ＲＵＧＢＹ　ＪＥＲＳＥＹ

（Author: Azul, October 23, 2022）

The second match of the 2022 Rugby Japan National Team’s training and test match series, the second match of the series was held at the BEST DENKI STADIUM in Fukuoka Prefecture on October 8.

This time, the opponent was the same as last week, Australia A. And Japan XV lost the last match against Australia A. We hope we can make up for it in the second match this time.

Since the venue was in Fukuoka Prefecture, we took the bullet train on the way there and the plane on the way back.

Although the bullet train is fast, it took 5 hours from Tokyo to Fukuoka. I left my house at 6:30 a.m. and boarded a Shinkansen bound for Hakata from Shin-Yokohama Station. It was the first time for me to use the Shinkansen to get to Fukuoka. Since it was the first day of a three-day weekend, the Shinkansen was crowded.

The photo above was taken as we passed Himeji Station. In the background is the national treasure, Himeji Castle.

We arrived at Hakata Station around 12:30 pm.

The venue for the match that day was the BEST　DENKI　STADIUM near Fukuoka Airport. With the RWC 2023 coming up the following year, domestic interest is growing, so there was a long line for the shuttle bus to the stadium.

We were worried that we might miss the kick-off time because the buses did not come easily. However, the person in front of me in line told me that it would take more than 40 minutes to walk to the stadium, so I had no choice but to wait in line. Well, I managed to arrive at the stadium 30 minutes before the game started.

For RWC 2019, three matches were played at this stadium.

Let me give you an update information on the two teams playing on this day.

First, let’s take a look at the home team, JAPAN XV.

In the first match, the 202cm lock WAQA left the field injured, which is a bit of a downgrade. It is good news for the national team that FL HIMENO and WTB MATSUSHIMA, who are members of RWC 2019, have returned to the starting lineup.

Here is the starting lineup for the day.

Japan XV
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Craig MILLER	186cm	116kg	31	6
2	Atsushi SAKADE	180cm	104kg	29	30
3	Shinnosuke KAKINAGA	180cm	115kg	30	11
4	Warner DEARNS	201cm	117kg	20	4
5	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	27	9
6	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	23	0
7	Kazuki HIMENO	187cm	108kg	28	22
8	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	33	75
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	25	8
10	Seungsin LEE	176cm	85kg	21	3
11	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	23	9
12	Ryoto NAKAMURA	182cm	92kg	31	30
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	7
14	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	178cm	87kg	29	44
15	Ryohei Yamanaka	188cm	98kg	34	24

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Siosaia FIFITA. 187cm, 100kg, 23 years old. Position = WTB, CTB. After graduating from Tenri University, he worked for SUNWOLVES. He is a gem of a player. He is a player with speed, power, and a good eye for tactics, and while he is a WTB, he also contributes a lot to the defense. He is becoming a regular in the highly competitive Japanese WTB position.

And now, an update news on the Australia A team.

After winning the first game against JAPAN XV, this team has been playing the second game with almost the same members. The morale of the players is extremely high, as the players who performed outstandingly well on the Japan tour will be immediately called up by the Australian national team: Wallabies. Some people say that because it is an Australian selection team, it is an Australian second-string team, but it is more like SUPER RUGBY, where the contact is more intense than in Japan’s League One. The starting lineup for the day was as follows

The starting members for the day are as follows

Australia A
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Australia Caps
1	Matt GIBBON	185cm	120kg	27	2
2	Billy POLLARD	185cm	105kg	20	1
3	Pone FAAMAUSILI	196cm	130kg	25	3
4	Nick FROST	206cm	120kg	22	5
5	Cadeyrn NEVILLE	202cm	125kg	33	3
6	Ned HANIGAN	194cm	113kg	27	21
7	Brad WILKIN	187cm	105kg	26	0
8	Langi GLEESON	185m	105kg	21	0
9	Ryan LONERGAN	184m	80kg	24	0
10	Tane EDMED	183cm	91kg	22	0
11	Dylan PIETSCH	185cm	102kg	24	0
12	Bayley KUENZLE	186cm	92kg	24	0
13	Hudson CREIGHTON	182cm	92kg	22	0
14	Suli VUNIVALU	192cm	99kg	26	1
15	Jock CAMPBELL	186cm	85kg	27	0

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Tom BANKS. 186 cm, 93 kg, 28 years old. Position =FB. He has been out of the Australian national team for a while due to injury, but has recovered enough to be able to play in games. He has been recovering from an injury that kept him out of the Australian national team for a while. When he recovers, we expect him to show his outstanding performance as a regular player for the Australian national team. He will also be joining Mie HONDA, Japan League One.　We hope he will be able to play in front of Japanese fans.

Now, let the games begin.

The temperature that day was 23 degrees Celsius, reminiscent of early summer.

1 minute of the first half:

While Australia A was puzzled by the handling of the ball, JAPAN XV secured the ball. JAPAN XV then attacked first to the right and then to the left, The ball was caught by Australia A, but Japan XV managed to win the ball back and play it to the right. The ball was then passed to JAPAN XV’s WTB　MATSUSHIMA. He received the ball near the 22m line on the right touchline and ran to the right center for the try. JAPAN XV failed to score the conversion goal after the try. They scored first to make the score 5-0.

9 minutes into the first half:

JAPAN XV set the pace early in the match. They made a series of attacks in the opposition’s territory, gradually advancing toward the opponent’s in-goal. Australia A was forced to commit an offside foul at 15 meters in front of the goal post. Japan XV opted to go for the PG. SO LEE made a steady kick to score the PG, and JAPAN XV made the score 8-0.

11 minutes into the first half:

From the kickoff after the PG, Australia A attacked into enemy territory, and JAPAN XV’s HIMENO　stopped the onrushing team with a tackle, but he was drawn a foul for not releasing the ball, giving them the right to score a PG. This was scored by SH　LONERGAN of Australia A made the score 8-3.

31 minutes into the first half:

Both teams traded kicks, and after several kicks were exchanged, Australia A’s FB　CAMPBELL counter-attacked from his own territory and both teams then exchanged kicks several times again. Once caught in the JAPAN XV’s defensive net, Australia A won the tight battle and attacked again in succession. FB　CAMPBELL received the ball again and ran down the left touchline to score a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 8-10 in favor of Australia A.

Nevertheless, FB　CAMPBELL is a very aggressive player who likes to counter attack. I hope he will be a rising star of RWC 2023 as a FB fantasista.

The first half ended with the score at this point, with Australia A leading by two goals.

Let the second half begin.

Player change: Australia A FB Jock CAMPBELL → Tom BANKS

4 minutes into the second half:

After the kickoff, JAPAN XV continued to attack in the enemy territory for a while. but from a scrum in Australia A ball, SH LONERGAN attempted to kick up, but JAPAN XV’s SH　SAITO successfully charged and CTB RILEY picked up the spilled ball and passed to　WTB FIFITA. He knocked on the ball.

After that, Australia A deployed to the left from their own territory, and FB BANKS made a great run and made a big gain, and got deep into the enemy territory. The ball was then passed to WTB　PIETSCH, and in front of the in-goal BANKS received a return pass and he got past two JAPAN XV day defenders and scored a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try was missed, giving Australia A 7 point lead with the score 8-15.

11 minutes into the second half:

The game was somewhat of a stalemate. Neither side was able to make any significant gains. Whenever the FW players tried to push forward with force, Australia A would stop them with a head-on collision. In any case, the atmosphere in the FW game was such that a try was unlikely to be scored.

However, JAPAN XV entered the enemy territory, and when the FWs took the game into a tight battle, they were able to score a try. However, when JAPAN XV entered the enemy territory and took the game into a tight battle, Australia A committed a “Not Roll Away” infringement. At this point, JAPAN XV chose to go for the PG. The goal was about 15 meters to the left of the goal post in the enemy territory. The SO LEE of JAPAN XV scored it. JAPAN XV was now up by 4 points, 11-15.

17 minutes into the second half.

Australia A moved into the enemy territory and continued to attack.　When Australia A spread the ball out and connected with the outermost player, JAPAN XV either broke wide or scored a try. This was a major factor in JAPAN XV’s defensive system, as they were able to use a double tackle to stop the opposing team before they could get around the opposition’s players at the line.　This is an internal team rule that the JAPAN XV defensive system uses a double tackle to stop the opposing team before they can get to a player on the other team’s line. If a player goes around to the outside, the back-up player will stop him, but basically, the team will try to crush the opponent’s attack without allowing it to develop to the outside. This approach is very physically demanding, and the defensive network tends to break down in the second half of the match. JAPAN XV’s defensive system is currently in the process of being perfected.

22 minutes into the second half:

After a period of sustained offensive pressure by Australia A, JAPAN XV was awarded a penalty kick deep into enemy territory after a foul by their opponents and JAPAN XV had the ball in their own lineout deep in enemy territory. Once the ball was secured, JAPAN XV took the lead. JAPAN XV attacked with a series of attacks centered on the rush of the FW. The Japan XV FL MICHAEL’s play stood out on this day, both in defense and in attack. He scored a try in the right center of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 18-15 to Japan XV.

25 minutes into the second half:

JAPAN XV continued to dominate the game in this period. JAPAN XV’s players continued to push forward, breaking through the opposing defense at key moments. At the 10-meter line, in the middle of the field, JAPAN XV hooker　SAKATE, a hooker for JAPAN XV, broke through the back of the Australia A defense and advanced to the 22-meter line. The ball was then passed through the middle of the field at the 10-meter line. Australia A was fouled for offsides, and PG was chosen by JAPAN XV in this position. The SO LEE converted the PG and the score was 21-15.

35 minutes left in the second half

With less than 5 minutes remaining, JAPAN XV committed a series of penalties, allowing Australia A to push up the field in front of the enemy’s in-goal.　XV almost got out of trouble a few times, but then they were penalized again.

In the end, Australia A pushed forward in a maul in front of the enemy in-goal and scored a try in the left center of the field.

At this point, the horn sounded to signal the last play of the game. At this point, the score was 21-20, and Australia A was only one point behind. SO EDMED was the man to score the final conversion goal for the comeback win. ECDMED scored from a difficult position on the left edge of the box.

With a come-from-behind win at the end of the game, Australia A looked jubilantand secured their place in the series.

Will JAPAN XV be able to make up for it in Round 3 on October 14?

I left for Tokyo from Fukuoka Airport on the same day.

The outward trip to Fukuoka took 5 hours by Shinkansen, but I arrived at Haneda Airport in 90 minutes by plane on the return trip. However, this BEST DENKI　STADIUM was located right next to the airport, so it was very convenient.

I will not be able to watch the 3rd round of the tournament with Australia A on 10/14 because it will be held on Friday. The next game will be against ALL BLACKS on 10/29 at National Stadium in Tokyo. Advance tickets are already sold out.

＊＊　ＪＥＲＳＥＹ　ＣＯＬＬＥＣＴＩＯＮ　６６　＊＊

Replica of the 2007 HONG KONG SEVENS Italy national team jersey. Manufactured by LUCY (probably a Chinese company). Purchased for 1,100 yen on Mercari. Used. The Italian national team has not achieved remarkable results in 7-man rugby, but the design and color are good, and the price was cheap, so I did not hesitate to buy it. I am glad I bought this jersey, because it seems that many people paid attention to this jersey.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

（Author: Azul, October 11, 2022）

The Japanese national rugby team has set up six matches this fall as reinforcement for RWC 2023. Below is the schedule.

(1) 10/1 – Japan XV vs. Australia A Game 1: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo

2) 10/8 Japan XV vs. Australia A Round 2: Best Denki Stadium, Fukuoka

3) 10/14 – Japan XV vs. Australia A Game 3: YODOKO Sakura Stadium, Osaka

4) 10/29 – Japan Brave Blossoms vs New Zealand All Blacks: National Stadium, Tokyo

5) 11/12 – Japan national team Brave Blossoms VS England national team: Twickenham Stadium, England

6) 11/20 – Japan national team Brave Blossoms VS France national team Les Bleus: Stadium de Toulouse, France

This is quite a gorgeous training match. The reason why we are able to organize such a training match with a rugby powerhouse is because of the achievements of Japan’s national team at RWC 2019.

On Saturday, October 1, 2022, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo to watch Japan XV vs Australia A Game 1. This match was between the Japan XV and the Australia A team, although the team names were unfamiliar to me. This match is not an official test match between the representatives of the two countries, so the players will not be given a representative CAP. In this match, the Japanese team will be the actual national team, while the Australian team will be a selected team that includes some players with national team experience.

