Japan A Tour to New Zealand 2011

 

05.07.2011

 

Game 2:

Japan A 34 – Tries: Shohei Toyoshima, Karne Hesketh, Tomoaki Taniguchi, Isileli Vakauta, Daiki Hashimoto and Kaoru Matsushita; Conversions: Ayumu Goromaru 2 d

Tasman Buccaneers 19 – Tries: Sione Holani, Pablo Huete and James Mei; Conversions: Andrew Letham 2.

 

Date: Tuesday 28 June 2011.

Venue: Trafalgar Park, Nelson.

Kick-off: 18:00 (Local NZ time).

Halftime: Japan A 19 – Tasman 14.

 

Japan A: 1- Yusuke Nagae, 2- Ryuta Ueno, 3- Hidetatsu Tsuboi, 4- Michael Broadhurst, 5- Tomoaki Taniguchi (c), 6- Makoto Tosa, 7- Yusaku Kuwazuru, 8- Masakazu Toyota, 9- Ippei Asada, 10- Kosei Ono, 11- Taiki Koyanagi, 12- Tevita Lepolo, 13- Brett Gillespie, 14- Shohei Toyoshima, 15- Ayumu Goromaru.

Reserves: 16- Ryuhei Arita (subbed 2, 20 min 2H), 17- Takahiro Doi, 18- Eiri Nakada (subbed 5, 20 min 2H), 19- Daiki Hashimoto, 20- Shuhei Oshima (subbed 9, 20 min 2H), 21- Katsuyuki Sakai, 22- Harumichi Tatekawa (subbed 10, 22 min 2H), 23- Masataka Mikami, 24- Isileli Vakauta (subbed 8, 20 min 2H), 25- Takayuki Yamauchi (subbed 12, 34 min 2H), 26- Kazushi Hano (subbed 11, 31 min 2H) and 27- Kaoru Matsushita.

 

In their second game on tour, Japan A defeated a Tasman Makos’ Buccaneers side 34-19 at Trafalgar Park in Nelson in an early evening game on Tuesday, 28 June 2011. In what was a pre-season game for the Tasman Makos, the Buccaneers had limited preparation and fielded a number of prospective ITM Cup candidates along with at least six Tasman Academy players. Head coach Kieran Keane was looking to see what his young charges could do and after the match he commented, “It was a team that was thrown together and it looked a little bit that way, didn’t it?” The Japan Select side was far better drilled and dominated at the breakdown and set pieces allowing the backs to move the ball.

 

Comments by head coach Masahiro Kunda

This was a big challenge for us. I tried to give as many guys a run as I could and come away with a good result. Further, we played low and fast in defence and this nullified a lot of options for our opposition in attack. In this game I thought flanker Yusaku Kuwazuru was our best forward, especially his work at the breakdown and five-eighth Kosei Ono in the backs for constantly getting us over the gain line.

 

27.06.2011

On 15 June 2011, wings Taiki Koyanagi and Kazushi Hano were added to the squad.[See squad list below. Editor]

 

Game 1:

Japan A 22 – Tries: Tomoaki Taniguchi 2 and Taiki Koyanagi; Conversions: Ayumu Goromaru 2; Penalty: Ayumu Goromaru d

Marlborough Red Devils 8

 

Date: Wednesday 22 June 2011.

Venue: Lansdowne Park, Blenheim.

Kick-off: 18:00.

Halftime: Japan A 15 – Marlborough 3.

 

Japan A: 1- Yusuke Nagae, 2- Ryuta Ueno, 3- Takahiro Doi, 4- Michael Broadhurst, 5- Tomoaki Taniguchi (c), 6- Makoto Tosa, 7- Yusaku Kuwazuru, 8- Isileli Vakauta, 9- Ippei Asada, 10- Kosei Ono, 11- Taiki Koyanagi, 12- Tevita Lepolo, 13- Takayuki Yamauchi, 14- Shohei Toyoshima, 15- Ayumu Goromaru.

Reserves: 16- Ryuhei Arita (subbed 2, 16 min 2H), 17- Hidetatsu Tsuboi, 18- Eiri Nakada, 19- Daiki Hashimoto, 20- Shuhei Oshima (subbed 9, 24 min 2H), 21- Brett Gillespie, 22- Kaoru Matsushita (subbed 15, 32 min 2H), 23- Harumichi Tatekawa (subbed 12, 38 min 2H), 24- Katsuyuki Sakai (subbed 11, 38 min 2H), 25- Kazushi Hano and 26- Masataka Mikami.

