Japan U20 Defeated by Italy in Second Pool B Outing
Japan U20 have suffered their second defeat at the Junior World Championships in Georgia, going down 25-41 against Italy in Kutaisi. After matching their opponents for much of the first half, the pressure and fatigue of facing the sizable Italians started to show, with Japan’s attack and defence falling away in the second half.
The Japan U20 started the match well, enjoying significant dominance in possession and territory as they played their slick, high-speed passing and running game while trying to unlock the Italian defence. However, the men in blue were well prepared for what Japan would bring, holding their defensive lines well and pouncing upon eventual Japanese mistakes. Despite Japan’s clear statistical dominance, it was the Italians who went into the sheds at half time with a 11-17 lead.
Japan had come into the match with a 6-2 bench split in recognition of the challenge they would face coming up against the huge Italian pack. Head Coach Naoya Okubo had made it clear that their strategy was to look to run the heavy Italians off their feet. While the speed of the Japanese game put the Italians under pressure, they couldn’t sustain it into the latter stages of the second half, allowing Italy to pull away to a 16-point victory.
While clearly disappointed with the result, the young Japanese team played bravely throughout the full 80 against a side that enjoyed a clear size advantage across every position on the field. Their courage and commitment was undoubted and these young men will take a lot from the experience as they progress on their rugby journeys.
Another key element which would have pleased the coaching team was the 100% success rate of the Japanese scrum following a similar performance against New Zealand in their opening match. On both occasions, the Japanese forwards faced packs with a clear and significant weight advantage, however through their cohesive scrummaging technique, they could clearly hold their own at scrum time.
Commenting following the match, Japan U20 Head Coach Naoya Okubo said:
“We lost today as we failed to capitalise on the opportunities we created, whereas Italy were able to. There were many instances where a single mistake triggered a chain reaction that led to them scoring. We need to improve, including improving our mindset, and carry that forward into the next match. Whilst there were some positive aspects, the main reason for the defeat was that, as a team, we lacked the resilience to see things through when things weren’t going our way.”
Japan U20 Captain Akihiro Tsubone added:
“We anticipated this match would come down to the forwards, and our inability to win at the lineout was a key factor that led to our defeat. As a pack, we need to recognise this and move forward from here. We must not lose heart, but instead, we must focus on our remaining matches and prepare as best we can and keep striving for victory.”
Japan next face Scotland in their final Pool B match on Tuesday, July 7 with a 20:30 JST kick-off. At the conclusion of the pool fixtures, they will go on to play an additional two matches as part of the semi-finals and play offs to decide their final placing in the 16-team competition.
Running from June 27 to July 19, the 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championships brings together the world’s best U20 national teams to fight it out for the right to be crowned 2026 Junior World Champions.