Review – Wales v Japan

Wales 33 – Tries: Dan Lydiate, Jamie Roberts, Sam Warburton; Conversions: Leigh Halfpenny 3; Penalties: Leigh Halfpenny 3; Drop Goal: Sam Davies d.

Japan 30 – Tries: Akihito Yamada, Kenki Fukuoka, Amanaki Lotoahea; Conversions: Amanaki Lotoahea and Yu Tamura 2; Penalties: Yu Tamura 3.


Competition: Lipovitan D Tour 2016.
Date: Saturday 19 November 2016.
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff.
Japan Test Number: 331.
Kick-off: 14:30 UTC/GMT (23:30 JST).
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa).
Assistant Referees: John Lacey (Ireland) and Craig Maxwell-Keys (England). TMO: Eric Gauzins (France).
Conditions: Mostly cloudy with chance of light rain, maximum daily forecast for Cardiff 7 degrees Celsius. Surface good.
Attendance: 73,969.
Halftime: Wales 14 – Japan 13.
Yellow Cards: Liam Williams (Wales No.15, 08 min 1H, changing running line to block runner).


Head-to-head Encounters:

Japan and sides from Wales, including the full national side (10 times), Wales XV (four times) and Combined Clubs of Wales (once) have met 15 times dating back to 1973 with the Welsh sides winning 14 times to once for Japan.

The highest scoring win for Wales was 98-0 in Cardiff in November 2004, while the biggest winning margin was 98 points in the same test. The longest winning sequence for Welsh sides is thirteen wins in a row between 1973 and 2013.

The highest scoring win for Japan was 23-8 in Tokyo in June 2013, while the biggest winning margin was 15 points in the same test. The longest winning sequence for Japan is one test.

Of the 15 tests played, six have been played in Japan, while eight tests have been played in Wales and one has been played on the neutral territory of Bloemfontein in South Africa during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Japan and Wales have met three times at Rugby World Cups, including 1995, 1999 and 2007.

No. Date Result

(Home – Away)

Venue Tournament Japan

Test No.

W/D/L

(For Japan)

15 19 Nov 2016 Wales 33 – Japan 30 Principality Stadium, Cardiff   331 Lost
14 15 Jun 2013 Japan 23 – Wales 8 Chichibu, Tokyo   290 Won
13 08 Jun 2013 Japan 18 – Wales 22 Hanazono, Osaka   289 Lost
12 20 Sep 2007 Wales 72 – Japan 18 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 6th RWC 229 Lost
11 26 Nov 2004 Wales 98 – Japan 0 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff   199 Lost
10 17 Jun 2001 Japan 30 – Wales 53 Chichibu, Tokyo   172 Lost
9 10 Jun 2001 Japan 10 – Wales 64 Hanazono, Osaka   171 Lost
8 09 Oct 1999 Wales 64 – Japan 15 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 4th RWC 160 Lost
7 27 May 1995 Wales 57 – Japan 10 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 3rd RWC 126 Lost
6 16 Oct 1993 Wales 55 – Japan 5 Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff   118 Lost
5 22 Oct 1983 Wales XV 29 – Japan 24 Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff   79 Lost
4 09 Oct 1976 Combined Clubs of Wales 63 – Japan 9 St Helen’s, Swansea   53 Lost
3 24 Sep 1975 Japan 6 – Wales XV 82 National Stadium, Tokyo   49 Lost
2 21 Sep 1975 Japan 12 – Wales XV 56 Hanazono, Osaka   48 Lost
1 06 Oct 1973 Wales XV 62 – Japan 14 Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff   38 Lost

Japan (WR rank 11 (12) (75.25), at 14 November 2016)

Pos. Name (Test Player Number) Club DOB Age Hgt/Wgt Caps
1 Satoshi NAKATANI (TBC) Yamaha Jubilo 27/10/1981 35 170/105 3
2 Shota HORIE (530) Panasonic Wild Knights 21/01/1986 30 180/104 47
3 Kensuke HATAKEYAMA (515) Suntory Sungoliath 02/08/1985 31 178/113 77
4 Kyosuke KAJIKAWA (TBC) Toshiba Brave Lupus 05/09/1987 29 188/105 3
5 Samuela ANISE (TBC) Canon Eagles 30/08/1986 30 198/118 3
6 Malgene ILAUA (TBC) Toshiba Brave Lupus 05/06/1993 23 187/105 3
7 Shunsuke NUNOMAKI (TBC) Panasonic Wild Knights 13/07/1992 24 178/96 2
8 Amanaki Lelei MAFI (580) NTT Communications 11/01/1990 26 189/112 12
9 Fumiaki TANAKA (510) Panasonic Wild Knights 03/01/1985 31 166/72 57
10 Yu TAMURA (555) NEC Green Rockets 09/01/1989 27 181/91 41
11 Kenki FUKUOKA (569) Panasonic Wild Knights 07/09/1992 24 175/83 19
12 Harumichi TATEKAWA (557) (c) Kubota Spears 02/12/1989 26 180/95 49
13 Timothy LAFAELE (TBC) Coca-Cola Red Sparks 19/08/1991 25 186/98 3
14 Akihito YAMADA (574) Panasonic Wild Knights 26/07/1985 31 182/88 17
15 Kotaro MATSUSHIMA (576) Suntory Sungoliath 26/02/1993 23 178/87 21
             