The kickoff time for this match was 19:00. I had originally arranged to meet my friend at 18:00, but he called me and told me that the advance tickets were sold out and if we did not enter early, we would be relegated to the corner seats, so we entered at 17:30. The total number of visitors that day was 19,729.

Let me introduce the two teams playing this day.

First, let me introduce the home team, Japan XV.

Looking at Japan’s record in test matches since the RWC 2019, they have shown a gap in ability against the lower ranked countries in the world ranking, but have not been able to win against the higher ranked countries, although they have put up reasonably good fights. The main reason for this is that Japan has dropped out of strong leagues such as SUPER RUGBY, which it used to be a member of, and the national team has not been able to strengthen its athletes. Currently, the team is able to organize strengthening matches based on their performance in the previous tournament, but if they suffer a disastrous defeat at RWC 2023, they are expected to gradually become weaker. In the end, the Japan Rugby Union and its sponsors are only looking to strengthen the domestic league. Personally, I would like to see the Sun Wolves revived and re-enter Super Rugby.

Here is today’s starting lineup.

Japan XV
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Craig MILLER	186cm	116kg	31	6
2	Atsushi SAKADE	180cm	104kg	29	30
3	Yusuke KIZU	178cm	112kg	26	5
4	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	27	9
5	Sanaila WAQA	202cm	120kg	27	2
6	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	23
7	Peter LABUSCHAGNE	189cm	106kg	33	13
8	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	33	75
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	25	8
10	Hayata NAKAO	176cm	86kg	27
11	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	23	9
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	5
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	7
14	Gerhard von den HEEVER	192cm	102kg	33	3
15	Ryohei Yamanaka	188cm	98kg	34	24

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Kotaro MATSUSHIMA. 178cm, 87kg, 28 years old. At the age of 21, he participated in the RWC 2015 and has been a regular player in the Japan national team as a mainstay WTB since then. He has the decisiveness needed to be an international class WTB. Until last year, he was the main FB for Clermont, a strong team in the French professional league. He is expected to reach his peak as a player at the upcoming RWC 2023.

Next, I would like to introduce our visiting team, Australia A.

The Australia A team is the second team after the Wallabies, the Australian national team. Among the starting members, there are 8 players who have represented Australia before, and they have players who are aiming to participate in RWC 2023. Their most recent result as a team was second place at the Pacific Nations Cup, competing against Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. The team lost to Samoa. Japan will be in the same group as Samoa at RWC 2023, and will be looking for a win against Australia A.

The starting lineup for today’s match is as follows

Australia A
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Australia Caps
1	Matt GIBBON	185cm	120kg	27	2
2	Lachlan LONERGAN	180cm	100kg	22	6
3	Tom ROBERTSON	180cm	115kg	28	27
4	Nick FROST	206cm	120kg	22	5
5	Cadeyrn NEVILLE	202cm	125kg	33	2
6	Ned HANIGAN	194cm	113kg	27	25
7	Ollie CALLAN	185cm	100kg	22
8	Langi GLEESON	185m	105kg	21
9	Ryan LONERGAN	184m	80kg	24
10	Ben DONALDSON	184cm	87kg	23
11	Filipo DAUGUNU	175cm	91kg	27	7
12	Bayley KUENZLE	186cm	92kg	24
13	Hudson CREIGHTON	182cm	92kg	22
14	Suli VUNIVALU	192cm	99kg	26	1
15	Jock CAMPBELL	186cm	85kg	27

＊＊ Player to watch　＊＊

Langi GLEESON. 185 cm, 100 kg, 21 years old. No Cap for Australia. A promising young player who made his debut for the Australian Waratahs in the 2022 Super Rugby and was selected for Australia A this time after a remarkable performance. He will surely break through the opposing team’s defense. His trademark red head cap stands out in the game.

Let’s start the first half.

Kickoff for the day was at 19:00.

2 minutes into the first half：

Japan XV kicked a little bit into the enemy’s territory, and Australia A committed a foul of Not Role Away. The point of the foul was in front of the goal post, so Japan XV chose to go for the PG. Japan XV’s SO NAKAO scored the PG to put Japan XV ahead by 3 points.

6 minutes into the first half：

From the kickoff after the try, Australia A moved into enemy territory, and in a tight battle, Japan XV Lock WAQA was fouled for Not Role Away. At this point, Australia A elected to go for the PG. SH RONERGAN succeeded in this PG and the score was tied 3-3.

17 minutes into the first half：

Australia A’s offensive efforts were becoming more and more noticeable. After Japan XV was fouled for offside in the middle of their own territory, Australia A opted to go for the PG. The PG was also successful, making the score 3-6.

19 minutes into the first half：

After the PG, Japan XV kicked off in the enemy territory. Japan XV had a great chance to score when the CTB put up a short punt, and three Japan XV players ran on to win the ball. The ball went straight up the field, with only one FB on the Australia A side. FB CAMPBELL intercepted the ball clearly, ran into the back of the enemy line and ran more than 50 m. Japan XV’s SO NAKAO managed to stop him deep in his own territory. CAMPBELL’s bold interception was a surprise.

22 minutes into the first half:

Japan XV had an opportunity to take the ball out of their own line deep in the enemy territory on the right side. FL NAKAO secured the ball and raced towards the goal posts. This was blocked by Australia A, but Japan XV had a PG opportunity 5 meters in front of the goal post. SO NAKAO succeeded in this PG and the score was tied 6-6.

36 minutes into the first half:

The score was tied 6-6, but the ball was mostly controlled by Australia A. Japan XV spent most of the time on the defensive. Toward the end of the first half, however, Japan XV was finally able to mount a series of attacks in front of the enemy goal line. As a result, Japan XV had an opportunity to take a PG after an infringement in front of the goalposts. SO NAKAO scored to make the score 9-6.

The first half ended with the score 9-6 in favor of Japan XV, leaving them with a 3-point lead going into the second half.

Thanks to newly appointed defensive coach John Mitchell, Japan XV was more organized defensively than in the July match against France, but they could not attack much in the first half, which they will need to rectify for the second half.

And as for Australia A, the whole team, led by No.8 Gleeson and FB Campbell, was full of attacking spirit. I expect them to show us a great attack in the second half.

Let’s start the second half.

5 minutes into the second half:

Japan XV, perhaps reflecting on the lack of offensive time in the first half, went on the offensive right from the start of the second half. They won the scrums, drew penalties from their opponents, and gradually advanced deep into the enemy territory. From the scrum, Japan XV moved to the left, and by the time they passed to the WTB, they had enough space to score a try by WTB FIFITA in the left corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. It was the first try through both teams in the match, and the score was 14-6, giving Japan XV an 8-point lead.

8 minutes into the second half:

Australia A scored a try against their opponents.

Australia A seemed to get everyone fired up after their opponent scored a try. Anyway, Australia A did not fall down easily when they made contact. They kept going forward, and the ball kept coming to them. Finally, WTB VUNIVALU scored a try in the left center. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 14-13, and Australia A was within one point.

10 minutes into the second half:

Japan XV made two substitutions.

SH SAITO → NAGARE

FL SHIMOKAWA → HIMENO

Can these two players pull Japan XV back from a game that was leaning towards Australia A?

12 minutes into the second half:

Japan increased the tempo of their attack and launched a series of attacks deep into the enemy territory. FB　Yamanaka came very close to scoring a try, but the VTR showed the referee that it was not to be. However, before that, there was a foul on Australia A, so Japan XV chose to go for the PG from that position, and SO NAKAO succeeded in scoring. The score was 17-13.

Japan XV also made a change of players at this time.

WTB von den HEEVER → MATSUSHIMA.

Australia A also made a change of players at this time.

LO NEVILLE → SMITH

FL CALLAN → WILKIN

WTB DAUGUNU → NAWAQANTAWASE

15 minutes into the second half:

Japan XV launched a series of attacks to decide the game here. After entering the enemy territory, WTB FIFITA made a big gain on the left side of the field. Then Japan XV attacked to the right side. CTB NAKANO made an exquisite pass to WTB MATUSHIMA on the right side, and he scored a try on the right edge. The stadium was filled with excitement on the day.

The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 22-13.

18 minutes into the second half：

Immediately after the try was scored, the Australia A players all showed fighting spirit and made a series of strong contact plays. A follow-up player ran into a hole in the defense pried open by a contacted player and made a series of successful offload passes.

Finally, Australia A scored a try by FL WILKIN, who had just been replaced, right under the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-20.

21 minutes into the second half：

Australia A had their own lineout after the game resumed, and SO DONALDSON got behind the opponents’ defensive net and went straight for a big gain. He then kicked the ball towards the in-goal, where WTB NAWAQANTAWASE held the ball in the in-goal for the try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 22-27 in favor of Australia A.

33 minutes into the second half：

Some of the Japan XV players started to tire and there were some holes in the defense. Australia A’s WTB NAWAQANTAWASE made an individual break down the left flank and scored a try in the middle of the field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-34.

The score remained 22-34 until the end of the match.

Japan XV lost their first of six straight test matches.

Australia A’s offensive prowess shone through in this match. The Japan XV will play three straight matches against this opponent, so we hope that they will show the results of this day in the next week’s match.

＊＊　Jersey Collection 65　＊＊

This is a replica jersey of the Italian national team that played the opening match of the first RWC held in 1987. I think it is a reprint of the original jersey, but I bought it for 7,900 yen on Mercari because it was a faithful reproduction of the colors of the Italian national team’s jersey at that time. It is a new used item, never used.

The tag from when it was sold was attached. This jersey was a project item, yet it was priced higher than the All Blacks jerseys of the time. The All Blacks jersey, a big seller at the time, did not cost more than 10,000 yen, as I recall. However, rugby jerseys do not sell well in Japan unless the country is a powerhouse to some extent, so I think this Italian national team jersey hardly sold at all. However, the design is good, so if Italy becomes a strong rugby team in the future, I think the price will go up.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, September 30th, 2022)

Sunday, September 25, 2022

This time I went to watch the second match of the Kanto University Rugby League Group 1, between Kanto Gakuin University and Toyo University.

The venue for this match was Senario House Field Misato Stadium in Misato City, Saitama Prefecture. The distance from my home is 68 km.

It took about 90 minutes by train. However, the bus from the nearest station to the stadium was not accessible. We had to wait 45 minutes at the bus stop. From there, it took about 20 minutes to get to the stadium, totaling more than 2 hours.

This was my first visit to Misato City in Saitama Prefecture, which is lined with many small and medium-sized factories and does not have much to offer for sightseeing. This place is surrounded by big rivers, and the land is flat, so it seems to be easy to get around by bicycle. Since it is located in the suburbs of Tokyo, it seems to function as a living city.

Before the game, I would like to introduce the Kanto University Rugby League group.

Kanto University Rugby currently has two major forces. One is the rivalry group centered on Keio University, which is the root of rugby in Japan, and the other is the league group centered on Nihon University, Hosei University, Chuo University, Senshu University, etc., which were emerging powers at the time. In 2022, the league group will have 3 slots, while the rivalry group will have 5 slots.

Will the league group be able to turn things around this season?

The photo above was taken at the match between Ryutsu Keizai University (5th place last season) and Daito Bunka University (3rd place last season).

The standings of last season’s Kanto University Rugby League group were as follows.

	Kanto University Rugby League Group Order 2021
order	team	Win	Lose	Even
1	Tokai	6	0	1
2	Nihon	6	0	1
3	Daito Bunka	5	2	0
4	Kanto Gakuin	3	4	0
5	Ryutsu Keizai	3	4	0
6	Hosei	2	5	0
7	Chuo	2	5	0
8	Sensyu	0	7	0

The two lower ranked teams played a replacement match against the teams ranked 1st and 2nd in the second division. The results were

1) Chuo University vs Toyo University: Toyo University won 21-26.

2) Senshu University vs. Rissho University: Rissho University won 47-53.

Toyo University and Rissho University were promoted to the first division of the league this season.

In case you are wondering what exactly is the difference between the first and second divisions, teams in the second division are not allowed to play paid spectator games during the season. Only the players and officials of the opposing school go to the field to play the games. This is a big difference. Fans cannot go to cheer them on, and of course there is no TV broadcast. Since there is no big stage for success, players who were active in high school do not want to enter the school. It is all a vicious circle for players who want to enter a university and play an active role. However, on the other hand, for those who were not successful in high school and are from unknown schools, there is a chance to play in the games. Toyo University, which was promoted to the first division this time, is said to be the first team to be promoted in 29 years.

Let me introduce the two teams that will be playing this time.

First, let me introduce the visiting team, Kanto Gakuin University.

