All Blacks overpower battling Japan
TOKYO, Nov 2, (AFP) - World champions New Zealand overpowered
Japan 54-6 on Saturday with an experimental side, although the hosts
emerged with some credit after a battling display in front of a sell-out
Tokyo crowd.
The All Blacks, who now travel to Europe to play France, England and
Ireland, stretched their winning streak this year to 11 Tests but
endured an uncomfortable opening half an hour against the “Brave
Blossoms”.
The visitors’ fearsome pre-match “haka” appeared to have a
galvanising effect on Japan, who began the game tearing into tackles,
pinching line-out balls and breaking up play to frustrate the World Cup
holders.
It took New Zealand nearly 10 minutes to open the scoring when
Charles Piutau broke away to register the game’s first try, converted by
Dan Carter.
But a pair of Ayumu Goromaru penalties for Japan made it 7-6, and it
stayed that way until flanker Sam Cane touched down in the 27th minute
for the All Blacks, quickly followed by another breakaway down the left
from Ben Smith, his 11th Test try of the year.
Captain Richie McCaw, making his 121st All Blacks appearance, then
bulldozed over in the 32nd minute, once again converted by the trusty
left boot of Carter, who finished with 10 points on his return to the
side.
At half-time, a sell-out crowd of 26,000, many in curly, pink “cherry
blossom” wigs, roared in approval with Japan -- whose coach Eddie Jones
was absent after a mild stroke -- having limited the damage to
28-6.Ruthless in their two previous encounters, New Zealand’s victories
over Japan have resembled cricket scores, pulverising them 83-7 two
years ago and by a record 145-17 in 1995.Meeting Japan for the first
time outside of the World Cup, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen made 14
changes to the starting line-up which beat Australia 41-33 two weeks
ago, with lock Dominic Bird and wing Frank Halai making their debuts.
McCaw, playing at number eight to give understudy Cane more game time
in his position, and Carter did start though, both players returning
from injury.
Carter finished with a perfect five from five conversions before
making way for Tom Taylor, having slotted the extra points after lock
Jeremy Thrush had crashed over following a driving All Blacks scrum.
A debut try from Halai followed after more All Blacks pressure in
front of the posts, before a superb score from full-back Beauden
Barrett, racing onto a clever chip-through from Tawera Kerr-Barlow and
then adding the conversion himself. Piutau then added his second of the
game to round out the scoring.
Japan winger Kenki Fukuoka had the crowd on their feet after the
buzzer when he touched down in the corner, only to be denied on review
with replays showing his left foot outside the touchline.
Having upset a weakened Wales team in June in a breakthrough 23-8
home win, Japan’s preparations coming into Saturday’s clash were rocked
when coach Jones suffered a mild stroke two weeks ago. He remains
hospitalised, with assistant Scott Wisemantel taking over in the dugout. |