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Rich Freeman / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter
Japan opened the Asian Five Nations by beating South Korea on Saturday, but it was hardly a vintage performance to launch the new competition.
Tatsuya Kusumi grabbed two second-half tries as the Brave Blossoms won 39-17 at the No. 2 ground at Incheon Munhak Stadium, but there was little else to write home about.
"Sloppy," was Japan coach John Kirwan's assessment. "We lost our discipline and didn't keep our structure and that is simply not acceptable."
The last time the Brave Blossoms played was back in September in Bordeaux, when they drew 12-12 with Canada at the Rugby World Cup.
While Kirwan's men showed plenty of bottle in defense on Saturday, their performance was not one that was going to get the players and coaches knocking back the champagne in celebration.
"At times we were really clinical," said Japan flyhalf James Arlidge. "But then we tried to throw 50-50 passes and seemed to get frustrated."
When the Brave Blossoms clicked--primarily in the first half--they were good.
But, like the little boy with the curl in the middle of his forehead, when they were bad they were pretty awful.
Fortunately the Koreans were bereft of any real ideas of how to penetrate a well-organized defensive line and despite scoring two well-worked tries in the second half, were never going to cause an upset once Japan went 22-0 up in the 33rd minute.
Perhaps it was the rather barren facilities on offer to the teams, but the Brave Blossoms seemed to find it difficult keeping their mind on the game.
One minute they would be running in a sublime try--the result of great interplay between backs and forwards--the next, they would be committing a schoolboy error.
And they were not helped by referee Tom Wolfe's interpretation of what was going wrong in the scrums.
"The referee said at halftime there was a safety issue in the scrums," said Kirwan. "He said he would penalize us if it continued. But I don't agree. Why should the stronger side be penalized?"
The lineout, however, was one area in which Japan excelled.
Koji Shinozuka and Takashi Kikutani won everything that was thrown at them, and together with Hitoshi Ono stole some Korean ball as well.
That was never more evident than in the opening stanza, as Japan ran in five tries.
Go Aruga crossed for the first in the 13th minute following a good take by Shinozuka and quick hands by Bryce Robins. Arlidge added the extras, though he was to end the day slotting over two from seven attempts.
Japan increased its lead in the 21st minute when Arlidge made the most of quick recycled ball to go over unopposed.
Ono, Kikutani--Japan's best player on the day--and Robins put Hirotoki Onozawa away in the 25th minute, before Robins made the most of a Kikutani break to make it 22-0.
But full credit to the hosts as they responded to tries by Hiroki Yoshida and Kusumi either side of the break, to have by far the better of the second stanza, inspired by replacement flyhalf Hong Jun Ki, who slotted over two conversions and a penalty goal.
You Young Nam, who plays his club rugby for Sanyo Wild Knights, rounded off a period of Korean pressure to make it 34-7.
And although Kusumi added a second after a superb break by Arlidge, it was the Koreans who had the last word.
You intercepted a wayward pass by Takashi Sato deep in his own 22 and raced toward the Japan line. He didn't have the legs to go the whole way but Park Wanyong and Kim Sung Soo were in support and Kim crossed to the delight of the home fans.
"That summed it up," said Arlidge. "That's not the standard we expect from each other. We're better than that."
RUGBY UNION
Asian 5 Nations
(At Inchon, South Korea)
Japan 39 South Korea 17
Japan--Tries: Kusumi (2), Aruga, Arlidge, Onozawa, Robins, H.Yoshida. Conversions: Arlidge (2)
South Korea--Tries: You, Kim Conversions: Hong (2) Penalty goal: Hong
Japan fails to impress in Five Nations opening win : Sports : DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE (The Daily Yomiuri)
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