Disappointing Results Hide Development of Sakura Fifteen Programme
Following the completion of the second addition of the WXV, in which Japan competed in the second tier of the tournament for the second year running, Sakura Fifteens Head Coach, Lesley McKenzie fronted the media in Tokyo to give her view on the season and share what the team is looking forward to in 2025.
Results wise, it was a tough season for the Japan women. Across ten test matches, they recorded just three wins, alongside one draw and six losses. While a 40+ positive points difference across the season adds a positive statistic to the mix, their 64-0 rout of Kazakhstan is what tipped their overall for-and-against points tally in their favour.
However, for the fans and pundits who watched the team closely throughout the season, the Sakura Fifteen have made strong progress in their game and have played some remarkable rugby. They probably deserved better results than what their scorecards suggests, based on both their performances and the unwavering courage and determination seen throughout all their matches.
Through a combination of some bad luck, and at times, not being able to convert pressure into points, the Sakura Fifteen lost a number of matches which they were very much in contention of winning. Both of their matches against the USA at home in the middle of the year would fall into this category, while their WXV2 matches against South Africa and Scotland could have gone the other way had the bounce of the ball been more favourable to the Sakura Fifteen.
Sakura Fifteen 2024 Results
■Asia Rugby 2024 Women’s Championship
Hong Kong China: May 22, 2024 (W) 12-29 Hong Kong
Kazakhstan: May 27, 2024 (W) 64-0 Hong Kong
■ 2024 Sakura Fifteen Fiji Tour
Fiji: June 14, 2024 (W) 15-24 Suva
Fiji: June 20, 2024 (L) 24-15 Lautoka
■ Taiyoseimei Japan Rugby Challenge Series 2024
USA: August 11, 2024 (D) 17-17 Kitakyushyu
USA: August 17, 2024 (L) 8-11 Shizuoka
■ 2024 Sakura Fifteen Italy Tour
Italy: September 14, 2024 (L) 24-8 Piacenza
■ 2024 WXV2 South Africa
South Africa: September 27, 2024 (L) 31-24 DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Scotland: October 5, 2024 (L) 13-19 Athlone Stadium, Cape Town
Wales: October 11, 2024 (L) 19-10 Athlone Stadium, Cape Town
Commenting at the conclusion of the season, Japan Head Coach Lesley McKenzie said:
“We don’t want to be at next year’s World Cup as participants, we want to be competitors. With the speed at which the international game is travelling, in terms of the shift towards professionalisation and centralisation, and teams becoming bigger, fitter, stronger, faster and with better skill levels, a lot of Japan’s traditional points of difference have been eroded. It’s a huge challenge for us to take that acceleration in our stride and to try and match it, and hopefully better it.”
Looking towards the upcoming Rugby World Cup in which Japan are drawn in Pool C against Ireland, New Zealand and Spain, McKenzie added:
“In England next year, we will need to win two games in our pool to progress, so realistically speaking, the first game against Ireland, and our match against Spain will be massive. If we win against Ireland, it’s all on and all possible from there. Our goal is to make the Quarter-Finals and take things from there.
“To get there, we have to be excellent in every facet of our game. We must be excellently prepared physically, technically and tactically, because all our games are going to be tight. We’re not a team that’s going to produce blowouts, beating teams by a multitude of tries like some of the bigger teams can produce.
“We have to look really hard at ourselves and look at matches where points have gone missing. Times when we’ve put ourselves in really good positions but failed to convert into points. In 2023 we couldn’t win a lineout in our opposition’s 22, and now we can. It’s now time for us to get some reward out of our driving mauls and the pressure we’re applying.”
One of the remarkable aspects of the Sakura Fifteens is the recent growth in the level of experience across the squad. Due to the greater number of annual test matches and consistency in selections, there are now multiple players with more than 25 test matches of experience right across the squad. In their most recent test against Wales, Japan fielded five players with 30 or more caps, including the indominable Seina Saito. The utility forward who can play at hooker and across the backrow, currently sits at just three caps short of becoming Japan’s first ever female player to reach 50 test caps.
“It’s now become harder and harder for players to make their way into the Sakura Fifteen,” continued McKenzie. “There is a physical, technical and tactical standard that’s been set very high. We don’t have the luxury to draw on a huge player base like some countries, nor do we have access to physically large players who can get away with average to middling skill sets. We’ve got to be really skilled and physically well-tuned across the board, which is why we’re focusing more on our strength and conditioning programme.
“We’re working with around 40 to 45 players on a regular basis, but the door is open for players out of the club competition who are looking to put their hand up. But at this stage they’ve got to be of a level where they could realistically challenge for a place to go to England next year to even be considered.”