Well, Happy Monday my G&GR homies. Bits and pieces of rugby on over the weekend, and some other rugby news here and there. Let’s take a look at a few of the games and other goings on. So log on, sit down at your desk, get comfortable, grab a big cup of you know what ☕, and let’s get it on.
New Zealand 61 defeated Japan 19
As covered here at rugby.com.au, the Nearlies have given Dr. Evil’s Japan a bit of a touch-up in a 64-19 defeat in Yokohama on Saturday. The Kiwis scored 10 tries in what ended up looking like a bit of a training run.
Japan bothered the scorer first, with Fiji-born winger Jone Naikabula crashing through to score in the fifth minute. The Darkness managed to hit back through Mark Tele’a down the left wing and going over in the corner. New NZ Captain Patrick Tuipulotu overpowered three Japanese players to cross the line before Damian McKenzie iced the conversion to make it 14-7.
Japan then scored immediately, playing a nice attacking raid off a lineout, finding some soft holes in the Kiwi defence and Faulua Makisi managed his way through through a wide gap off a close-range ruck. In heartbreak for the home team, Japan lock Warner Dearns (yep almost as Japanese as Brisneysan) grabbed a lucky bounce to steal away and cross the line, only for the try to be disallowed.
But that’s when New Zealand put their foot down and started to run away with the game, with Billy Proctor, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau and Pasilio Tosi all grabbing meat pies. Then just before oranges, the ABs forced their way over the line with Tamaiti Williams scoring a nice try off the back of a maul and the smiling assassin McKenzie converting to make it 43-12 at half time.
Returning scrum half Cam Roigard opened the Kiwis scoring after oranges and took the visitors past the 50-point mark, with things starting to look ominous for the Japanese. However, Dr. Evil’s Japan fought back repeatedly pinning the increasingly lazy ABs in their 22, but were just not able to score.
The second-half blues were becoming more and more apparent for the Kiwis (and I’m sure this has got to be bothering the crap out of Razor). The ABs were attacking again and again, but were being hampered by the Japanese as well as their own errors. In the 67th minute, Yoshitaka Yazaki (finally, a good Japanese name) bolted down the right-hand side, but consistent with Japan’s day, he was tackled just short by the smiling assassin.
However, seconds later Japan’s reserve prop Uwe Helu, on debut, scored Japan’s third try, which was successfully converted. Kiwi finisher Ruben Love, also on debut, scored two late tries in three minutes.
Super Rugby U16s and U19s
Not much information is available, but here are the following results that I was able to glean from the Junior Super Rugby.
I haven’t had a chance to watch these games yet and will get to them during the week. But looking at the scores I’m wondering whether the senior Tahs team should replace their current team with this group of juniors. As unlike the seniors, these guys know how to win. Thoughts Hoss? 😁
Anyway, enough of my dribbling. Over to you G&GRs. Have at it.