Last season, they finished 4th in the Kanto University Rugby League Group. Founded in 1960, Kanto Gakuin University was a prestigious team that reached the final of the University Championship for 10 consecutive years from 1997 to 2007, winning the title six times, including two consecutive championships.

However, the team entered a long period of stagnation after the coach was replaced in 2007 due to misconduct by a member of the team. There are many former national team members who supported Kanto Gakuin in its golden age, and I believe that there are many fans who are eagerly awaiting the revival of Kanto Gakuin.

Today’s starting members are as follows.

Kanto Gakuin University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Ryunosuke KODAMA	170cm	105kg	21
2	Shokei YONEI	174cm	102kg	21
3	Masato OBARA	175cm	113kg	21
4	Ryuki HANADA	185cm	103kg	20
5	Yujiro YANO	192cm	110kg	21
6	Nachi TATEKAWA	180cm	95kg	22
7	Rin MIYAGAMI	165cm	80kg	20
8	Hijiri YUITO	176cm	97kg	20
9	Kento MURATA	167cm	68kg	21
10	Daiki Tachikawa	167cm	78kg	21
11	Hiroto MARUYAMA	174cm	80kg	21
12	Takuru YAMAMURA	176cm	99kg	20
13	Mitutaka KUKISAWA	178cm	87kg	19
14	Yuki ANDO	178cm	86kg	19
15	Larry TIPOAI-LUTERU	192cm	112kg	18

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Daiki TACHIKAWA. 167 cm, 78 kg, 21 years old. He is a graduate of Saga Technical High School. His father is Takeshi TACHIKAWA, a former Japanese national rugby player (21cap for Japan). He is not very tall, but his kicking ability and control are impressive. Like his father, he went on to Kanto Gakuin University from Saga Technical High School.

Next, I would like to introduce today’s home team, Toyo University Rugby Football Club .

They have been promoted to the first division of the Kanto University Rugby League Group 1 this season after defeating the 7th-ranked Chuo University in last season’s replacement round. On September 1, their first match was held at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground. The opponent was Tokai University, last year’s league champion. Everyone involved in the tournament expected a convincing victory for Tokai University, but Toyo University unexpectedly pulled off an upset victory. It was such a Giant Killing that it became the top 3 news of this season’s university rugby. With this victory, Toyo University became the center of attention of Japanese rugby fans. We expect the crowd to grow as the team continues to win more games.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows.

Toyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Taiga Yamaguchi	168cm	106kg	21
2	Shuta Ishiyama	173cm	102kg	22
3	Makito ISHIKAWA	185cm	115kg	19
4	Lamin Dieng SAITO	185cm	102kg	22
5	Matariki CHANNINGS	195cm	122kg	20
6	Vea TANIELA	183cm	120kg	22
7	Sho TANAKA	185cm	100kg	25
8	Shu UMEMURA	183m	100kg	21
9	Yusaku KANDA	170m	80kg	23
10	Stefarhn VAHAFOLAU	188cm	97kg	20
11	Kaito SUGIMOTO	170cm	75kg	20
12	Sota YOSHIDA	187cm	93kg	22
13	Kohei TANAKA	183cm	91kg	21
14	Yohei BONDO	180cm	82kg	20
15	Takumi ISHIMOTO	171cm	81kg	21

＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊

There is actually one player in this team that rugby fans all over Japan will be interested in: Juan Oosthuyzen, 211 cm, 135 kg, 20 years old. He is from South Africa. He is the world’s tallest lock. Unfortunately, he was not even on the bench that day, so I could not take his picture. I will look forward to the next time.

If Oosthuyzen is included in this group, we have a player who is clearly huge, more than a head and a half, but he did not play this time.

Now, let’s kick off. Kickoff time was 12:30.

4 minutes into the first half:

The game started with a kickoff by Kanto Gakuin University. The wind was a little strong, and Toyo University’s side was upwind in the first half. The game proceeded in the Toyo University camp, and when the Kanto Gakuin University backs spilled the ball from a Kanto Gakuin University scrum due to a handling error, the Toyo University backs took the ball, broke away, and expanded to the right, connecting with BONDO, the right WTB, who scored a try in the right center. The conversion goal after the try was also successful. The score was 7-0, and Toyo University took the lead.

8 minutes into the first half

Kanto Gakuin University had just entered the enemy territory when a scrum on the left side of the field led to a right wing, and the right WTB ANDO made a big move forward.

From the dense crowd created there, a series of attacks developed, and the SO TACHIKAWA released the ball in front of the goal post, which was run into by the left WTB MARUYAMA, who scored a try to the left center. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 7-5.

15 minutes into the first half:

Kanto Gakuin University continued to attack in the Toyo University camp in this period. Toyo University’s defense in front of the goal did a good job of repelling the rush by the FWs, but a long pass from Kanto Gakuin University’s SO TACHIKAWA in front of the goal post was caught by the left WTB MARUYAMA, who took off two opposing defenders with individual skill and scored a try in the left center. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 7-10.

17 minutes into the first half:

Toyo University secured the ball from the kick-off after the try, and launched a series of attacks in the opponent’s territory. Toyo University secured the ball in a tight pack, and No.8 UMEMURA rolled a grounder punt in front of the goal in enemy territory. The right WTB BONDO caught the ball and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was now 12-10 in favor of Toyo University.

24 minutes into the first half:

Toyo University began to find their attacking rhythm. Consecutive attacks connected, and the time spent attacking in the enemy territory increased. They attacked left and right, gradually moving forward, and finally, with an extra man on the right side, FB Ishimoto scored a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-10.

33 minutes into the first half:

Kanto Gakuin University then scored 3 points through PGs, and in the 33rd minute of the first half, a scrum took place deep in their own territory.

From there, the ball rolled to the right and was kicked by the WTB ANDO. The ball rolled deep into the enemy territory, and Kanto Gakuin University won the ball, and flanker TATEKAWA scored the final try in the right-center in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Kanto Gakuin University was back on top this time. The score was 19-20.

38 minutes into the first half.

From a scrum almost in the center of the field, Toyo University gradually advanced through the enemy line through a series of attacks. A dense battle ensued near the goal posts, about 7 meters from the goal line, where Toyo University’s SH KANDA grabbed the ball and dodged three of Kanto Gakuin University defenders, and scored a try just below the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-20, and Toyo University was back in front.

The first half was a dizzying affair, with both teams trading points with each other. The score was 26-20, Toyo University leading Kanto Gakuin University by six points at halftime.

Now for the start of the second half.

14 and 18 minutes into the second half:

Kanto Gakuin University’s SO TACHIKAWA scored two PGs from almost halfway, a distance of almost 50 meters, to tie the score 26-26.

23 minutes into the second half:

This match had a lot to offer in terms of attacks by both teams. They repeatedly attacked in succession, exploiting their opponents’ skirmishes and advancing forward. Conversely, there were few turnovers to take the ball out of the opponent’s hands.

Toyo University repeated a series of attacks in the opponent’s territory, gradually closing in on the opponent’s goal line, and finally, from a dense battle in front of the goal line, Toyo University’s SH KANDA scored from the right center of the in-goal.　KANDA scored his second try of the day, diving into the right center of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 33-26.

27 minutes into the second half

Kanto Gakuin University’s FB Larry made a strong breakthrough and drove close to the opponent’s goal line, finally crossing the line in front of the goal. The WTB ANDO made a great individual effort to get past the defenders and score a try at the right edge of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed, making the score 33-31.

36 minutes into the second half.

Toyo University gained their own lineout 5m in front of the goal line at the right end of the enemy line due to an infringement by the opponents. Toyo University’s FWs secured the ball, and the team moved forward in a maul to score a try right in front of the opponents’ in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 38-31.

In this match, the referee calculated the loss time and extended the time remaining in the game, so the game did not end until well past the 40th minute of the second half. The last play was particularly long, and there were screams from the Toyo University fans in the stands. Well, that’s how heated the game was.

In the end, Toyo University won the match 38-31, their second consecutive win since the opening of the season. Conversely, Kanto Gakuin University has lost two straight.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, September 24th, 2022)

Kanto Intercollegiate Rugby reached its second round on September 18. This time, I watched the match between Waseda University and Tsukuba University in Group A of the Kanto Intercollegiate Rugby League. The venue this time was the Earthcare Shikishima Soccer/Rugby Stadium in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture.

The distance from Hachioji City, Tokyo, where I live, to Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, is 110 km. However, there are not many trains running on this section of road, so it took me a long time to reach my destination.

After all, there is only one train running every hour, so if you miss a train connection, it will take about an extra hour.

I left my house at 8:00 a.m. and arrived at my destination, Maebashi City, at 11:30 a.m., one hour before kickoff. I had no choice but to take a cab to the stadium because there were no buses running even though it was an hour before the game. The fare was 1,800 yen. It was an unplanned expense for transportation.

Furthermore, a typhoon had hit the Kanto area that day, so it was raining heavily. My original plan was to arrive at the stadium early and watch the game under the roof of the main stand, but it was already occupied by local spectators.

I had no choice but to watch the game on the grass in the back stand, wearing a rain coat. It had been raining for a long time, so it was physically demanding to watch the game.

Now, let me introduce today’s opposing teams.

Waseda University (2nd place last season in the league 2021) vs. University of Tsukuba (6th place last season in the league 2021)

Waseda was the better team last year, but Tsukuba has a better team this year, and according to newspaper reports before the match, a close match was expected.

Let me give you an update on both teams.

First, let me introduce the Waseda University Rugby Club, which will be the home team in this match.

The team is one of the most popular and traditional teams in Japan. The team’s attacking style is traditionally “close, continuous, and deployed”. The student team changes players every year, so the strengths of the team change from year to year, but Waseda University’s lifeblood is its development rugby, which utilizes the entire field.

Waseda’s tactic is to study the opposing team well before the match, so it will be interesting to see how they fight in the first half of the match.

The starting lineup for today’s match is as follows.

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shota IMOTO	165cm	98kg	21
2	Kenji SATO	177cm	108kg	19
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	115kg	20
4	Tomoki MAEDA	179cm	103kg	21
5	Daiki IKEMOTO	186cm	105kg	20
6	Jingo MURATA	185cm	102kg	20
7	Ken AIHARA	180cm	88kg	21
8	Masahiko SAGARA	180m	99kg	21
9	Masanori MIYAO	165m	70kg	20
10	Ko YOSHIMURA	175cm	84kg	21
11	Sena HOSOYA	162cm	63kg	20
12	Kengo NONAKA	181cm	93kg	19
13	Reo MATSUSHITA	183cm	93kg	21
14	Eito MAKI	175cm	88kg	21
15	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	22

＊＊Players to watch　＊＊

Kenji SATO. 177 cm, 108 kg, 19 years old.  Position＝Hokker, No.8. He is a graduate of Toin Gakuen High School in Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a strong player at Waseda University, where he has been a regular since his freshman year. Last season, he played as No.8, but this season, he will lead the entire FW as a hooker. How close Waseda’s FW will be to Meiji and Teikyo, which have strong FWs in the second half of the season, will rests on his shoulders.

Next, I would like to introduce the visiting team, the University of Tsukuba Rugby Club.

Developmental attack rugby, similar to that of Waseda, will be the team color of Tsukuba. The team’s characteristic is to fight through strong opponents with tenacity. This season’s team has no holes in both FW and BK, and in fact, the FW has been outstanding in recent years. Will they be able to win their matches in the rivalry group and advance to the University Championship?

Today’s starting lineup is as follows

Tsukuba University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yusaku KIHARA	176cm	108kg	21
2	Koki HIDA	178cm	104kg	21
3	Daisuke KURASAKI	179cm	105kg	21
4	Kodai Sean YOKOMIZO	187cm	88kg	20
5	Ryuto YAGISAWA	188cm	108kg	21
6	So IBARAGI	186cm	90kg	19
7	Kotaro NARAMOTO	171cm	92kg	22
8	Hayata TANIYAMA	184cm	95kg	20
9	Takuya SHIRAE	164cm	69kg	21
10	Kanjiro NARAMOTO	178cm	84kg	23
11	Ryota OHATA	174cm	77kg	20
12	Ryotaro ASAMI	178cm	90kg	20
13	So MATSUSHIMA	173cm	81kg	21
14	Ryo HAMASHIMA	175cm	70kg	18
15	Haruhiko UEMURA	177cm	80kg	21

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Ryotaro　ASAMI. 178cm, 90kg, 20 years old. Position = CTB, SO. A player who can lead the strong Tsukuba BK team and play a decisive role in scoring points in the game. He sees the breakdown of the opposing defense and uses precise passing, kicking, and running.