 

Comments by head coach Masahiro Kunda

After days of rain, our team did their best in the heavy conditions to play low, fast rugby. I was not totally happy with our work at the breakdown and that is one of the things we will work on at training ahead of our next match. Having said that though, overall I thought the team competed pretty well at the breakdown. Furthermore, we had good line speed in defence and this put a lot of pressure on our opposition, shutting down a lot of their opportunities in attack and this is something we want to carry into our next match. In this game, I thought lock Tomoaki Taniguchi was the standout in the forwards while in the backs wing Shohei Toyoshima showed us what he has.

 

20.06.2011

Schedule

The Japan A squad depart Japan from Narita Airport on Sunday 12 June 2011 for a three match tour of New Zealand returning on Monday 4 July 2011.

 

Game 1:

Marlborough v Japan A

Date: Wednesday 22 June 2011.

Venue: Lansdowne Park, Blenheim.

Kick-off: 18:00.

 

Game 2:

Tasman v Japan A

Date: Tuesday 28 June 2011.

Venue: Trafalgar Park, Nelson.

Kick-off: 18:00.

 

Game 3:

North Canterbury v Japan A

Date: Saturday 2 July 2011.

Venue: TBC.

Kick-off: 15:00.

 

14.06.2011

 

Position

Name

Club

Age

Hgt/Wgt

Caps

Props

Yusuke NAGAE

Ricoh Black Rams

25

171/110

-

 

Takahiro DOI

NEC Green Rockets

24

182/116

-

 

Masataka MIKAMI

Toshiba Brave Lupus

23

178/113

-

 

Hidetatsu TSUBOI

Chugoku Denki

22

182/114

-

Hookers

Ryuta UENO

Toyota Verblitz

25

173/100

1

 

Ryuhei ARITA

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks

22

176/98

-

Locks

Tomoaki TANIGUCHI

Toyota Verblitz

28

193/124

12

 

Michael BROADHURST

Ricoh Black Rams

24

194/110

-

 

Eiri NAKADA

Toshiba Brave Lupus

22

194/106

-

Flankers

Yusaku KUWAZURU

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks

25

188/97

-

 

Makoto TOSA

NEC Green Rockets

24

188/109

-

 

Daiki HASHIMOTO

Kobe Steelers

24

184/100

-

No8s

Masakazu TOYOTA

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks

25

189/100

9

 

Isileli VAKAUTA

Ryutsu Keizai Univ.

21

185/120

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halfbacks

Ippei ASADA

Toyota Verblitz

30

166/75

-

 

Shuhei OSHIMA

Toshiba Brave Lupus

22

179/75

-

Five-eighths

Kosei ONO

Fukuoka Sanix Blues

24

171/81

5

 

Harumichi TATEKAWA

Tenri Univ.

21

181/94

-

Centres

Takayuki YAMAUCHI

Toyota Verblitz

24

180/85

-

 

Brett GILLESPIE

Toyota Verblitz

23

180/92

-

Wings

Tevita LEPOLO

Mitsubishi Dyna Boars

23

185/105

-

 

Katsuyuki SAKAI

Toyota Jido Shokki

22

173/84

-

 

Kanzo NAKAHAMA

Kobe Steelers

22

176/85

-

Fullbacks

Kaoru MATSUSHITA

Toyota Verblitz

27

185/88

7

 

Shohei TOYOSHIMA

Toshiba Brave Lupus

22

175/82

-

Head coach: Masahiro Kunda (Toshiba).

 

On 30 May 2011, the Japan Rugby Football Union announced the Japan A squad for the tour of New Zealand.

On 6 May 2011, fullback Ayumu Goromaru was called up to the full Japan squad for the IRB Pacific Nations Cup.

On 7 May 20111, prop Sunao Takizawa, halfback Keisuke Uchida and fullback Kenji Shomen were ruled out of the tour with injury while prop Hidetatsu Tsuboi, No8 Isileli Vakauta, halfback Ippei Asada and fullback Kaoru Matsushita were called into the squad.