Junior ABs thrash brave Japan
Fri, 22 Jun 2007 08:28
Tane Tu'ipulotu and Stephen Brett scored tries early in the second half Sunday as New Zealand's Junior All Blacks defeated Japan 51-3 in the final match of the Pacific Nations Cup. The Junior All Blacks, who defeated Australia A 50-0 a week ago to clinch the title, built up a 10-3 lead at halftime. Tu'ipulotu widened the lead to 15-3 four minutes after the break and Brett gave the visitors a commanding 20-3 lead two minutes later. Replacement Stephen Donald added his second of two tries just minutes before the whistle to complete the scoring for the visitors. The Japanese, coached by All Black legend John Kirwan, can take heart from their effort in the opening thirty minutes, after which they were leading 3-0. But their courageous stand was soon halted by the inevitable All Black surge in the final fifty minutes. The Junior All Blacks finish the tournament with a perfect record. The scorers: For the Junior All Blacks: Tries: Crockett, Tu'ipulotu, Brett, Tuitavake, Nonu, Wulf, Donald 2 Cons: Brett 2, Donald 2 Pen: Brett For Japan Pen: Ando Teams: Japan: 15 Bryce Robins, 14 Christian Loamanu, 13 Yuta Imamura, 12 Shotaro Onishi, 11 Hirotoki Onozawa, 10 Eiji Ando, 9 Yuki Yatomi, 8 Hare Makiri, 7 Glen Marsh, 6 Yasumori Watanabe, 5 Luke Thompson, 4 Hitoshi Ono, 3 Tomokazu Soma, 2 Yuji Matsubara, 1 Masahito Yamamoto. Replacements: 16 Yusuke Aoki, 17 Ryo Yamamura, 18 Takanori Kumagae, 19 Takamichi Sasaki, 20 Koichi Ohigashi, 21 Kousei Ono, 22 Go Aruga. Junior All Blacks: 15 Scott Hamilton, 14 Rudi Wulf, 13 Ma'a Nonu, 12 Tane Tu'ipulotu, 11 Anthony Tuitavake, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Daniel Braid (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Hoani MacDonald, 3 Campbell Johnstone, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett. Replacements: 16 Derren Witcombe, 17 John Afoa, 18 Kieran Read, 19 Mose Tuiali'i, 20 Andrew Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Sam Tuitupou. Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales) Touch judges: David Changleng (Scotland), Taizo Hiraybayashi (Japan)