The match kicked off at 15:00.

2 minutes into the first half:

It was Waseda who scored the first score.

Immediately after the kickoff, both teams started cautiously, kicking the ball deep into the opponents’ territory. Waseda’s SO Yoshimura kicked the ball from deep in their own territory, and Tsukuba’s FB Uemura tried to kick it back. Waseda’s SO Yoshimura successfully charged down the ball. Waseda’s FWs rushed in and connected with the ball, and finally NO.8 Sagara scored a try right under the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda scored first to make the score 7-0.

9 minutes into the first half:

Perhaps due to the wet and muddy ground, Tsukuba was infringed for intentionally collapsing a scrum. The penalty kick was 10 meters from the goal post, so Waseda opted to go for the PG. SO Yoshimura scored the PG to make the score 10-0.

28 minutes into the first half:

Tsukuba took advantage of a lineout and a lineout.

Tsukuba was able to go toe-to-toe with Waseda in the lineout and in the densely contested battle, and were able to make some headway. However, Tsukuba was pushed down by Waseda at every scrum on the day. In last week’s match against Meiji University, they had never been pushed down so far in the scrums, so this was probably a result of Waseda’s prior research.

Then, when Waseda attacked deep into Tsukuba’s camp, Tsukuba was penalized for a high tackle. The spot where this foul was committed was also right in front of the goal post, about 15 meters away, so Waseda chose to go for the PG again. The SO Yoshimura of Waseda scored to make the score 13-0.

37 minutes into the first half:

Waseda attacked into Tsukuba’s territory, and on the right side of Tsukuba’s 22m line, Tsukuba was fouled by a scrum on their own ball. Here, Waseda again opted for the PG, and the SO Yoshimura scored it to make the score 16-0 in Waseda’s favor.

41 minutes into the first half:

Tsukuba was pushed back in the scrum and lost the ball.

Tsukuba had been creating a vicious cycle of pushing and losing in the scrums, which in turn led to mistakes in their own attack.

Deep in their own territory, Tsukuba dropped the ball, and Waseda hooker Satoh picked it up and drove straight ahead. Waseda’s Satoh did not look very fast in the way he ran, but in fact, he carried the ball deep into the opponents’ camp at speed. Waseda’s BK players connected with this ball, and finally the SH Miyao of Waseda took it into the in-goal, but Tsukuba’s defenders prevented him from doing so.

However, Tsukuba kicked the ball from the in-goal, and Waseda connected from the left edge of the enemy line. Finally, No.8 Sagara dribbled the ball with his foot, moved forward, and held it at the right side of the goal post for a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda finished the first half 23-0.

Looking back at the first half, this match was expected to be close, but as it turned out, Waseda scored one-sidedly. As for Tsukuba, they showed some good attacks at times, but they could not win the ball at all at the scrum for set plays, so they could not create their own attacking rhythm. Will Tsukuba be able to recover in the second half by taking advantage of their strengths?

Let’s start the second half.

University of Tsukuba replaced the right prop Kurasaki with Tanaka in order to regroup from the scrum that was being held up.

10 minutes into the second half.

In this period, Waseda attacked into Tsukuba’s territory and had to scrum again. Tsukuba replaced the right prop with Tanaka, but as usual, they were pushed into the field. In the ensuing scrum, Waseda made a series of handling errors, which did not lead to a score, but Tsukuba continued to barely prevent an additional score.

22 minutes into the second half:

Waseda was fouled, and Tsukuba got the ball from there. No.8 Taniyama kicked the ball from deep in his own half, and it went out beyond the opponent’s 22m line. This was the application of the 50-22 rule, and Tsukuba got the right of the lineout for their own ball deep in the right end of the opponents’ line.

Tsukuba secured their own ball, and then formed a maul to move forward at a dash. Tsukuba then ran into the in-goal and scored a try in the middle of the field on the right. The try was scored by hooker Hida. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 23-5, and Tsukuba scored their first points of the match.

31 minutes into the second half:

With the try, Tsukuba tried to move forward in a similar pattern, and had a lineout opportunity at the right end of the enemy 22m line. From there, Tsukuba again formed a maul to advance. Waseda tried to prevent Tsukuba from scoring in the same pattern, and they persisted in front of the goal. However, Tsukuba’s backs joined the maul and scored a try in the in-goal, right in the middle of the field. The try was scored by Tsukuba’s WTB Ohata. The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was 23-10.

37 minutes into the second half:

Waseda had dominated the score in the first half, but now Tsukuba had taken control of the match. This was a typical example of how a match can be unpredictable until the very end. It was interesting to watch.

Three times, Tsukuba had a chance to take the ball inside the 22-meter line. In other words, Tsukuba avoided the scrums, which were their weak point on the day, and built their attack around the lineout, which was their forte, and as a result, they pulled the game out of the game.

As for Waseda, it was humiliating to be scored three times in the same attacking style, so they were determined and wanted to stop it. However, Tsukuba advanced with this maul attack with everyone, not only the FW but also the BK. Finally, Tsukuba’s hooker Hiraisihi, who came on as a substitute, scored a try in the right center of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 23-17.

38 minutes into the second half:

With less than two minutes remaining in the half, the score was 23-17.

With less than two minutes remaining, the crowd began to murmur in unison. Would Waseda continue to dominate? Or would Tsukuba score a try and a goal to complete the comeback victory? At this point, Waseda, who had the ball at this point, tried to advance by continuously developing the ball.

When the continuous attack reached around the 5th phase, Waseda kicked the ball outward as time was running out. At that moment, the referee blew the whistle to end the game.

Waseda got their second win, albeit a hard-fought one. Tsukuba lost the match, but they got one winning point since they lost by less than seven points.

We would like to thank both teams for showing us a heated game in spite of the bad weather.

＊＊ Jersey Collection 64　＊＊

2019 RWC England jersey replica. Classic style long sleeve jersey. Embroidered on the right sleeve with the RWC 2003 winning cup. Made by Canterbury of New Zealand. I got it on Mercari for ¥3,980.00. The price of the 2019 RWC replica jersey has been slow to drop, but it has finally come down to ¥3,980. I personally think around 4,000 yen is a fair price for a used jersey.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, September 17th, 2022)

The 2022-2023 Japanese rugby season began on September 10, 2022. First, the official domestic university rugby season began. From this day, university rugby clubs are divided into groups to play official matches, and the top school among them will be able to participate in the National University Rugby Championship to be held from mid-December.

This time, I watched a match of Kanto University Rugby Group A. It was the opening match of the season. This day was the opening match. The memorable opening card was University of Tsukuba vs Meiji University.

The venue was Komazawa Park Athletic Stadium in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. From my house, I take the train from Hachioji Station to Shinjuku Station, then to Shibuya Station, and finally to Komazawa University Station. It takes about 2 hours one way. After getting off the train at Komazawa University Station, it takes about 10 minutes to walk to the venue.

After getting off the train, we entered Komazawa Park and walked around the park.

It was mid-September, but it was still hot. The maximum temperature rose to 31 degrees Celsius. If we were not careful, we were likely to suffer heat stroke.

We finally arrived at the Komazawa Park Athletic Field.

Before the game, I would like to check the ranking of Group A of the Kanto University Rugby Tournament last season.

	Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group A　Order 2021
order	team	Win	Lose
1	Teikyo	7	0
2	Waseda	6	1
3	Meiji	5	2
4	Keio	4	3
5	Nippon Sport Science	3	4
6	Tsukuba	2	5
7	Aoyama Gakuin	1	6
8	Rikkyo	0	7

From this group, the top five schools will advance to the University Championship.

Last season, Tsukuba University finished in 6th place and failed to qualify for the University Championship due to a late game setback.

Now, let me introduce both teams before the match.

First, let us talk about the University of Tsukuba Rugby Club.

Tsukuba University is the strongest team among Japan’s national universities, both in name and reality, and was the runner-up in the 2012 National University Championship. The team is characterized by strong FW scrums and fast development of BK players. The University of Tsukuba is located in Ibaraki Prefecture, and teams from this area, both high school and university, are known for their skillful handling. When watching the matches, one is impressed by their creative play.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows：

Tsukuba University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yusaku KIHARA	176cm	108kg	21
2	Koki HIDA	178cm	104kg	21
3	Masato TANAKA	182cm	107kg	21
4	Kenkichi YANAGAWA	188cm	100kg	20
5	Ryuto YAGISAWA	188cm	108kg	21
6	So IBARAGI	186cm	90kg	19
7	Kodai Sean YOKOMIZO	187cm	88kg	20
8	Hayata TANIYAMA	184cm	95kg	20
9	Takuya SHIRAE	164cm	69kg	21
10	Kanjiro NARAMOTO	178cm	84kg	23
11	Ryota OHATA	174cm	77kg	20
12	Ryotaro ASAMI	178cm	90kg	20
13	So MATSUSHIMA	173cm	81kg	21
14	Ryo HAMASHIMA	175cm	70kg	18
15	Kenshin TAKADA	173cm	78kg	22

＊＊　 Playerｓ to watch 　＊＊

Hayata TANIYAMA. 184 cm, 95 kg, 20 years old. Position = FL, No. 8, CTB. 2019 high school representative for Japan. He participated in the 2019 Japan High School Team tour to Wales. He has been playing as a No.8 this season, and his ability to break through is outstanding, and his movements stand out in the game. He is a player with great promise for the future.

Next, I would like to talk about the Meiji University Rugby Club.

The team is one of the top university teams in Japan in terms of tradition, popularity, and ability. Traditionally, the team’s colors are based on a strong front line, but this season, the team will also refine its BK development ability, led by captain ISHIDA, a WTB who represented the 7-man Olympic team.

Today’s starting members are as follows：

Meiji University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kosei NAKAMURA	183cm	112kg	21
2	Junichiro MATSUSHITA	173cm	87kg	21
3	Keijiro TAMEFUSA	180cm	115kg	21
4	Reijiro YAMAMOTO	190cm	107kg	20
5	Senfu KAMEI	193cm	106kg	27
6	Yuta MORIYAMA	185cm	96kg	21
7	Daiki ISHIURA	178cm	100kg	20
8	Taishiro KIDO	185m	96kg	20
9	Shu HAGIWARA	173m	78kg	21
10	Kotaro ITO	175cm	84kg	20
11	Yuta AKIHAMA	174cm	84kg	20
12	Yuya HIROSE	179cm	93kg	21
13	Takaya SAITO	181cm	93kg	21
14	Kotaro HARAGUCHI	181cm	90kg	21
15	Kohei YASUDA	181cm	86kg	20

＊＊　Playerｓ to watach　＊＊

Kotaro ITO. 175 cm, 84 kg, 20 years old. He has been a regular player as the control tower of Meiji University’s BK since last season. He is a very talented player, not only in passing and kicking as a SO, but also in breaking through with the ball in his own hands.　Teikyo’s TAKAMOTO, Tokai’s MUTO and Steelers’ LI, there are strong rivals in the same generation. Can he lead Meiji University to the top this season?

Let’s take a look at today’s matches.

University of Tsukuba is a regular team in the University Championship, but last season, they finished 6th in the rivalry group and failed to qualify for the championship for the first time in four seasons. Therefore, the University of Tsukuba will have to play against top-ranked teams continuously from the beginning of the season, and will have to be in top condition from the beginning of the season. This team condition was reflected in the morale of the players, and the match turned out to be a heated affair with much to see and do.

The game started at 12:30.

5 minutes into the first half:

Meiji kicked off to start the match. In the early stages of the match, Tsukuba and Meiji were evenly matched in a densely contested match. Both teams were falling off the ball due to handling errors, and both sides were turning the ball over and switching offensively and defensively at a dizzying pace. However, these attacks and defenses took place in Tsukuba’s territory, and Meiji was pushing. Meiji moved forward in the form of a series of dense battles with different points. Meiji formed a dense battle in front of the in-goal at the left end of Tsukuba’s camp, and SO Itoh, who was positioned near the line, ran to the opposite side, received the ball, and jumped into the left end of the in-goal to score a try. The conversion goal after the try was successful. The score was 7-0, and Meiji scored first.

9 minutes into the first half:

From the kick-off after the try, Tsukuba attacked into the Meiji camp and gradually advanced. In addition, the University of Tsukuba team’s characteristic skillful passing and imaginative running captivated the crowd.

After Meiji was fouled for offsides, Tsukuba was able to kick for touch. From there, they won the ball from their own lineout, and closed in on the Meiji side’s in-goal. Tsukuba’s maul led to a ruck, and the FWs connected with a side-attack, and finally, prop KIHARA scored a try in the middle of the left field. The score was tied 7-7 after the conversion goal.

