By Nick Powell, Online Editor
Japan………………………….42
Tries: Fakatava 8, 41, Naikabula 30, Leitch 53, Nakamura 71, Dearns 79
Conversions: Matsuda 10, 31, 42, 54, 73, 81
Chile…………………………..12
Tries: Fernandez 6, Escobar 48
Conversions: Videla 7
Japan went to the top of Pool C as they beat World Cup new boys Chile with a six-try showing.
Chile scored first through Rodrigo Fernandez, but Japan quickly levelled through Amato Fakatava.
Los Condores remained resilient up to the stroke of the half-time break, but two yellow cards helped Jone Naikabula go over and Fakatava get a second for a 21-7 half-time lead.
Chile once again scored first in the second half, but in a similar pattern to the first 40 Japan responded instantly – this time through Michael Leitch – before Ryoto Nakamura and Warner Deans eventually added gloss to the score line towards the end of the match
The tournament debutants made a dream start as they surged forward after getting the ball wide for the first time, with Inaki Ayarz joining the attack, bursting forward and feeding Fernandez to give Los Condores the lead on six minutes.
Santiago Vielda made it a seven point lead with his conversion, but straight from the restart they knocked on to gift the 2019 hosts the chance to level.
And Japan duly did, as second row Fakatava powered through the Chile defence, and Rikiya Matsuda landed the equalising conversion.
Japan had the momentum, and were being provided with more opportunities to lead as the South Americans’ enterprising approach sometimes came unstuck.
But after first being held up, Japan saw the ball ripped away only a few metres out, the second missed chance coming after Chile’s Matias Dittus hit Jiwon Gu with a dangerous late challenge to the knee and was sent to the bin.
Eventually on the half hour mark, Japan’s pressure told with Naikabula scoring in the corner after the ball went wide following a line-out drive.
Despite having only had 27 per cent territory and not much more possession up to that point, Chile looked to be heading into the break still in touch until disaster struck toward the end of the first period.
Chilean skipper Martin Sigren made a similar mistake to Tom Curry as he went too high in the tackle and clashed heads with Kotaro Matsushima, and as he headed for the TMO bunker Japan kicked to the corner and scored their third as Fakatava got his second from a driving maul.
Unlike Curry, Sigren escaped the challenge being converted to a red, and with Japan’s Dalton Riley sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on shortly after Los Condores captain returned, number eight Alfonso Escobar cut the gap to nine with a try.
But as they did for their first try, Chile conceded shortly after, as Japan full-back Semisi Masirewa went free up the right before the ball was worked inside to Brave Blossoms veteran Michael Leitch for the bonus point.
That effectively put the game to bed, compounded by the way Japan were able to manage the game despite missing further opportunities.
But they made sure to put gloss on the scoreline as Nakamura beat a Fijian tackle after quick hands down the blindside from a scrum to get Japan’s fifth, and Deans drove over from another set piece to seal a solid start for Japan, and bring to a close a respectable effort from Chile.
Japan captain Yutaka Nagare said it was “really important” his side had prevailed in a lively opener.
“It’s great to see all the fans supporting us today, it’s a great atmosphere,” he added. “We struggled a little bit against the Chileans’ physicality but we executed our game-plan which was great for us.”
Blossoms head coach Jamie Joseph was pleased to come away with the comprehensive bonus-point win after Chile closed to within nine points early in the second half.
“Chile came with a really spirited performance, really hearty, tackled like demons, turned our ball over, really put us under pressure,” he said. “We had to deal with that without losing confidence.”
His Chile counterpart Pablo Lemoine felt a lack of experience cost his side in the final quarter as Japan took control and added their final couple of scores.
“We were OK for 60 minutes but in the last 20 minutes we missed some experience to manage the game and Japan were amazing with their efficiency,” he said.
JAPAN: Masirewa (Lemeki 56), Matsushima, Riley, Nakamura, Naikabula (Osada 63), Matsuda, Nagare (c) (Saito 61); Inagaki (Millar 58), Sakate (Horie 50), Gu (Valu 41), Saumaki (Dearns 55), Fakatava, Leitch, Shimokawa (Fukui 50), Cornelsen
CHILE: Ayarza (Carvallo 61), Videla, Saavedra, Garafulic, Velarde (Gurruchaga 29-35, Larenas 56), Fernandez, Torrealba; Carrasco (Lues 54), Escobar (Bohme 58), Dittus (Gurruchaga 68), Saavedra (Huete 65), Eissman (Pedrero 56), Sigren (c), Martinez (Silva 58), Escobar
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