Japan High Schools Fall to Leinster U19s
Leinster U19s edged out Japan High Schools 38-31 at Donnybrook Stadium in Dublin on Tuesday, 20 March 2018. In the first game on tour, Leinster led 26-19 at the completion of the first half, but the Japan High School tied things up at 31-all heading into the final few minutes of play. A late converted try tipped the result in favour of the hosts.
Leinster U19s outscored Japan High Schools six tries to five with hooker Mamoru Harada scoring a brace while five-eighth Rintaro Maruyama, No8 Asipeli Moala and fullback Halatoa Vailea were the other try scorers.
Comments by head coach Toshiya Yakushiji, “This was our first game on tour. Our motto for this tour is preparedness and resolution and this game showed that spirit. Our attack and defence were what we expected, but we let ourselves down with penalties and eventually lost 38-31. Leinster U19s are full of history and tradition and it is pleasing that we pushed them all the way to the final whistle. Our goal is to beat Ireland and so we have to reflect on our failings in this match.”
Comments by captain Reiya Ueyama, “This was our first game on tour and we gave it our all against a big, powerful Leinster U19 side. However, we gave away a lot of penalties and in a see-saw game we were punished. We know what we have to work on now as we work towards beating Ireland.”
Game 1:
Leinster U19s 38 d Japan High Schools 31
Date: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Venue: Donnybrook Stadium, Donnybrook, Dublin
Kick-off: 15.30 (JST 00.30 +1)
Halftime: Leinster U19s 26 – Japan High Schools 19
Japan High Schools 31 – Tries: Mamoru Harada 2, Rintaro Maruyama, Asipeli Moala and Halatoa Vailea; Conversions: Halatoa Vailea 3
Japan High Schools: 1- Ryunosuke Momoji, 2- Mamoru Harada, 3- Kota Kamimori, 4- Otoya Kihara, 5- Asaeli Lausii, 6- Reiya Ueyama (c), 7- Kai Yamamoto, 8- Asipeli Moala, 9- Kaisei Tamura, 10- Rintaro Maruyama, 11- Lee Seung-sin, 12- Itsuki Kodama, 13- Tomoki Osoda, 14- Ryosuke Kawase and 15- Halatoa Vailea. Reserves: 16- Kosei Yamamoto, 17- Kaito Doichi, 18- Kotaro Hosoki, 19- Hiroki Kiyohara, 20- Shin Takeuchi, 21- Shu Yamamoto, 22- Ren Iinuma, 23- Atsushi Oshikawa, 24- Keita Inayoshi, 25- Sioeli Vakalahi and 26- Hiroki Kumoyama. Coach: Toshiya Yakushiji.