24 minutes into the first half:

Tsukuba kicked the ball from their own territory deep into the Meiji camp, and Tsukuba’s WTB OHATA made a spirited pursuit to bring the teams into a tight battle. Meiji committed a foul here, and Tsukuba opted for the PG. It was a relatively easy PG, about 20m in front of the field, but the kicker, FB　Takada missed.

34 minutes into the first half:

Both teams repeatedly mixed their attacks with kicks, and the game often switched between offense and defense. Tsukuba showed tenacious defense, and even after being overtaken by their opponents, they chased after them from behind and flicked the ball away on several occasions. Tsukuba formed a ruck near the center of the Meiji camp, where Meiji committed a foul by falling down. Tsukuba chose to go for the PG, and from about 30 meters away in front of the goal, FB　Takada kicked it. However, the PG was also unsuccessful.

36 minutes into the first half:

After a kicking duel between the two teams, a lineout was created in Meiji’s possession, but Tsukuba fought back and succeeded in taking the ball. Tsukuba kicked the ball and 　while Meiji’s FB YASUDA was slow in handling the ball kicked by Tsukuba, Tsukuba’s defense caught up with him and brought them into a densely contested battle. Meiji was fouled, and Tsukuba opted for a penalty kick, which they kicked to the goal line in front of the enemy’s goal to gain their own lineout. Tsukuba won the ball, and a maul led to a ruck, but they were able to get close to the enemy’s in-goal, and finally, CTB ASAMI showed great body control, dodging 4 or 5 men in a tight pack and scoring a try in the middle of the field on the right. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 12-7, and Tsukuba finally overturned Meiji.

39 minutes into the first half:

The first half ended on a sour note for Meiji, but from this point on, Meiji’s BKs used the ground widely on both sides of the field to launch a development attack.

The ball was kicked back by Tsukuba deep into the Meiji camp, and Meiji’s WTB Akihama caught the ball at the left end. From the tight pack that formed at this point, Meiji deployed the ball far to the left, and flanker MORIYAMA took over on the left edge.　

From the crowd here, Meiji moved to the right and CTB　SAITO received the ball and cut in and scored a try at the right side of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-14, and Meiji was back in front by the end of the game.

46 minutes in the first half:

The first half did not end well as there seemed to be a lot of lost time. In such a situation, Meiji got a scrum in front of the goal post in the enemy’s territory. Tsukuba pushed back the scrum, but Meiji’s SO ITOH easily got out of the scrum and scored a try in the left center of Tsukuba’s in-goal. It was the second try of the day for ITOH. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 12-19, and Meiji led by 7 points at the end of the first half.

At this point, it was half time. Against Tsukuba’s high morale, Meiji made many small mistakes, which led to a number of goals. Tsukuba also missed two relatively easy PGs, which was regrettable.

This was a good game, befitting of the opening match of the Kanto University Rugby season. Expectations are high for the second half.

11 minutes into the second half:

Tsukuba attacked into the enemy territory and made steady progress, coming very close to the Meiji side goal posts. From a tight battle, the FWs repeatedly attacked on the flanks and came close to scoring in-goal, but Meiji was able to repel the attack. From there, the ball was turned to the right and Tsukuba’s CTB ASAMI received it and scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right side. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was tied 19-19.

17 minutes into the second half:

Tsukuba kept the ball and continued to attack in succession, gradually making progress. Tsukuba kicked the ball deep into their own territory, but Meiji caught the ball deep in their own territory. From there, Meiji’s SO ITOH dodged the opposing defense and made a huge gain on the right side. Finally, FB YASUDA caught the ball, ran through and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal. Meiji also scored the conversion goal after the try, making the score 26-19.

The decisive work here was done by Meiji’s SO Itoh, who was excellent at finding holes in the opposition’s defense, but also had a remarkable ability to dash past the defense and get to top speed.

20 minutes into the second half:

Immediately after Meiji’s try, Tsukuba attacked into the opponent’s territory and had a PG opportunity about 15 meters to the left of the goal post in the opponent’s territory. FB　Takada made the important PG to make the score 26-22. Tsukuba needed only one more try to pull away from the deficit.

31 minutes into the second half:

After Meiji attacked deep into their own territory, Tsukuba got their own ball from a scrum.　Tsukuba’s inside CTB MATSUSHIMA advanced with skillful running. The team became dense at this point, and outside CTB ASAMI kicked the ball out of the dense pack for a long kick. The kick by ASAMI was kicked from his own line, so he was able to take advantage of the new 50-22 rule and get his own ball out beyond the enemy 22m line, a super move by CTB ASAMI.

From this point, Tsukuba made a series of attacks deep in the enemy territory. Several times, they came close to the goal line, but they just could not break through Meiji’s last defensive net.

36 minutes into the second half:

Both teams exchanged kicks, and this time, Meiji took the right to attack when they went deep into Tsukuba’s territory.

Meiji secured the ball from the lineout, and quickly moved it to the right side. Once Tsukuba’s defense got involved, they formed a dense formation, and here, Meiji’s SH　HAGIWARA broke out of the side of the dense group, and WTB ISHIDA followed him. Finally WTB ISHIDA received the pass from the SH Hagiwara and scored a try just below the goal post. The try by ISHIDA, the captain of the Meiji team, raised the morale of the team to a new high. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 33-22.

In the end, the score remained the same, and the game came to an end, giving Meiji University their first win of the season. However, it was a also a great game as Tsukuba University showed their persistence to win until the very end of the match. We look forward to seeing Tsukuba University continue to build up their game against the higher ranked teams in the early rounds of the Kanto University rivalry group.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

（Author: Azul, August 28, 2022）

The final game of this summer’s four-game series for the Japanese women’s national rugby team against the Irish women’s national team was held on August 27, 2022. On this day, the maximum temperature during the day reached 34 degrees Celsius. Naturally, it was also a night game. Kickoff was at 19:00.

The venue for the match was Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Last week’s match had less than 1,000 spectators, which was a bit sad, but on this day, 4,569 spectators gathered, which was about the same number as a regular match in League One.

In the first test match against the Irish national team, the score was 22-57, and SAKURA 15 suffered a heavy defeat. In the process, several issues were revealed that need to be corrected.

(1) When the Irish team attacked a maul in front of the in-goal, could the team, SAKURA 15, stop the maul attack? In the first test match, four tries were scored by the maul attacks of Irish National team.

(2) The Irish team scored two tries in a row by sign play in the BK attack (both CTBs crossed dummies, then the FBs joined the line and deployed the attack).

(3) SAKURA 15 had a 50% success rate for their own ball lineout at the set play, but can they improve on this?

SAKURA 15 had one week to recover from the defeat in the first test match, so they will need to show effective countermeasures against the same kind of attack by the Irish team as last week.

Here are the latest information updates on both teams.

First, let me introduce the visiting team, the Irish team.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows

Ireland
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Caps
1	Laura Feely	173cm	89kg	33	23
2	Neve Jones	157cm	70kg	25	12
3	Linda Djougang	168cm	86kg	26	23
4	Hanna Oconnor	175cm	87kg	34	13
5	Nichola Fryday	175cm	87kg	27	28
6	Jo Brown	170cm	86kg	32	7
7	Edel McMahon	163cm	72kg	28	20
8	Grace Moore	173m	80kg	26	4
9	Ailsa Hughes	163m	68kg	31	15
10	Dannah O’Brien	168cm	71kg	18	1
11	Aoife Doyle	163cm	64kg	27	11
12	Enya Breen	173cm	80kg	23	15
13	Aoife Dalton	157cm	65kg	19	1
14	Natasja Behan	170cm	71kg	22	1
15	Méabh Deely	164cm	67kg	22	1

＊＊ Players to watch out for ＊＊

Nichola Fryday. 175 cm, 87 kg, 27 years old. Position = lock. She started playing rugby in her sophomore year of college. However, just two years later, she became a member of the Irish national team, and this year, at the age of 27, she became the captain of the Irish national team. She is the spiritual pillar leading the strong FW of the Irish national team.

Next, I would like to introduce the Japanese national team SAKURA 15.

In the four consecutive test matches this summer, the team has so far won one game and lost two. This final match is a crucial point for SAKURA 15. Today’s starting members are as follows.

SAKURA 15
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Caps
1	Saki MINAMI	163cm	70kg	26	24
2	Nijiho NAGATA	162cm	79kg	21	7
3	Makoto LAVEMAI	167cm	91kg	25	16
4	Maki TAKANO	170cm	77kg	27	15
5	Yuna SATO	170cm	75kg	25	5
6	Seina SAITO	164cm	72kg	32	30
7	Iroha NAGATA	167cm	70kg	25	14
8	Ayano NAGAI	168cm	84kg	21	9
9	Megumi Abe	147cm	53kg	26	9
10	Ayasa OTSUKA	163cm	63kg	23	8
11	Komachi IMAKUGI	158cm	62kg	20	8
12	Sione NAKAYAMA	166cm	70kg	23	6
13	Mana FURUTA	167cm	69kg	26	13
14	Hinano NAKURA	170cm	75kg	27	9
15	Rinka MATSUDA	170cm	75kg	20	4

＊＊ Players to watch out for　＊＊

Saki MINAMI. 163 cm, 70 kg, 26 years old. Position = prop. Japan national team caps = 24 caps. captain of Japan national team. Japan’s women’s rugby team suffered a disastrous defeat in the seven-a-side competition at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, and attention to women’s rugby has been quickly toned down in Japan. However, their historic win against Australia in the 2022 Test match brought them back into the spotlight, but there was no TV coverage of that match. Because no one expected that victory beforehand. Whether or not women’s rugby will attract more attention in the future will depend on how the women’s RWC match in NZ in October turns out, starting with this match. Will the SAKURA 15’s MINAMI, captain of SAKURA 15, can lead her team to victory?

Let the games begin.

SAKURA 15 vs Ireland national team, kickoff at 19:00. The temperature was 30 degrees Celsius at night, and it was a tropical night.

3 minutes into the first half

SAKURA 15 kicked off the game. The Irish national team won the ball from a dense battle in their own half, and SO O’Brien kicked for touch. This went off the line just beyond the enemy 22m line. This was a 50-22 rule, and the Irish team had their own lineout deep in enemy territory, with SO O’Brien showing great skill. The Irish team won the ball there and started their signature maul attack. Even the Japanese blindside FW joined the maul. The Irish SH Hughes passed to WTB Behan in front of the in-goal and Behan scored a try. After the try, the conversion attempt failed. The score was 0-5, and the first point was scored by the Irish national team.

As a result, SAKURA 15 lost a point from a maul attack by the Irish national team. Will SAKURA 15 be able to recover from this?

16 minutes into the first half

SAKURA 15 got deep into the enemy territory, and their scrums stabilized and they gradually took control of the game. From the scrum, the ball developed to the right side, and when it was passed to the SO OTSUKA, she found space in the opposing defense and slid into the right center of the opponents’ in-goal, scoring a try. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was tied 5-5.

20 minutes into the first half

SAKURA 15 was pinned down by a maul attack by the Irish team near their own 22m line. The score was tied 5-5. SAKURA 15 stopped the advance of the other team’s maul, and was able to hold off a series of attacks by the Irish team.

34 minutes in the first half

SAKURA 15 got into the enemy’s territory, and was able to control the ball for a long period of time. SAKURA 15 continued to attack deep into the enemy territory and continued to attack deep into the enemy territory and drew an offside foul from the Irish team at the 22-meter line in front of the goal post. Here, SAKURA 15 showed a signature play. From this point, the SH passed to the SO at the right side, where FB　MATSUDA ran to the opposite side, received the ball, and advanced. MATSUDA ran past two Irish defenders and scored a try in the middle of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-5, and SAKURA 15 took the lead.

The first half ended with SAKURA 15 leading with the same score. It was significant that they were able to stop the maul attack of the Irish national team, which they had been unable to stop at all in the first test match.

It was half time here.

My seats today were in this area. With the exception of some parts of the main stand, the seating was mostly unreserved. Hence, I had to arrive about an hour before kickoff to get a better position to take pictures. If you are relegated to a seat too far back, it is difficult to take good pictures.

An unusual event took place at halftime. It was the awarding ceremony of representative caps to the past Japanese women’s national team players. I had no idea that women’s national team players had not been given national caps until now. The women’s RWC started in 1991, and at that time, the women’s team members participated in the event at their own expense. I would like to pay tribute to those who have supported women’s rugby for more than 30 years after that through harsh treatment.

With this cap awarding ceremony, this day became a historic anniversary for women’s rugby in Japan.

And the second half began.

