Fullback Takuro Matsunaga scored 17 points as Japan beat Italy to make an impressive start to their Nations Championship campaign in Tokyo on Saturday.
The Brave Blossoms triumphed 27-10, with Matsunaga kicking three conversions and two penalties to go with a try despite the absence of head coach Eddie Jones through suspension.
Japan fell behind but soon hit back against the Azzurri, who came into the game off the back of a successful Six Nations where they beat England for the first time.
Jones was barred from the stadium as he served the last game of his four-match suspension from the Japan RFU for abusing match officials on a tour of Australia earlier this year.
Japan forwards coach Neal Hatley took his place and watched his troops score two tries in the first half and one after the break in a confident performance in front of more than 20,000 fans.
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Captain Warner Dearns and flanker Ben Gunter also got on the scoresheet for the Japanese, who started the match with uncapped university student Ryunosuke Ito at flyhalf.
The home side looked like they could be in for a long evening when Italy’s Juan Ignacio Brex burst through their defence to touch down for a try in the fifth minute.
But Japan responded just over five minutes later when Dearns lunged over the line for their first try.
Matsunaga added another midway through the first half when he finished off a slick passing move that sliced the Italian defence open.
An injury for fullback Lorenzo Pani gave the visitors further problems, and Matsunaga slotted a penalty to increase Japan’s lead.
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Italy spent the final moments of the first half camped out on the Japan line and kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to seven points heading into the break.
But Japan stretched their lead seven minutes into the second half when Gunter touched down after a period of pressure.
Japan travel to Newcastle, Australia, to face Ireland in their next Nations Championship match, before returning to Tokyo to play France.
Italy will take on the All Blacks in Wellington next week, followed by the Wallabies in Perth.
JAPAN – Tries: Warner Dearns, Takuro Matsunaga, Ben Gunter. Conversions: Matsunaga (3). Penalties: Matsunaga (2).
ITALY – Try: Juan Ignacio Brex. Conversion: Paolo Garbisi. Penalty: Garbisi.
Photo: Paul Miller /Nations Championship via Getty Images
The post Japan put Azzurri to the sword appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Fullback Takuro Matsunaga scored 17 points as Japan beat Italy to make an impressive start to their Nations Championship campaign in Tokyo on Saturday.
The post Japan put Azzurri to the sword appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
