Arrival at Nagoya Station.

10:45a.m. Transfer to Subway Meitetsu Line to Toyota City Station

11:40a.m. Arrive at Toyota-shi Station.

Many rugby fans had already arrived at the station, but the game was scheduled to start at 15:00, so I decided to have lunch at a nearby shopping mall.

I had tonkatsu set meal for lunch that day. It was quite crowded with rugby fans, and we waited for about 30 minutes before finally entering the restaurant. However, the food was delicious. The price was 1,000 yen.

The temperature in Toyota City that day was 35 degrees Celsius, and I was afraid I would get heat stroke if I entered the stadium too early, so I killed some time at a shopping mall.

Around 1:30 p.m., I headed for the stadium. Naturally, it was very hot.

Last week, like many supporters, I wore a Japan national team jersey, but this time I wore a France national team polo shirt.

＊＊　Jersey Collection 61　＊＊

I thought about which jersey I would wear to cheer on the French national team when they came to Japan this time, but all my French national team jerseys are long-sleeved, so it was a little hard to wear them in the middle of summer, so I bought this shirt on Yahoo Auction right before the team arrived. It is a polo shirt, but it is quite well made, and I personally like it. The price was 2,700 yen, which is cheap for a new used item. The estimated production date is 2017. On the way to the stadium, I was approached by a French supporter. I think I will wear it to the next game.

It was about a 15-minute walk from Toyota City Station to Toyota Stadium. However, it took a little longer because more than 20,000 people were walking to the stadium.

On the way, we crossed the Toyota Ohashi Bridge, which spans the Yahagi River. This bridge was quite architecturally elaborate, and many fans were taking pictures.

The Toyota Ohashi Bridge was beautiful, but what caught my eye even more was the venue for today’s game, Toyota Stadium. It was designed by Kisho Kurokawa, an international architect. He designed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Toshiba IHI Pavilion at the Osaka Expo.

This protruding corner catches the eye. Once you see it, it leaves a strong impression.

At around 14:00, we finally arrived at Toyota Stadium. This stadium has a capacity of 44,380 and was the site of the Japan vs. Samoa match in the 2019 RWC.

Even in this intense heat, there were a variety of events taking place around the venue. This stadium is the home of League One’s TOYOTA Verblitz, so players there were holding various rugby promotion events.

The player in the black shirt in the center of the photo is Himeno, the captain of Verblitz and a member of the Japanese national team. Unfortunately, he did not participate in this test match due to illness.

I entered the stadium around 14:00, an hour before the match. My seat today was row 16 on the first floor of the south side stand. The position of the seats was not so bad, but these seats were exposed to the sunlight of this hot summer heat, and I would get heat stroke if I did not take measures against heat. In hindsight, I should have chosen the north side stand.

But the worst part is the people watching the games in the back stands. My seat behind the goal was category 4, the cheapest at 4,000 yen, but the people in the back stand had to pay 16,000 yen and endure this scorching hell for more than two hours. Even if they endure with water and hats, those who are not in good physical condition are likely to collapse.

As the start of the match was approaching, players from both teams appeared on the field.

As expected of the French national team. Each play they made during practice was powerful. And the atmosphere is more serious than a friendly match.

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

First, let’s start with the Japanese national team, Brave Blossoms.

Actually, the Japanese team had an accident a few days before the match. Among the regular members of the team, the following four players tested positive for the new strain of corona.

Hooker Shota Horie

SH Naoto SAITO

FB Ryuji NOGUCHI

SO Takuya YAMAZAWA

All four players are members of Japan’s main squad, but were unable to play in the first test match. It is undecided whether they will be able to play in the second test match.

As a result, the starting lineup has changed considerably since last week’s match. Below is the list.

