Japan wrap up A5N with another big win
DUBAI (May 10) – Japan beat the United Arab Emirates 93-3 Friday evening to wrap up their 2013 HSBC Asian Five Nations campaign with yet another victory and their sixth A5N title.
The win was Japan’s 24th straight bonus-point victory in the competition, and extended their winning streak in all test matches to six, equaling their best ever run.
Takashi Kikutani got the scoreboard ticking over in the eighth minute when he broke from a five-metre scrum to cap off a period of sustained pressure straight from the kick-off. Yu Tamura added the extras to make it 7-0.
The UAE were defending well and Japan were held up over the line on a number of occasions. But it was only a matter of time before Japan scored again and Yuta Imamura made the most of some good hands by Seiichi Shimomura to cross for Japan’s second try in the 21st minute.
Kikutani added a second seven minutes later as Japan’s combinations finally started to click and Tamura’s kick made it 19-0.
Imamura added his second in the 33rd minute following a good break by Tamura, before securing his hat-trick three minutes later following a great break by Shimomura.
Craig Wing’s test debut lasted just 36 minutes before he was replaced (as a precautionary measure) by another new cap Ryoto Nakamura, and the student set up Yoshikazu Fujita with his first touch of the ball.
Fujita then added a second with the last play of the half, and with Nakamura adding the conversion it was 41-0 at the break.
The second half was always going to be about how quickly the hosts tired, and how many points Japan would add.
Kikutani brought up his hat-trick four minutes into the half, before the hosts got on the scoreboard when James Ham slotted over a penalty in the 48th minute.
Japan replaced their entire front row in the 53rd minute and it had an immediate effect with Takuma Asahara and Yusuke Aoki going over in the space of four minutes as Japan stretched their lead to 60-3.
Ryuta Yasui became the third Japan debutant when he went on in the 59th minute and he made it a day to remember when he crossed three minutes later.
With the UAE falling like ten-pins, Japan scored four more tries through Harumichi, Imamura (his fourth), Onozawa and Hiwasa.
Tatekawa finished the day with five conversions to go with his try, while Tamura and Nakamura kicked two each.