New Zealand’s Patrick Tuipulotu runs to the try line during a rugby test match between the All Blacks and Japan at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, near Tokyo, on Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — The All Blacks overcame a spirited start by Japan to run in 10 tries on the way to a 64-19 win Saturday in the first of five matches on their Northern Hemisphere tour.
Japan scored the opening try of the match and New Zealand didn’t lead until the 15th minute when new captain Patrick Tuipulotu scored its second try. Japan scored again and almost retrieved the lead with a spectacular third try which was disallowed for a knock-on.
New Zealand eventually settled and began to pile on points, leading 43-12 at halftime. But the match at times was a shaky dress rehearsal for much tougher matches against England, Ireland and France over the next few weeks.
“We have to be more consistent in our set piece. We left a lot of lineouts out there,” Tuipulotu said. “Also our scrum, we didn’t get the good march out of it that we wanted. That will be work-on for us, especially against the good European teams that love set piece.”
The All Blacks named their heaviest-ever front row with two props weighing in at more than 300 pounds (140 kilograms) but couldn’t assert any early scrum dominance over Japan.
The Brave Blossoms under Australia-born head coach Eddie Jones pounced on early errors by the All Blacks to score tries through winger Jone Naikabula and backrower Faulua Makisi and thrill a crowd in excess of 60,000 at the Nissan Stadium.
When the All Blacks last played at the stadium in 2019 they lost in a World Cup semifinal to an England team coached by Jones.
The All Blacks scored immediately after a try to Japan’s New Zealand-born lock Warner Dearns was disallowed in the 21st minute. New Zealand flyhalf Damian McKenzie was sacked in a tackle by Makisi, the ball sprang free and Dearns recovered it and dashed 40 meters to score.
But the ball was knocked-on in the tackle. Center Billy Proctor scored immediately afterward and New Zealand added tries to Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau and props Pasilio Tosi and Tamaiti Willaims to take control of the match.
“When we had that try disallowed you could visibly see our energy drop,” Jones said. “Our attention to detail dropped and New Zealand scored 29 points in that period and the game was lost. But I thought in the second half we showed plenty of spirit, plenty of character and played some good rugby.”
The All Blacks scored their eighth try in 44th minute through returning scrumhalf Cam Roigard. Roigard didn’t play in New Zealand’s mid-year tests or in the Rugby Championship while recuperating from a knee injury.
The match became scrappy from then on as both teams went to their benches. Japan replaced its captain, flyhalf Harumichi Tatekawa in the 55th minute, while Hurricanes teammates Peter Lakai and Love came off the New Zealand bench to make test debuts.
Naikabula almost scored a second try but was stopped in the right corner by Damian McKenzie. McKenzie also made a try-saving tackle on Yoshitaka Yazaki but he was left grasping at air when Opeti Helu scored a try on debut for Japan in the 69th minute.
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