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Keita INAGAKI	186cm	116kg	32	40
2	Atsushi SAKADE	180cm	104kg	29	28
3	Asaeri Ai VALU	178cm	112kg	26	4
4	Wimpie Vanderwalt	188cm	112kg	33	20
5	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	27	7
6	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	33	73
7	Ben GUNTER	195cm	120kg	24	3
8	Tevita Tatafu	183m	124kg	26	10
9	Kaito Shigeno	170cm	75kg	31	14
10	Seungshin LEE	176cm	85kg	21	2
11	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	23	7
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	4
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	5
14	Gerhard von den HEEVER	192cm	102kg	33	1
15	Ryohei Yamanaka	188cm	98kg	33	22

＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊

Seungshin LEE, 176 cm,85 kg,21 years old. Position SO. 21 years old and a talented player who plays SO for the prestigious Kobe Steelers. He was selected for this major role at short notice due to the new corona infection of YAMAZAWA, the regular SO. Conversely, it is a sign that the head coach trusts him to fulfill this role with at least some experience.

Next, I would like to introduce the Visitor team, Les Bleus, representing France.

More than half of the regular members of the team did not take part in this tour because of the French rugby league playoffs that coincided with the dates of the tour of Japan. However, 19 of the members of the team that won an impressive match against England just before this expedition participated in this test match, and there is no doubt that the team is of a higher caliber than the Japanese national team.

Today’s starting lineup for Les Bleus is as follows

France
No.	Name	height	weight	age	France Caps
1	Jean-Baptiste GROS	185cm	110kg	23	19
2	Peato MAUVAKA	184cm	116kg	24	14
3	Demba BAMBA	185cm	118kg	24	23
4	Thibaud FLAMENT	197cm	114kg	25	7
5	Thomas JOLMES	203cm	127kg	26	0
6	Dylan CRETIN	195cm	102kg	25	18
7	Charles OLLIVON	199cm	114kg	29	23
8	Yoan TANGA	186m	107kg	25	0
9	Maxime LUCU	177m	79kg	28	7
10	Matthieu JALIBERT	184cm	84kg	27	15
11	Matice LEBEL	184cm	104kg	23	2
12	Yoram MOEFANA	182cm	95kg	22	6
13	Virimi VAKATAWA	185cm	100kg	30	30
14	Damian PENAUD	188cm	93kg	25	32
15	Melvyn JAMINET	182cm	80kg	23	11

＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊

Matthieu JALIBERT. 184 cm, 84 kg, 27 years old. He is a talented player who is competing with Ntamack for the regular SO position in the current French national team.

When he sees an opening, he cuts through it with a sharp step. However, if this player is allowed to control the game at will, the Brave Blossoms’ defense will have to find a way to stop him.

Then came the pre-match ceremony, where the national anthems of both countries were sung. The first was from the French nation La Marseillais.

As expected, the French national team has a flair. The RWC was a great success for the French national team, and the tournament was very exciting. I wonder how they will play today.

Then the Japanese national anthem Kimigayo was sang.

Three years have passed since RWC2019 was held in Japan, and next year we will welcome RWC2023 in France. In Japan, the Brave Blossoms have been strengthening their players through a new league, League One, and have been preparing for this tournament through training camps and a test match against the Uruguayan national team. Expectations are high.

Let the game begin. The kick-off time was 15:05.

The French national team kicked off and the game started.

3 minutes into the first half:

Les Bleus kicked off, WTB FIFITA caught the ball and Brave Blossoms went forward, made a point once there, and then expanded right, CTB NAKANO cut in, and both teams formed a tight group. In the end, the Blossoms could not get the ball out, so it was Les Bleus’ ball and a scrum ensued. They then deployed to the right and SH LUCU showed that they were going to cut inside and then deployed outside. A long pass was passed from SO JALIBERT to WTB PENAUD, who easily scored a try in the right corner. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Les Bleus took the lead with the score 0-7.

6 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms won their own ball lineout from the kickoff after a try, where SO LEE caught a long throw ball. The Blossoms were able to force a foul on their opponents and had a PG opportunity near the 10-meter line in enemy territory. SO LEE scored the PG from nearly 40 meters out to make the score 3 The score was 3-7.

14 minutes into the first half:

This period of attack was ideal for the Blossoms and for Japanese rugby fans.

The Blossoms made a series of attacks into enemy territory, with FL GUNTER moving forward on the right and WTB von den HEEVER moving forward again. The Blossoms then moved into a tight battle, and after closing in on the enemy in-goal, No. 8 TATAFU weaved his way through a swarm of French defenders to score a try just under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-7 in favor of the Brave Blossoms.