9 minutes into the second half

SAKURA 15 had the longer possession of the ball in this match. SAKURA 15 has been struggling in the lineout, but has the upper hand in the scrums. SAKURA 15 deployed from their own line, the SO OTSUKA got behind the enemy defense, and connected directly with the WTB NAKURA. She was close to the enemy’s in-goal. After that, in a tight battle in front of the goal, the FWs of SAKURA 15 attacked in succession, and finally, the SHs moved to the right, and a skip pass from the SO led to the ball to the WTB NAKURA. She scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal, dragging one defensive player behind her. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 17-5.

15 minutes into the second half.

While the Irish national team continued to attack in the opponent’s territory, the prop SAKOH who was substituted at SAKURA 15　succeeded in winning the ball in a dense area. SAKURA 15 attempted to attack from there, expanding to the left. The ball was passed to FB　MATSUDA, who ran along the left touchline, and she handoffed the defenders and played them away. MATSUDA ran into the enemy in-goal and scored a try in the middle of the left field. The crowd was on their feet and screaming. This scene was the most exciting of the day. The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was 22-5.

19 minutes into the second half:

The Irish national team continued their attack in the enemy territory, and once they were close to the opponent’s in-goal. SAKURA 15 committed an infringement and the Irish team opted for a penalty kick. From the lineout, the Irish team attempted a maul attack. SAKURA 15 stopped Ireland’s advance for a moment, However, the Irish team again moved forward with a maul attack, and scored a try right in the middle of the field. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 22-10.

First 25 minutes of the first half:

After a kicking battle between the two teams, SAKURA 15’s SO　OTSUKA kicked a touch kick to the right side of the enemy 22m line. SAKURA 15 attacked deep into the enemy territory. The lineout was Ireland’s ball, but when the ball was spilled, SAKURA 15 picked up the ball and led a series of attacks. SAKURA 15 attacked in front of the enemy’s in-goal, and the FWs took turns to attack in succession. SAKURA 15’s prop KATOH, who came on as a substitute, scored a try in the middle of the left field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 29-10.

SAKURA 15 dominated the game from this point on, and the match ended with the score at 29-10.

In the second test, one week after the heavy defeat in the first test match, SAKURA 15 scored a perfect victory against the Irish national team. The comeback was nothing short of spectacular. I would like to give a round of applause to SAKURA 15’s head coach Makkenzie and captain MINAMI. This day, August 28, 2022, was an unforgettable historical day for the Japanese women’s national rugby team.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

（Author: Azul, August 26, 2022）

On August 20, 2022, the Japanese women’s national rugby team: SAKURA 15 played their third test match of the summer against the Irish women’s national team. The previous test match against the South African Women’s National Team resulted in a win and a loss, but what will happen in the match against the Irish Women’s National Team?

The venue this time was the Ecopa Stadium in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture. On this day, too, the match will start at 19:00, which is a night time event. If the game starts at 19:00, the game will end at 22:00, so it will be difficult to catch a train back home. During the RWC, many international supporters had to arrange accommodations in Shizuoka Prefecture to be able to watch the games with peace of mind. This is something that needs to be improved in the future.

This time, I drove my car from my home in Hachioji City to the stadium. The one-way trip was 210 km, and it took me 3.5 hours on the highway.

On a side note, I found an unusual information board at an expressway SA in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The picture above is a guide to what to do in case of an accident at a nuclear power plant. The Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station is located in Shizuoka Prefecture. The sign warns of the consequences in the event of a major Tokai earthquake, which is expected to occur in the near future, causing a radiation leak at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station. The national and local governments are preparing to respond to the situation, but it is a bit scary.

I left home at 14:00 and arrived at the ECOPA stadium at 17:45.

The good thing about the Ecopa stadium is that there are many parking lots and the fee is free. The Kumagaya Rugby Stadium charged 3,000 yen for 3 hours, which is as expensive as a first-class parking lot in the city center, but I think it is a little too expensive.

For rugby fans around the world, this stadium is famous for “SHIZUOKA SHOCK”. This is the stadium where the Irish national team, ranked second in the world, suffered an upset loss to the Japanese national team in the RWC 2019.

The statue in the photo above was made to commemorate the match. This time, the women’s national teams of both countries were to play each other in the same stadium.

I arrived at the stadium at almost 6 p.m., but it was still early evening.

The seating capacity of the ECOPA Stadium is 45,000. What kind of game will they play?

Let me introduce the two teams playing today.

First, let me introduce the visiting team, the Women’s Ireland National Team.

As of August 21, the Irish national team is ranked 7th in the world. Unfortunately, they will not be able to participate in the Women’s RWC this fall, as they were defeated in the European qualifying round.

This day’s starting lineup were as follows.

Ireland
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Ireland Caps
1	Linda Djougang	168cm	86kg	26	22
2	Neve Jones	157cm	70kg	25	11
3	Katie O’Dwyer	170cm	87kg	31	10
4	Nichola Fryday	175cm	87kg	27	27
5	Sam Monaghan	183cm	88kg	29	9
6	Dorothy Wall	175cm	82kg	22	15
7	Edel McMahon	163cm	72kg	28	19
8	Hannah O’Connor	175m	81kg	32	12
9	Ailsa Hughes	163m	68kg	31	14
10	Dannah O’Brien	168cm	71kg	18	0
11	Aoife Doyle	163cm	64kg	27	10
12	Enya Breen	173cm	80kg	23	14
13	Aoife Dalton	157cm	65kg	19	0
14	Natasja Behan	170cm	71kg	22	0
15	Méabh Deely	164cm	67kg	22	0

This year’s team was basically made up of members with an eye on the RWC to be held in four years. Four of the starters would be making their first caps. This was a team that encourages young members to gain experience and grow. If the Japanese national team, which will be competing against a superior team, will be able to take advantage of this, it will be in this area.

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Dannah O’Brien is 18 years old, 168 cm, 68 kg. At 18 years of age, she is a promising young player who will play a key role as a game-maker for the Irish national team. Her calm play and accurate place kicking, which belies her age, led to her selection for this year’s tournament.

Next, I would like to introduce the home team, the Japanese women’s national team, SAKURA 15.

This is their third test match this summer, and they will play a match against a superior team, the Irish national team. Unlike the previous years, the team was able to organize four strengthening matches in Japan just before the RWC, which is a big step forward for the strengthening system. Rugby is a sport in which Giant Killing is not likely to occur, and this test match is expected to be a tough one. The test matches on this day are expected to be tough. We hope that this strengthening match will be a step forward, and we look forward to a good fight in the RWC.

Today’s starting members are as follows

SAKURA 15
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Saki MINAMI	163cm	70kg	26	23
2	Nijiho NAGATA	162cm	79kg	21	6
3	Yuka SADAKA	167cm	91kg	27	10
4	Kie TAMAI	168cm	78kg	29	11
5	Maki TAKANO	170cm	77kg	27	14
6	Misaki Suzuki	164cm	66kg	30	29
7	Kyoko HOSOKAWA	164cm	70kg	23	5
8	Ayano NAGAI	168cm	84kg	21	8
9	Moe TSUKUI	153cm	53kg	22	17
10	Ayasa OTSUKA	163cm	63kg	23	7
11	Komachi IMAKUGI	158cm	62kg	20	7
12	Sione NAKAYAMA	166cm	70kg	23	5
13	Rinka MATSUDA	170cm	75kg	20	3
14	Riho KUROKI	165cm	65kg	24	11
15	Ria ANOKU	160cm	60kg	25	6

＊＊ Players to watch ＊＊

Rinka MATSUDA. 170cm, 75kg, 20 years old. Although she is only 20 years old, she is a mainstay of the Japan national team with excellent running, defensive, and breakthrough ability. Her hard tackling as a last-resort FB shown in the first test match made a strong impression on the rugby people. She did a number of jobs to finish off opponents who were rushing forward at an accelerated pace with a single shot by herself alone. Her father, Tsutomu Matsuda, was a famous player who participated in three RWCs. We look forward to her future development as a representative player of Japan.

Now, here is my report on this match.

Despite the large stadium, the Ecopa Stadium, the attendance on the day of the match was a bit sad, with only about 1,000 spectators. The start time of the game and the surrounding accommodations need to be improved. If this were a professional team’s game, the venue rental fee would have exceeded the admission fee revenue by a large margin.

So, let the match begin.

I thought that SAKURA 15 would be pushed from the beginning of the match against the Irish team, which is a higher ranked team, but the first team to take the lead was SAKURA 15.

3 minutes into the first half

As you can see from the list of starters, the Irish national team was a bit taller than Japan in both average height and weight of FWs. Knowing this, after the kickoff, the FWs attempted a power breakthrough. However, SAKURA 15 connected the ball well and gradually made progress in the enemy’s territory. From a penalty by the opponent, SAKURA 15 got into a tight battle in front of the goal post in the enemy camp, and finally flanker Suzuki scored a try just below the goal post. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 7-0. SAKURA 15 was able to take the lead.

5 minutes in the first half：

From the kick-off after the try, the Irish national team attacked into the Japanese camp, but were repeatedly fouled at important points and pushed back to the center line area. From there, SAKURA 15 caught the ball in the lineout, and spread it to the left. No.8 Nagai cut inside and made a big step forward. The ball was passed to CTB　Matsuda, then to WTB　Imakugi, who then made a great run to the in-goal. Imakugi scored a neat try in the left center of the in-goal. After the try, the conversion goal failed. The score was 12-0 and SAKURA 15 extended their lead.

11 minutes into the first half:

SAKURA 15 was pushed a little in set plays at scrums and lineouts. However, when they were able to get their own ball as a result, SAKURA 15’s attack connected and they were able to make a big gain. The ball was connected in a tight battle just inside the enemy territory, and again SAKURA 15 advanced into the Irish territory, right up to the goal posts. At this point, the Irish team committed an infringement, and SAKURA 15 selected PG. The SO　Otsuka of SAKURA 15 scored to make the score 15-0.

17 minutes into the first half

The Irish national team, hoping to recover from their poor start, got deep into Japan’s territory and won the ball from a lineout on their own. The Irish team managed to get deep into Japan’s territory, and after winning the ball from a lineout on their own line, they formed a maul to push forward, then scored a try. The SO O’Brien scored the conversion goal after the try to make the score 15-7.

22 minutes into the first half.

Around this time, the Irish national team began to gradually increase their attack as their set pieces became more consistent. From a scrum on their own ball in the opposition territory, the Irish team’s inside CTB　Dalton dummied outside CTB　Breen as a dummy and cut to the outside. She then connected with FB Deely who joined the line, and finally WTB Doyle received the ball and scored a try at the left edge of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed.

The score was 15-12.

30 minutes into the first half.

Here was a bit of a surprise. The Irish team had just entered the enemy territory, almost at the halfway mark, when they were fouled by their opponents. The Irish team opted to go for the PG. The distance was about 45 meters. Even the men’s national team players were not sure if they would be able to get in at this distance, but No. 8 O’Connor attempted it.

The result was a miss, but she almost made it. The power of the Irish team was astonishing.

41 minutes into the first half:

After the horn sounded for the last play, Ireland went on the offensive. The Irish team moved in on the opposition’s in-goal, where they attacked with a series of attacks using their strong front line players. In the end, the Irish team deployed to the right from a tight group, and CTB　Dalton broke through the opposition’s  defense and scored a try right in the middle of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-19, and the Irish national team succeeded in making a comeback.

Looking back at the first half, SAKURA 15 dominated until the 11th minute. Since the Irish national team had a team composition including many players in their first cap, I thought it would be an easy win for SAKURA 15, or so I I thought it would be an easy win for SAKURA 15. However, from then on, the Irish national team dominated the game from start to finish, and SAKURA 15 was almost on the defensive. Can SAKURA 15 turn the tide in the second half?

Let’s start the second half.

2 minutes into the second half

SAKURA 15 wanted to break the bad trend that had continued from the first half, but it was the Irish team again that scored the first score.

The game started with a kickoff by the Irish team, and Japan committed a foul in the first corner. The Irish team won the ball in their own lineout, and again formed a maul to push forward and score an easy try. The try was scored by Irish hooker Jones, her second of the day. The conversion attempt after the try failed, making the score 15-24.

13 minutes into the second half.

The Irish national team had a scrum in the enemy territory, and drew an infringement from SAKURA 15. From there, the Irish team opted for a penalty kick, which resulted in a lineout for their own ball. SAKURA 15 was then left helpless against the Irish team, and a maul led to a try. The try was scored by hooker Jones, her third try of the day. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-31.

