Paul Roos Win in Japan
It was a long journey from Stellenbosch to the 15th Sanix Youth Rugby Tournament at the Global Arena in Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
Paul Roos travelled to Singapore via Johannesburg. In Singapore they were taken sightseeing, wandered around and happily went to bed. On Sunday morning they went to Sentosa Island and then on to Fukuoka with a chance on Monday and Tuesday to prepare for the first match on Wednesday.
After the opening ceremony Paul Roos, ranked No.1 on the FNB Top 20 at the moment, kicked off the tournament, and they did so with a comfortable win against a local school Higashi Fukuoka, ranked No.1 in Japan, in Pool A and won 45-13. (There are four pools.)
It took four minutes for Paul Roos to get on the scoreboard when outside centre Nico Leonard scored under the posts. JP Kleynhans, Kristoff Baard and Malan Basson scored tries in the half, Baard kicked three conversions and Paul Roos led 26-3 at half-time of a 50-minute match.
Although tiring in the second half Paul Roos scored three more tries through Kleynhans, Lazlo Pscorn and Troy Payne. Fukuoka who had kicked a penalty in the first half and a drop in the second, scored the last try of the match.
There is little rest at this tournament. The second match follows on Thursday and on Friday the team will visit Nagasaki where the atomic bomb was dropped 70 years ago.
Scorers:
For Paul Roos:
Tries: Nico Leonard, JP Kleynhans 2, Kristoff Baard, Malan Basson, Lazlo Pscorn, Troy Payne.
Cons: Kristoff Baard 5
Paul Roos: 15 Joshua Vermeulen, 14 Troy Payne, 13 Nico Leonard, 12 Kristoff Baard, 11 JP Kleynhans, 10 Damien Willemse, 9 Tiaan Coetzee, 8 De Wet Castelyn, 7 Roelf Burger, 6 Malan Basson, 5 Joa Swart, 4 Lazlo Pscorn, 3 Dre Calitz, 2 Abrie Coetzee, 1 Christiaan van Deventer
Replacements: 16 Muammir Salie, 17 Peter Cordy, 18 Stephan Annandale, 19 Charl Baard, 20 Dean van Tonder, 21 Joss van Eeden, 22 Hein Steenkamp, 23 Sebastian Uys.
Results, Day 1, 29 April 2015
Pool A
Paul Roos vs Higashi Fukuoka, 45-13
Enisei-STM vs Kashiwa, 29-21
Pool B
Truro vs Onomichi, 42-5
Josho Gakuin vs Jianguo, 40-0
Pool C
Scots vs Kyoto Seisho, 28-15
Saga vs Earl Marriott, 47-0
Pool D
Brisbane Boys vs Gose Industrial, 27-10
Nagasaki Hokuyoda vs Baek Shin, 17-12
Fixtures, Day 2, 30 April 2015
A Field
11:00: Paul Roos vs Kashiwa
12.15: Truro vs Josho Gakuen
14:00: Earl Marriott vs Kyoto Seisho
15.15: Scots College vs Saga Technical
B Field
11.00: Jianguo vs Onomichi
12.15: Enisei-STM vs Higashi Fukuoka
14:00: Brisbane Boys' College vs Nagasaki Hokuyodai
15.15: Baek Shin vs Gose Industrial