19 minutes into the first half:

The Blossoms were penalized for not playing away, and Les Bleus opted to go for the PG, which FB JAMINET converted to tie the score at 10-10.

24 minutes into the first half.

The Brave Blossoms took control of the game in this period. They were gaining ground left and right. This led to a foul on Les Bleus and a PG opportunity near the front of the goal at the enemy 10m line.　LEE scored the PG from nearly 40 meters to give the Blossoms the lead again, 13-10. The Blossoms took the lead again with the score 13-10.

29 minutes into the first half:

The Brave Blossoms were still in control of the game at this time, but a mishandling of a ball kicked into their own territory resulted in a foul that gave Les Bleus a PG right in front of the goal posts. FB JAMINET scored it to make the score 13-13 and tie the game again.

After this, a back-and-forth battle ensued, but in the end neither team was able to increase the score, and the first half ended with the score tied.

Looking back at the first half, Brave Blossoms put up a strong fight. A sign play by Les Bleus cost them a try early on, but No.8 TATAFU caught up with them with a try, and the teams went back-and-forth for the remainder of the half. So far, the Blossoms defense has been working. However, Les Blues, despite being pushed in the game, never pull away. This is a team effort that shows their underlying strength. The second half of the match will be interesting to see if the game will remain in the same balance.

Before the second half began, something amazing happened.

My seat was covered with shade. This made me feel like I had come from hell to heaven because I could concentrate on the game. However, in the back stand, I felt sorry for the people sitting there, who were exposed to the direct sunlight until the sun went down.

So, let’s get the second half underway.

5 minutes into the second half:

From the start of the second half, the Brave Blossoms were in control of the region. However, Les Bleus entered the enemy territory, created a cluster on the left edge of the 22m line, and from there, SO JALIBERT easily slipped in behind the Blossoms defense and followed WTB LEBEL, who received the ball and scored a try right under the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 13-20, with Les Blues scoring the first points of the second half.

12 minutes into the second half:

At this time of the game, Les Bleus was on the offensive, and the game was being played in enemy territory more often than not. A penalty kick was scored by Les Bleus FB JAMINET and the score was 13-23.

14 minutes into the second half.

The Brave Blossoms kicked off after an enemy PG, connected with the ball, and advanced to the center of the opposition’s territory. Here, Les Bleus was fouled for offside and the Blossoms elected to go for the PG. SO LEE made steady progress on this one, making the score 16-23.

18 minutes into the second half:

It was a war of attrition, with both teams pushing forward, but getting turnovers along the way. Les Bleus CTB MOEFANA broke a Blossoms tackle and made a big gain. WTB PENAUD followed up on this 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 16-30 in favor of Les Bleus.

21 minutes into the second half.

Les Bleus’ offensive drive was now underway. CTB MOEFANA received the ball near the center of the field to the right and kicked it forward. He caught the ball by himself and scored a try right in the middle of the field. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 16-35, giving Les Blues a 19-point lead.

The Blossoms’ defensive network, which had worked in the first half, began to break down in places, probably due to fatigue from the heat.

28 minutes into the second half:

Les Bleus had been scoring from the openings in the second half, but for the first time in the match, they scored from a set piece by the FWs.

A Blossoms foul on Les Bleus at the 10-meter line led to a penalty kick to take possession, and from inside the 22-meter line, Les Bleus won the ball in a lineout. Les Bleus pushed forward and scored a try. The try was scored by hooker BOURGARIT. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 16-42.

43 minutes into the second half

Brave Blossoms were now 26 points down and were desperate to score one last try and they did just that. However, the French defense was solid, and they bounced back again and again. After a few more attempts, WTB FIFITA ran diagonally to the goal line from the opposite side of the field, received the ball, and scored a try in the right center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 23-42.

The game was over at this point, as the horn had already sounded.

Brave Blossoms lost the game, but gained some points from their brave challenge against the European champions, Les Bleus. Brave Blossoms will look for revenge in the second test match next week.

Today’s attendance, announced by the tournament organizers, was 24,570. The stadium has a capacity of 48,000, so the attendance was about 50%. I hope that the popularity of rugby will continue to grow.