4-11-18 AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS
AUTUMN
INTERNATIONALS
JAPAN 31-69 NEW ZEELAND
LAUMAPE LIFTS THE
BLACKS
A close-to-capacity crowd at the Ajinomoto Stadium were
dreaming of an improbable victory when lock Samuela Anise charged down Jordie
Barrett's kick to score the first try of the game for Japan after five minutes.
However, the new-look All Blacks soon surged into gear and
Coles went over in the corner following a fine pass from Laumape.
Mo'unga broke through a Japanese tackle to score his first
All Blacks try on 20 minutes, before Laumape opened his account to give New
Zealand a 24-7 lead after half an hour.
Tries from Japan number eight Hendrik Tui and centre Timothy
Lafaele, either side of Laumape's second and a maiden score for All Blacks
scrum-half Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, meant the hosts kept the half-time score
respectable at 38-19.
Bridge, a half-time replacement, scored the try of the game
with his first touch as a Test player, following a superb break from Mo'unga.
Jamie Henry, who was making his Test debut for Japan, then
ran onto flyhalf Yu Tamura's kick through to score in the corner and reduce the
All Blacks lead to 21 points, with just under half an hour remaining.
However, tries from winger Waisake Naholo and centre Matt
Proctor, as well as further scores from Laumape and Bridge piled on the points
to give a fair reflection of New Zealand's dominance.
But the home crowd were treated to the final try of the
match, a second from Lafaele with 10 minutes remaining, as Japan amassed their
highest points tally against the All Blacks.
MY
OPINION
You can not learn too much from
a match like this except the fact that Japan have got the potential to score
points on any given day which might prove a problem for Ireland at the World Cup.
I think that this shows the destruction that New Zealand can do when they want
to and the fact that they can just break a team to bits.
WALES 21-10 SCOTLAND
DELICIOUS DAVIES
Now it is Wales who are the beneficiary of a penalty, Ken
Owens gets over the ball and causes Scotland to err. Halfpenny will kick for
goal from 40m. The full-back knocks it through the
posts to give his side an early lead.
Wales are utterly in control and following a call of penalty
advantage they work it right with Anscombe chipping over for North to claim
well but the winger’s his foot was in touch before he got the ball down. Shorter distance for Halfpenny this
time and he again splits the uprights.
Halfpenny earns a big roar for a brave claim from a towering
Scotland clearance before beating a man or two in midfield. A couple of phases
later Moriarty breaks free From almost dead centre the full-back drills
flat and hard for another score.
Scotland have their first scrum as Wales knock on and
the big men win a penalty. Smoothly
converted by the fly-half and we are back to a one-score game!
Costly it is! North powers through a tackle and pumps his
legs to escape some desperate attempts to bring him down. Good quick ball from
the Welsh and Scottish ill-discipline see the game’s first try.
Scotland rally back and a collapsed maul gives them a free
series deep in Wales territory. Ultimately it leads to Kinghorn kicking for the
corner. A catch and drive sees the Scotland skipper McInally bundle over in the
corner. They’re right back in it as Hastings adds the extras.
Anscombe’s clever offload from an excellent first-phase
Welsh move off the lineout creates a huge hole for Jonathan Davies to stiff-arm
a would-be tackler and scoot home for a try! Halfpenny knocks through the
extras. Wales could not have asked for a better start to the second half.
MY
OPINION
I think that this shows how much
Scotland need to improve if they are to stand any sort of a chance at the World
Cup. Wales look at the moment to be a force to look out for but Scotland look
like there are new players that they have to find but they could top the group
or even reach the semis that is not impossible.
ENGLAND 12-11 SOUTH
AFRICA
FANTASTIC FARRELL
Sinckler offside with Marx driving forward at the back of a
maul and South Africa have a kick at goal from around 40 yards, just to the
right. Straight through the middle from Pollard.
As Dyantyi spills a Youngs box kick and South Africa are
well offside as they try to reclaim possession. Farrell’s kick is centre right
and about 40 yards out. No messing
from Farrell who levels the scores.
De Allende and Du Toit were punching holes in the England
defence. Then De Allende makes another break down the left, constantly crossing
the gainline. The ball is worked to the left where May does well to briefly
hold everything up. But on the next possession, Whitely just flicks a pass to
Nkosi, drawing Daly in, and the South Africa wing crosses just inside the
touchline.
England enjoy some possession, attempting a few set moves
but Kriel made a big hit on Slade and the ball very nearly found Dyantyi. However,
there was an offside in all of that and Farrell has a chance from just inside
halfway. Exemplary from Farrell who gets England
to within two points.
Credit to Nowell there who was in a 1v1 duel with De
Allende, the South Africa centre holding the ball in his left hand and
constantly fending the wing off with his right but the Exeter man managed to
win the knock on. Was officially measured
at 46m and Daly cleared that with room to spare.
Pollard nudges South Africa back into the lead with a mighty
kick.
South Africa scrum on their own 5m line and England win a
penalty as that new Bok front row buckles with the Red Rose twisting the
set-piece. It’s close but a very tight angle. Farrell
puts England back in the lead, 5m inside the touchline and bang on the
22.
MY
OPINON
This was a real battle that both
teams had got the claim that they could win but a simple error by South Africa
was what made the difference and both teams could definitely learn from. This
was a lucky win for the English.
IRELAND 54-7 ITALY
LAMOUR LOVES IT
Ireland won the lineout smoothly and then rumbled forwards
before second row Tadgh Beirne blasted over for the score.
Larmour burst into the line and skipped past the Italian
defence before offloading to scrum-half Luke McGrath who dotted down. Carbery
added his second conversion of the match to make it 14-0.
But Italy did eventually break through the Irish defence
shortly before half-time when Ruddock's pass was intercepted by Azzurri skipper
Michele Campagnaro, who sprinted over for the score.
A turnover in midfield set up a second try for Beirne before
Campagnaro saw a pass intercepted by Larmour, who sprinted 60 meters to make it
28-7.
Another Ireland attacking lineout from a penalty saw
replacement hooker Sean Cronin barrel over from a driving maul, with Carbery
adding the conversion for 35-7.
Larmour then grabbed his second of the game, breaking
through tackles from Braam Steyn and Sperandio to make it 40-7, with Ross Byrne
converting.
Centre Bundee Aki's surging run and offload then created a
score for Ringrose in the corner which Byrne converted for 49-7.
In the closing seconds, Larmour then capped his fine
individual display with another solo run, weaving through the Italians to
complete his treble.
MY
OPINION
This shows what Ireland can do
and also says to me that no place in the world cup is safe as Ireland are able
to compete with anyone on a given day. Ireland have shown in this that they can
play well with a weakened team. Italy will have a lot to fix for the six
nations.
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