16 Takeshi HINO (TBC) Yamaha Jubilo 20/01/1990 26 172/100 1
17 Koki YAMAMOTO (TBC) Yamaha Jubilo 29/10/1990 26 181/118 3
18 Heiichiro ITO (TBC) Yamaha Jubilo 05/10/1990 26 175/115 3
19 Uwe HELU (TBC) Yamaha Jubilo 12/07/1990 26 193/115 3
20 Shuhei MATSUHASHI (TBC) Ricoh Black Rams 24/11/1993 22 180/99 2
21 Yuhimaru MIMURA (TBC) Yamaha Jubilo 27/02/1989 27 178/96 2
22 Keisuke UCHIDA (558) Panasonic Wild Knights 22/02/1992 24 177/85 20
23 Amanaki LOTOAHEA (TBC) Ricoh Black Rams 14/04/1990 26 191/107 3

Head Coach – Jamie Joseph. (NZL, 2016. Third test as head coach for one win and two losses.)

Subs

16 subbed 2, 19 min 2H.
17 subbed 1, 11 min 2H.
18 subbed 3, 11 min 2H.
19 subbed 5, 11 min 2H.
20 subbed 7, 19 min 2H.
21 subbed 6, 27 min 2H.
22 subbed 9, 36 min 2H.
23 subbed 10, 33 to 40 min 1H for concussion test and subbed 14, 33 min 2H.


 

Wales (WB rank 6 (7) (81.72), at 14 November 2016)

Pos. Name Club DOB Age Hgt/Wgt Caps
1 Nicky Smith Ospreys 07/04/1994 22 183/113 6
2 Scott Baldwin Ospreys 12/07/1988 28 191/114 27
3 Samson Lee Scarlets 30/11/1992 23 180/116 28
4 Cory Hill Newport Gwent Dragons 10/02/1992 24 195/111 2
5 Alun Wyn Jones Ospreys 19/09/1985 31 198/122 104
6 Dan Lydiate Ospreys 18/12/1987 28 193/112 59
7 Sam Warburton (c) Cardiff Blues 05/10/1988 28 188/99 69
8 James King Ospreys 24/07/1990 26 193/107 10
9 Lloyd Williams Cardiff Blues 30/11/1989 26 183/87 28
10 Gareth Anscombe Cardiff Blues 10/05/1991 25 183/80 9
11 Alex Cuthbert Cardiff Blues 05/04/1990 26 198/106 44
12 Jamie Roberts Harlequins (ENG) 08/11/1986 30 193/110 85
13 Jonathon Davies Scarlets 05/04/1988 28 186/104 58
14 Leigh Halfpenny Toulon (FRA) 22/12/1988 27 178/85 65
15 Liam Williams Scarlets 09/04/1991 25 185/87 37
             
16 Kristian Dacey Cardiff Blues 25/07/1989 27 188/112 (3)
17 Rhys Gill Cardiff Blues 30/10/1986 30 183/116 7
18 Scott Andrews Cardiff Blues 01/08/1989 27 188/115 13
19 Jake Ball Scarlets 21/06/1991 25 197/121 21
20 Ross Moriarty Gloucester (ENG) 18/04/1994 22 188/104 (11)
21 Gareth Davies Scarlets 18/08/1990 26 178/86 20
22 Sam Davies Ospreys 06/10/1993 23 180/86 2
23 Keelan Giles Ospreys 29/01/1998 18 175/76 (0)

Caretaker Head Coach – Rob Howley.

On 7 September 2016, Wales head coach Warren Gatland was reappointed head coach of the British and Irish Lions for the tour of New Zealand in 2017. Gatland is committed to the Lions position from 1 September 2016 until the completion of the tour. Rob Howley was appointed caretaker coach of Wales for the 2016 autumn internationals and the 2017 Six Nations. He may continue in the role for the 2017 June internationals, depending on his selection for the coaching staff of the Lions.

Subs

16 not used.
17 subbed 1, 28 min 2H.
18 subbed 3, 28 min 2H.
19 subbed 4, 22 min 2H.
20 not used.
21 subbed 9, 11 min 2H.
22 subbed 10, 27 min 1H.
23 not used.

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