Chile make Japan work hard in Toulouse heat
MATCH REPORT: Japan were made to work hard for their 42-12 win over debutants Chile in their World Cup Pool D match in Toulouse on Sunday.
Japan embraced the role of giants in the Toulouse heat, using their pack to bludgeon Chile to score six tries, including five by forwards, after flyhalf Rodrigo Fernandez had given Chile a shock sixth-minute lead.
Lock forward Amato Fakatava scored two of Japan’s tries at the Stadium de Toulouse.
Fakatava grabbed his first shortly after Fernandez shocked the crowd with his score.
Wing Jone Naikabula added a second after Chilean prop Matias Dittus was shown a yellow card.
Chile were again reduced to 14 men after captain Martin Sigren was sin-binned before half-time and Fakatava added another try to give Japan a 21-7 interval lead.
Brave Blossoms centre Dylan Riley also received a yellow card before No.8 Alfonso Escobar reduced the deficit with their second try but scores from flank Michael Leitch, inside centre Ryoto Nakamura and replacement lock Warner Dearns embellished Japan’s victory margin.
Man of the match: The award goes to Japan lock Amato Fakatava. He scored two of his team’s tries and he was a key figure in the physical exchanges. He certainly brought some dynamism into the Japanese pack
The scorers:
For Japan:
Tries: Fakatava 2, Naikabula, Leitch, Nakamura, Dearns
Cons: Matsuda 6
For Chile:
Tries: Fernandez, Escobar
Con: Videla
Yellow cards: Matias Dittus (Chile, 24′ – foul play, late tackle); Martín Sigren (Chile, 38′ – foul play, head-to-head tackle); Dylan Riley (Japan, 47′ – cynical play. deliberate knock-on)
Teams:
Japan: 15 Semisi Masirewa; 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Jone Naikabula, 10 Rikiya Matsuda, 9 Yutaka Nagare; 8 Jack Cornelsen, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Amato Fakatava, 4 Amanaki Saumaki, 3 Jiwon Gu, 2 Atsushi Sakate, 1 Keita Inagaki.
Replacements: 16 Shota Horie, 17 Craig Millar, 18 Asaeli Ai Valu,19 Warner Dearns, 20 Shota Fukui, 21 Naoto Saito, 22 Tomoki Osada, 23 Lomano Lemeki.
Chile: 15 Inaki Ayarza, 14 Santiago Videla, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 12 Matias Garafulic, 11 Franco Velarde; 10 Rodrigo Fernandez, 9 Marcelo Torrealba, 8 Alfonso Escobar, 7 Raimundo Martínez, 6 Martín Sigren (captain), 5 Javier Eissmann, 6 Clemente Saavedra, 3 Matias Dittus, 2 Diego Escobar, 1 Javier Carrasco.
Replacements: 16 Augusto Bohme, 17 Salvador Lues, 18 Inaki Gurruchaga, 19 Pablo Huete, 20 Santiago Pedrero, 21 Ignacio Silva, 22 Lukas Carvallo, 23 José Ignacio Larenas.
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England), Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)
Additional reporting: AFP & @WorldRugby
