Japan Under-20 Bag Win Over Chile
Japan Under-20 bagged a first-up win in their opening game at the 2017 World Rugby Under-20 Trophy in Uruguay on Tuesday when they beat Chile 28-22.
The age-grade Japanese side did not have things all their own way though as tries to Domingo Saavedra and Rodrigo Gajardo had Chile out to an early 10-3 lead. Nevertheless, a second penalty from centre Tomoki Kishioka and a try to hooker Hinata Takei from a rolling maul put Japan in front 11-10 at halftime.
After the break, Takei scored his second try before Chile responded with a try to flanker Vicente Huete to again make it a one-point game. Japan played to their strengths through the forwards to produce a penalty try, but Chile again hit back with a try to No8 Clemente Saavedra.
Kishioka eventually put the win beyond doubt with a late penalty sealing the 28-22 victory.
Japan U20 28 – Tries: Hinata Takei 2 and penalty try; Conversion: Tomoki Kishioka; Penalties: Tomoki Kishioka 3 d
Chile U20 20 – Tries: Clemente Saavedra, Domingo Saavedra, Rodrigo Gajardo Pizarro and Vicente Huete Larrain; Conversion: Tomas Salas Walther.
Japan Under-20: 1- Ahn Chang-Ho, 2- Hinata Takei, 3- Taiki Fujii, 4- Naoaki Horibe, 5- Ryuga Hashimoto, 6- Faulua Makisi, 7- Takeshi Sasaki, 8- Shinko Tsuchiya, 9- Takumi Sue, 10- Taichi Mano (c), 11- Shota Fukui, 12- Tomoki Kishioka, 13- Yudai Yamamoto, 14- Yoshiyuki Koga and 15- Kosuke Naka. Reserves: 16- Miyu Arai, 17- Shimpei Kamata, 18- Kan Nakano, Riki Sugihara, 20- Feinga Fakai, 21- Kenji Harada and 22- Yuki Yamamoto. Coach: Satoru Endo.
Chile Under-20: 1- Piero Zunino Valenzuela, 2- Benjamin Jeria Ugarte, 3- Marcelo Huerta Moraga, 4- Nicholas Garafulic Schar, 5- Thomas Orchard Meyer-Rachner, 6- Alfonso Escobar Alvarez (c), 7- Vicente Huete Larrain, 8- Clemente Saavedra, 9- Domingo Saavedra, 10- Martin De Oto, 11- Rodrigo Gajardo Pizarro, 12- Santiago Videla, 13- Santiago Gana Lopez, 14- Rodrigo Manzano Nunez and 15- Tomas Salas Walther. Reserves: 16- Javier Carrasco Albornoz, 17- Augusto Bhome Alemparte, 18- Carlos Oyarzun Quezada, 19- Vicente Contreras Urrutia, 20- Jose Escobedo, 21- Lucas Avelli and 22- Diego Salas Walther. Coach: Bernard Charreyre.