Jones comments on A5N success

TOKYO (May 04) – Japan coach Eddie Jones said his side had completed the first task of the season in retaining the HSBC Asian 5 Nations title but said there was still plenty of challenges ahead.

“We’ve got one game left but we are the champs so we have completed the first challenge of the season,” he said after the Brave Blossoms beat South Korea 64-5. “I am very pleased with today’s performance. It was a good first 40 minutes and although we got a little bit tired in the second half and were a bit flat, we finished well.”

The win marked Japan’s 23rd straight bonus-point victory in the competition and assured them of the silverware, despite having one game to play – against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai on May 10.

However, as always Jones said he wasn’t completely satisfied.

“I always get frustrated,” he said. “I want us to play the perfect game of rugby, but in reality you can’t. We were slow in the second half once the Koreans decided they didn’t want to give us quick ball. But it was a good learning experience and overall a positive performance.”

Japan captain Takashi Kikutani, who scored two of his side’s 10 tries, said the Koreans had put his side under a little bit of pressure and like Jones was concerned Japan hadn’t been able to control the tempo of the game in the second half.

Though as Jones pointed pout, the game had already been won at halftime.

“The first half was fantastic so why talk about the second half when we already had the game won,” he said.

Jones said the players who hadn’t played so far would feature in the game against the UAE, and that a few players would be taking a well deserved break.

“Once we get back from Dubai we will take a short break and then reassemble, and the breakdown will be an area we work on (ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup),” he said.