On this day, the Irish national team created a scoring pattern of penalty, lineout, maul, and try in enemy territory, which SAKURA 15 could do nothing about. SAKURA 15 was in a vicious circle.

17 minutes into the second half:

SAKURA 15 wanted to increase their attacking time, as their attack was working well on this day, but they were behind at every set play. However, they were unable to win the ball as they were behind at every set-piece.

In contrast, Ireland’s national team was able to get on the board from a BK attack near the halfway mark, with FB　Deely, with perfect timing, joined the attack and ran in on her own, scoring a try in the middle left of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-38.

This Irish try was almost the same signature play as the 23rd minute play in the first half, so I wanted SAKURA 15 to respond! The score was 15-38 in the second half.

22 minutes into the second half:

 SAKURA 15 finally got the ball and made a series of attacks.

At this time, SAKURA 15 finally secured the ball and made a series of attacks. SAKURA 15’s rhythm of attack was created by the SH Abe, who came in as a substitute, and they gradually advanced. SAKURA 15 induced an infringement by the opponent in front of the goal post in the enemy’s territory, and from there the SH Abe quickly propelled the ball forward. The SH Abe quickly connected the ball to prop Lavemai. She rushed into the in-goal and scored a try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-38.

29 minutes into the second half

SAKURA 15 was holding their own ball in their own territory and attacking continuously. When the So of SAKURA 15 tried to kick the ball out of the pack, The ball bounced out of the pack and was charged down by lock Monaghan of the Irish national team and the prop Pierce of the Irish national team scored a try in the left in-goal. The conversion goal failed after the try. The score was 22-43.

32 minutes into the second half.

The Irish national team was able to get a little further into the enemy territory and formed a tight group from which the WTB McCabe took the ball out and scored a try in the in-goal in the middle of the right field. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 22-50.

39 minutes into the second half.

The Irish national team took a big lead with a big score and kept their concentration even in the final minutes of the match. The Irish national team entered the enemy territory, approached the opponent’s in-goal through fouls, etc., and repeated a series of attacks by the FWs in a dense area. In the end, Ireland’s hooker Hooban scored a try in the middle right of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the final score was 22-57. The Irish national team won their first test match.

The SAKURA 15 team had a tough time, but they will be looking forward to the second test match on August 27th, and hope to make the most of the lessons learned from this match to get back on track. The night game at the Ecopa Stadium was also a tough one for the SAKURA 15 team.

After the night game at the Ecopa Stadium, I headed back home, leaving at 21:30 and arriving home at 25:30. I was caught in a late-night construction traffic jam on the way home, which was a bit of a miscalculation. But for a game like this one, I think it would be more exciting to stay at a local hotel and discuss the game with my friends.

＊＊ Jersey Collection 63　＊＊

Replica of France national rugby team 2nd jersey. Made by adidas. Sold for 5,900 yen on Yahoo! Auctions. I had a jersey of almost similar design, but the color of the FFR patch on the chest was different, so I bought it without hesitation. Whenever I see a jersey from the days when Sergiye Blanco, a player I admire, was wearing it, I want to have it.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, July 31, 2022)

The Japan men’s national rugby team finished its season with a test match against France in July. Just when we thought we would not be able to see any rugby matches in Japan for a while. However, Japan Women’s National Rugby Team has scheduled 4 test matches in July and August. The schedule is as follows

July 24: Japan vs South Africa (Kamaishi, Iwate)

July 30: Japan vs. South Africa (Kumagaya, Saitama)

Aug. 20: Japan vs Ireland (Fukuroi, Shizuoka)

Aug. 27: Japan vs Ireland (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Unfortunately, I could not go to the first match on July 24 because of my work schedule.

Then, I went to Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, to watch the second match on 7/30: Japan Women’s National Team; SAKURA 15 vs South Africa Women’s National Team; Springbok Women.

Since the new corona outbreak is currently underway in Japan, it was dangerous to go there by train, so I drove from my home. The distance from Hachioji City to Kumagaya City was 77 km. The one-way trip took about 90 minutes because the roads were a bit congested.

Kumagaya City is a town that competes for the highest summer temperature in Japan. On this particular day, it was a scorching 36 degrees Celsius. Rugby is normally played in the fall and winter, so in consideration of the health of the players, the kickoff time was 17:45 on this day.

Here, I have compiled the necessary information for watching women’s rugby.

First, here are the current world rankings by country. Please refer to the table below.

World　Ranking	2022.7.17
1	England
2	New Zealand
3	France
4	Canada
5	USA
6	Italia
7	Ireland
8	Australia
9	Wales
10	Spain
11	Scotland
12	Japan
13	South Africa

 Japan, the team playing today, is ranked 12th. South Africa, our opponent, is ranked 13th. (Incidentally, Ireland, the team Japan will play in August, is ranked No. 7. The rankings are quite different from the men’s team. The South African men’s team was the RWC 2019 world champion).

Next are the preliminary league pairings for the Women’s RWC, which will be held this October.

Pool　A	Ranking
New Zealand	2
Australia	5
Wales	9
Scotland	11

Pool　B	Ranking
Canada	3
USA	6
Italia	7
Japan	12

Pool　C	Ranking
England	1
France	4
South Africa	13
Fiji	21

The Japanese women’s national team, SAKURA 15, will play in Qualifying Pool B. All of the teams are ranked higher than Japan in the world rankings. SAKURA 15’s goal is to advance to the final tournament. Good luck, Japan national team!

Now, let’s continue with the spectator’s report.

We left Hachioji at 14:30 and arrived at Kumagaya City around 16:00. It took me a long time to find a parking lot there. The parking lot near the stadium had an advance ticket system and charged 1,800 yen for three hours, so we parked our car at the parking lot in front of the station. Here, the parking fee was 450 yen for three hours. From there I walked to the stadium. It took about 30 minutes.

This was only my second visit to Kumagaya Rugby Stadium. The last time I saw a game at Kumagaya was in 2019. I was surprised to see how much has changed around the stadium since then. This year’s League One champion, the Panasonic Wild Knights, have franchised the Kumagaya Rugby Ground, so the team’s grounds, various club facilities, and even a hotel are located right next to the ground.

The photo above shows the Wild Knights’ medical facilities.

The photo above is the team’s training ground and clubhouse, although it is a little confusing.

These various facilities are concentrated within 200 meters of the Kumagaya Rugby Stadium. Next time I come to Kumagaya to watch a game, I would like to stay here. The facilities are excellent, and I can see why the Wild Knights are so strong.

Now, let me introduce both teams that will play today.

First up is the Visitor Team, the women’s South African women’s national team.

Speaking of South African rugby, the men’s national team is the strongest team in the world, competing for the current No. 1 world ranking, but the South African women’s national team is a very young team with a short history, having been formed in 2004. Currently ranked 13th in the world, the South African women’s national team is almost on the same level as the Japanese national team. However, their style of play differs from that of the Japanese national team in that they are aggressive and physical. Like the men’s team, they play a physical game, but their physique is not as overwhelming as that of the men’s team. This is reflected in their current world ranking.

Today’s starting members are as follows.

Springbok Women
No.	Name	height	weight	age	South Africa Caps
1	Asithandile Ntoyanto	176cm	115kg	31	9
2	Lindelwa Gwala	163cm	79kg	25	15
3	Babalwa Latsha	175cm	95kg	27	14
4	Nolusindiso Booi	171cm	80kg	36	28
5	Rights Mkhari	176cm	72kg	27	6
6	Lusanda Dumke	156cm	68kg	25	19
7	Sinazo Mcatshulwa	177cm	76kg	24	13
8	Sizophila Solontsi	160m	72kg	29	10
9	Tayla Kinsey	164m	65kg	28	20
10	Libbie Janse van Rensburg	178cm	72kg	27	7
11	Ayanda Malinga	167cm	66kg	23	6
12	Aphiwe Ngwevu	167cm	86kg	23	10
13	Zintle Mpupha	161cm	72kg	29	12
14	Simamkele Namba	152cm	62kg	23	3
15	Nadine Roos	164cm	62kg	25	0

＊＊　 Players to watch 　＊＊

Libbie Janse van Rensburg. 178 cm, 72 kg, 27 years old. Position is SO. She is the tallest player in this test match, but she is the mainstay of the team, kicking well, running well, and judging situations well. Her kicking accuracy and distance, including PG, are as good as those of Japanese high school boys.

Next, I would like to introduce our home team, the Japanese women’s national team, SAKURA 15.

** History of Women’s Rugby in Japan **

1983: Japan’s first women’s rugby team was born (Setagaya Ladies)

1988: Japan Women’s Rugby Football Union was established.

Women’s RWC appearances: 1991, 1995, 2002, 2017, 2022 (scheduled)

Women’s rugby has attracted domestic interest since seven-a-side rugby was adopted as an official sport at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. This year, the women’s team once again attracted attention after a tour of Australia, where they defeated the Australian women’s national team, ranked No. 8 in the world. The team is expected to play well at the Women’s RWC to be held in October this year.

Today’s starting members are as follows

SAKURA 15
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Makoto LAVEMAI	163cm	70kg	25	14
2	Nijiho NAGATA	162cm	79kg	21	5
3	Yuka SADAKA	167cm	91kg	27	9
4	Kie TAMAI	168cm	78kg	29	10
5	Masami KAWAMURA	173cm	70kg	23	1
6	Seina SAITO	164cm	72kg	30	28
7	Iroha Nagata	167cm	70kg	23	13
8	Mateitoga Bogidraumainadabe	170cm	96kg	38	13
9	Megumi ABE	147cm	53kg	24	7
10	Ayasa OTSUKA	163cm	63kg	23	6
11	Riho KUROKI	165cm	65kg	24	10
12	Minori YAMAMOTO	168cm	63kg	25	18
13	Mana FURUTA	167cm	69kg	24	12
14	Hinano NAKURA	170cm	75kg	25	8
15	Ria Anoku	160cm	60kg	25	5

＊＊　 Players to watch　＊＊

Megumi ABE. 147 cm, 53 kg, 24 years old. Caps for Japan = 7caps. Position is SH. The player on the right in the photo above is ABE. She belongs to the Arukas Queen club at Kumagaya. Her speed in grabbing the ball out of a tight pack and continuously developing it makes it hard to feel that she is a female player. In addition, she is strong enough to tackle hard and pull down a large FW player who tries to break through on the side. If she can use her box kick better, she could be a perfect player, and if she gains experience in RWC rugby, I think she will be called upon by foreign teams.

In this first test match, it was a close game, but the Japanese national team emerged victorious with a score of 15-6.

Let’s follow the match.

The match started at 17:45. As the world ranking shows, there is little difference in the ability of these two teams. How will they reflect the lessons learned from the first test match on this day?

5 minutes into the first half:.

The match started with the kick-off by SAKURA 15. The ball from the kickoff was knocked on by SO Rensburg of Springbok Women. SAKURA 15 got their own scrum deep in the enemy territory. From there, SAKURA 15 attacked continuously, mainly with their FWs, and SAKURA 15 attacked in succession, centering on the FWs, and came very close to the goal line. In the end, SAKURA 15’s SO Otsuka scored a try in the left side of the field after a dense battle. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-0.

24 minutes in the first half

Up until this point, SAKURA 15 had been able to keep the game almost entirely within their enemy’s territory. Springbok Women attacked and kicked the ball deep into their own territory. SAKURA 15 then made a counter attack. SAKURA 15 passed the ball from WTB to hooker Nagata, who ran through the left side of their own 10m line and advanced to the enemy’s 22m line. There, she passed to SO Otsuka, who knocked on. SAKURA 15 missed a great try opportunity.

The photo above is Nagata, the hooker who ran hard.

32 minutes in the first half:

From near halfway, Springbok Women’s SO Rensburg made a run play, got behind the enemy defense, made a big gain, and passed to WTB Malinga who ran up the left side of the field. Malinga got the ball free and ran in for a try, scoring just under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 5-7 in favor of Springbok Women.

34 minutes in the first half:

After the try, SAKURA 15 kicked off the ball, Springbok Women took the ball to the right, and when it passed to WTB Malinga running on the left edge, she took a handoff off the marked defender and ran through for a try in the left center. It was the second try of the day. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-12.

The first half ended with the score at 5-12, and SAKURA 15 was disappointed to score only one try and miss a chance to score a decisive try, even though they were in the enemy’s territory throughout the game.

The Springbok Women were able to connect in the final minutes of the first half, scoring back-to-back tries. The team hoped to carry this momentum into the second half.

And so the second half began. The time was almost 19:00, and it was now completely a Night Game.

