Japan Defeat Italy in Front of Packed Tokyo Crowd
The Brave Blossoms have defeated Gli Azzurri 27-10 in front of a sold-out crowd at Prince
Chichibu memorial Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday night. The Japanese rugby faithful turned
out in force to cheer on their team and when the final siren sounded, were in universal
delight as Japan secured their first win over Italy since 2018.
While more of a solid and steady performance rather than a flashy, razzle-dazzle match, the
fixture showed an entertaining and effective display of Eddie Jones’ vision of ‘chosoku’ or fast, attacking rugby.
The Italians opened the scoring with a scintillating break out try in the first five minutes and looked like they had a real pep in their step. But as the half wore on, Japan started to take control. Several knock-ons from the visitors, some of which occurred in open play and under little or no pressure stifled most of the attacking opportunities the men in blue created.
Japan by contrast couldn’t seem to drop the ball, with their fast passing and set plays working like clockwork. After a solid first half, the Brave Blossoms went into the sheds with a well-deserved 17-10 lead following tries to Captain Warner Dearns and fullback Takuro Matsunaga.
The second half saw an early try to Ben Gunter in what was a ‘player of the match’ performance for the big backrower. Gunter put in several massive hits in defence, driving the Italians back and helping the Japanese pack stamp their authority on the contest.
The coaching team would have been delighted by the cohesive and intelligent play of their forwards. Never overplaying their hand, the starting pack along with the six forward replacements were assured and in control throughout the match, including the perennially effervescent Michael Leitch who made an immediate impact during his 30-minute, second half cameo.
While the backline was also solid, the standout player was debutant flyhalf Ryunosuke Ito.
Having played well against the Māori All Blacks for the JAPAN XV a week earlier, the young man from Meiji University took his game to another level against Italy. With a physical stature and presence that belies his relatively light 77kg, he was brave, confident and composed across the full 80.
Commenting following the match, Brave Blossoms Coaching Coordinator Neal Hatley said:
“We’re obviously very pleased with the result following a fantastic week of preparation where we built a mindset of preparing to win the match. The four new caps that came in today made a big impact, and our finishers did as well, with everybody that came on bringing real energy to the team. It’s a very pleasant way to start our season, especially at home. It’s a great start but there is still lots of work to be done. We’re excited to be playing Ireland next weekend in Australia, so we’re now 100% looking toward that next challenge.”
Japan now head to Australia to take on Ireland in Round Two of the Southern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship. Taking place at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Saturday, July 11, the match kicks off at 20:10 local time, 19:10 JST.
Following their trip to Australia, the Brave Blossoms return to Japan to face France on Saturday, July 18 at Tokyo’s National Stadium. Fans looking to catch the action live can pick up tickets via the JRFU’s English-language ticketing website at: https://quick.pia.jp/japan-rugby_en/.
Japan vs Italy Past Results:
11 matches, 3 wins, 8 losses
July 4, 2026 (W) 27-10 Tokyo
July 21, 2024 (L) 14-42 Sapporo
August 26, 2023 (L) 42-12 Treviso
June 16, 2018 (L) 22-25 Kobe
June 9, 2018 (W) 34-17 Oita
June 21, 2014 (W) 26-23 Tokyo
August 13, 2011 (L) 31-24 Cesena
August 18, 2007 (L) 36-12 Aosta
June 11, 2006 (L) 52-6 Tokyo
July 4, 2004 (L) 32-19 Tokyo
October 21, 1976 (L) 25-3 Padova