As for SAKURA 15, they did not want to let the score get separate, so they put up a defensive struggle. In response, Springbok Women tried to break through around the FW and at CTB. SAKURA 15 responded with a thicker defense around the FW. The score did not move very much.

19 minutes into the second half:

Springbok Women attacked into the enemy territory, and SAKURA 15 was fouled in front of the goal near the 22-meter line. Springbok Women chose to go for the PG. The SO Rensburg converted the PG to make the score 5-15.

25 minutes into the second half

The WTB of SAKURA 15 Nakura, 170 cm, 75 kg, is a BK player with outstanding running and breaking ability, but unfortunately, the ball did not roll very well on this day.

When SAKURA 15 went deep into the enemy territory, they launched a series of attacks, and when they moved to the right, they were succeeded to be with a few extra players. Nakura received the ball at the end and tried to score in-goal at the right corner, but was pushed out by the opponent’s defense.

SAKURA 15 missed two great try opportunities on this day.

Second half, 34 minutes into the second half:

SAKURA 15 was successful in advancing the game in the enemy’s territory from start to finish, but they missed many crucial scoring chances. In this period, too, SAKURA 15 was attacking in the enemy’s territory when the ball was passed to Springbok Women, who counter-attacked. Springbok Women’s FB Roos, who joined the attack midway through the half, received the ball at top speed on a slant, slipped behind the enemy defensive line, and made a great gain. She then connected with WTB Malinga who scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-20, giving Springbok Women a big lead.

40 minutes in the second half

With only a few minutes left in the match, already Springbok　Women’s victory was assured, but SAKURA 15 attacked in succession to score a final try. After a run play and an infringement by their opponents, SAKURA 15 came close to the goal line and finally, FL Saito scored a try in the middle of the left field of in-goal area. The conversion goal after the try failed. The final score was 10-20. Springbok　Women won the match. In total, Springbok Women won one game and lost one test match.

SAKURA 15’s next match is against the Irish women’s national team on August 20. We are looking forward to this match against the 7th ranked team in the world.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, July 16, 2022)

One week after the first test match between Japan and France on July 2, 2022, the second test match was held at the National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

The temperature was a summer-like 31 degrees Celsius. It was not the murderous heat of last week’s match at Toyota Stadium. There was a slightly cool breeze, and it was cooler in the shade. However, if you stayed in the sun, it was still quite hot, and if you did not take proper precautions, you might suffer from heat stroke.

The Japan Rugby Union announced in advance that more than 50,000 advance tickets had already been sold, making it the largest attendance in Japan’s Test Match history. This means that this year’s Test Match has finally regained the same level of popularity as the RWC in its final round.

The photo above shows the Japan Olympic Museum near the National Stadium. It is located between the National Stadium and the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, and is a good place to meet up.

Today’s game will start at 14:50. Unfortunately, I have never seen the Japanese national team beat a higher-ranked country in a match I have watched. Will this day’s match put an end to that record?

On this day, I entered the stadium one hour before the game started. Based on my experience at Toyota Stadium last week, I took a seat behind the goal on the north side this time. However, it turned out to be a mistake. The National Stadium was still exposed to direct sunlight at this time. We should have chosen the south goal back, which was shaded by the sun.

First, let’s start with the home team, the Brave Blossoms of Japan. The starting lineup is as follows.

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Keita INAGAKI	186cm	116kg	32	41
2	Atsushi SAKADE	180cm	104kg	29	29
3	Asaeri Ai VALU	178cm	112kg	26	5
4	Warner DEARNS	201cm	117kg	20	3
5	Sanaila WAQA	202cm	120kg	25	2
6	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	33	74
7	Ben GUNTER	195cm	120kg	24	4
8	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	27	8
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	24	7
10	Seungshin LEE	176cm	85kg	21	2
11	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	23	8
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	5
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	25	6
14	Gerhard von den HEEVER	192cm	102kg	33	2
15	Ryohei Yamanaka	188cm	98kg	33	23

The changes from last week’s first test match are

Rock DEARNS and WAQA are in the starting lineup. Both of them are over 2 meters tall. They surpassed the French team in height.

This is quite reliable.

And SAITO came in at SH. SAITO was a starter in the game against the Uruguayan national team, but he was absent last week due to a positive test for the new strain of corona. With SAITO in the team, we will be able to see Brave Blossoms’ strength, which is their quick succession of attacks.

＊＊　Players to watch out for　＊＊

Ryohei Yamanaka is 188 cm, 98 kg. 33 years old. He is a FB who boasts international standards in both size and speed. He was a SO in his high school and  university, so he also has good vision in the game. One drawback is that his form is a bit erratic. If he could increase the certainty of his play during games, he could become a great player unrivaled by any other.

Next up is Les Bleus, the French representative on the Visitor Team.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

France
No.	Name	height	weight	age	France Caps
1	Jean-Baptiste GROS	185cm	110kg	23	20
2	Peato MAUVAKA	184cm	116kg	24	15
3	Demba BAMBA	185cm	118kg	24	24
4	Thibaud FLAMENT	197cm	114kg	25	8
5	Thomas JOLMES	203cm	127kg	26	1
6	Dylan CRETIN	195cm	102kg	25	19
7	Charles OLLIVON	199cm	114kg	29	24
8	Yoan TANGA	186m	107kg	25	1
9	Maxime LUCU	177m	79kg	28	8
10	Matthieu JALIBERT	184cm	84kg	27	16
11	Matice LEBEL	184cm	104kg	23	3
12	Yoram MOEFANA	182cm	95kg	22	7
13	Virimi VAKATAWA	185cm	100kg	30	31
14	Damian PENAUD	188cm	93kg	25	33
15	Max SPRING	174cm	76kg	21	0

The starting lineup is the same as in the first test, except for SPRING, the FB. What will Les Bleus show in today’s match? Will they push around with their powerful FWs, or will they show their ability to develop their attack in a variety of ways?

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Damian PENAUD, 188 cm, 93 kg, 25 years old. This year’s French national team was made up mainly of young and inexperienced players. However, PENAUD is the ace of the French BK players, boasting Cap 33 at the age of 25. As his record shows, he is a decisive player who is difficult to stop when free or in one-on-one situations.

Let the match begin.

9 minutes into the first half:

After conceding the first score in the first test match last week, Brave Blossoms wanted to score first in today’s match. From the start of the match, the two teams went back-and-forth. After a few minutes, SO JALIBERT kicked the ball to the right end where no Blossoms players were present.　Ymanaka caught up to him, but he was too busy holding the ball himself to get it out. This was an exquisite touch kick, and Les Blues had a lineout of their own ball at the right edge of the enemy in-goal.　The Bleus won it and moved left to WTB LEBEL on the left edge of the in-goal. Both WTBs of Les Bleus were decisive. The conversion goal after the try was successful, making the score 0-7, and France took the lead again in the second test match.

12 minutes into the first half:

From a scrum after Les Bleus kicked off, SO JALIBERT kicked deep into the enemy territory. From here, the Blossoms launched a counter attack. The ball went from WTB to FB to CTB to CTB→WTB→WTB→FB, and finally FB YAMANAKA received the ball and got a try at the left center of in-goal of the enemy territory.　The crowd of 57,000 people was screaming with excitement. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 5-7.

The score was 5-7.　It was a great attack, typical of the Blossoms.

18 minutes into the first half.

The Blossoms continued their offensive attack after this. Unlike in the first test match, the Blossoms mixed their attack with kicks. After several kicking exchanges between the two teams, the Blossoms’ WTB von den HEEVER counter-attacked deep to the right of his own half and dodged some enemy players, then kicked the ball deep into the opposite side. Les Bleus barely escaped with a touch kick from their own in-goal. The Blossoms continued to attack, and from a lineout, they made a series of attacks in front of their own in-goal. The Blossoms’ SO LEE took the penalty kick and made the score 8-7.

As a side note, Mr. Adamson of the Scottish Association was the referee for this match. He was a very strict referee, and both teams were given many Not Straight penalties at the lineout. It was difficult to deal with these infractions in the match, as they could change the tide of the match.

40 minutes of the first half:

The Blossoms had another sparkling attack in the closing minutes of the first half.

As Les Bleus entered the enemy territory, they deployed to the right and the ball was passed to WTB PENAUD, their trump card on the right edge of the field. Blossoms FB YAMANAKA was on the mark.　He was once untackled, but he was able to chase down PENAUD was pushed off the sideline. The Blossoms attacked from the own ball lineout. The ball came out of the cluster and flowed from SO → FB → Hooker → CTB → Right flanker → Left flanker → FB. And finally FB YAMANAKA received the ball at the last moment and ran around the center of the enemy’s in-goal to score a try.

During the entire attack, the stadium was filled with the screams of the crowd.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-7.　The Blossoms ended the first half in the best possible way.

Here we are at halftime. Looking back at the first half, Brave Blossoms have been refining their attacking shape for this match. They scored two tries from brilliant passing and sent the crowd into a frenzy. One set piece that was not so well executed was the lineout. We had two 2-meter jumpers in our lineup, but this was a waste of their talent. At the very least, I would like to see the teams secure 100% of the ball in their own lineouts.

Both teams will make sure to make corrections at halftime, and we look forward to a good game in the second half.

Let’s get the second half underway.

4 minutes into the second half:

A great Blossoms started the second half with a series of good tackles and Les Bleus started the game with sharp counter attacks. The Blossoms were then penalized for offsides deep in their own territory. Les Bleus then chose to go for the PG and SH LUCU made a solid shot from the front of the goal post to make the score 15-10.

Up until this time, the Blossoms were very solid defensively. In the first test match, the Blossoms’ defensive network, which had been broken by the quick rushes of the Les Bleus’ FWs, did not collapse this time. The two sides therefore remained in a scoreless stalemate.

20 minutes into the second half:

The two sides engaged in a densely contested turnover, which made for a very entertaining match. However, Les Bleus was able to get deep into enemy territory. And their attack made the Blossoms to draw a penalty, Not release the ball, and Les Bleus elected to go for the PG. SO JALIBERT made a steady kick to make the score 15-13. Les Bleus was now within 2 points.

31 minutes into the second half:

Les Bleus pushed for a scrum a little way into enemy territory. The Blossoms held on, but Les Bleus kept the ball on the edge of the scrum, and when a stalemate ensued, replacement SH　COUILLOUD broke through from the right edge of the scrum. The Blossoms were unable to catch COUILLOUD scored a try right under the goal post. Les Bleus finally succeeded in turning the tables. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-20.

With less than 10 minutes remaining in the match, the 50,000-plus crowd at the stadium was ready for the Brave Blossoms’ final offensive push.　

31 minutes into the second half:

The cheers of the crowd were too much for the Les Bleus players. The crowd’s support weighed heavily on the Les Bleus players. After the try, the Blossoms kicked off the ball to Les Bleus FB　Bleus FB　Spring, the FB of Les Bleus, unexpectedly dropped the ball. The Blossoms had an opportunity to scrum for their own ball in front of the enemy goal line without much effort. From there, they deployed a series of attacks to push forward. Les Bleus committed a penalty and the Blossoms opted for a penalty kick to score a try. The ball went to the No.8 TATAFU, who dragged three opposing defenders down the field and scored a try right in the middle of the field.

At this moment, there was a huge shout from the crowd and everyone was convinced that Brave　Blossoms had won the game. I, too, forgot that I was watching the game wearing a French jersey and started yelling as loud as I could.

However, the TMO made a video decision, and the Blossoms’ try by TATAFU was disallowed due to a knock-on penalty. What a pity.

After this, the Brave　Blossoms had two chances to score, but were unable to do so. The final score was 15-20 in favor of the French team, Les Bleus. With this victory, Les Bleus will be ranked No. 1 in the world in a few days.

After the match, I heard some female fans on the way home saying, “I thought we would lose by a bigger margin, but it was so close. The RWC2023 in France is only about a year away. I hope for the success of the tournament and remarkable progress of Brave Blossoms.

＊＊　Jersey Collection 62　＊＊

This is a replica jersey of the French national rugby team from an estimated 1996. I bid 6,350 yen for it on Yahoo! Auctions. The French national team jersey is very popular, so there is always a bidding war. This time, too, there were three bidders, and the price went up. I wanted to bid around 4,000 yen, but in the end I was too stubborn. I wanted to get this jersey at any cost, because they are rarely sold.

The base color is white, so it is a second jersey.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(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.

After the game, rugby fans left the stadium and headed home. There was a pleasant afterglow in the air after the game.

The game ended at 17:00, and it was 20:17 when I got on the Shinkansen from Nagoya.

Next week, the second test match will be held at the National Stadium in Tokyo. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of game they will show us.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