France 47-21 Japan
Carl Kinsella
Japanese coach John Kirwan wants his team to play rugby that” big teams don’t like”. On fourteen minutes (with as many points on the French side of the scoreboard as minutes on the clock), France looked anything but comfortable.
It was very much a case of the best and worst for Japan’s fly-half, James Alridge, the fulcrum around which the first half turned. On twelve minutes, a somewhat careless toss from the #10 into the welcoming arms of his opposite number, Francois-Trinh Duk, saw France add to Julien Pierre’s Welcome-To –The-World-Cup fourth minute try. This came shortly after Alridge had missed something of a straightforward penalty, only minutes prior.
Japan largely broke their own momentum going forward but certainly they exceeded expectations much to the delight of the New Harbour crowd. It was that man, James Arlidge, putting Japan’s first points on the board from yet another penalty – followed shortly by an impressive try after a power surge from Kosuke Endo, and a fumbled kick from Alridge, upon which no French player seized. Alridge reclaimed the ball and took it over the line, then converting his kick to cap a largely successful first half for Japan, who have only one once in the RWC (and that was against Zimbabwe.)
Well, the big team started to look shaky. French outside-centre Rougerie was pressed into running ten yards across his own back line before being able to find a safe out-ball, and French kicks found more height than distance. Nevertheless, France’s third try was a masterclass is patience, drawing Japanese players before offloading at the last second, Japan’s hasty tackling, and failure to cover the flank punished by Vincent Clerc.
The second half began with some heroic defending by the Japanese, with Itaru Taniguchi getting his body beneath the ball after France had crossed the line – a feat repeat a minute later. France scrummed on, five yards out, the try was coming.. But for the hands of Yachvili, who was having a better game with his feet, having converted two of three tries. He exhibited some nervy hands and Onozawa capitalized, breaking through the French lines and dodging the bullet for a little while longer. Unbridled effort and concentration from Kirwan’s men.
Japan had brought their A-game to the second half, and guess who was about to make his presence felt? After clever build-up play, craftily off-loading before being forced into touch (on both flanks), Japan found the crack in the French wall, Fumiaka Tanaka offloading to my main man – James Arlidge who took it as close as he could to the posts for his second try, and his (and Japan’s) 18th point of the game. What had thus far been a Japanese moral victory began to look a lot like what could be an actual victory.
Clerc bungled a tackle on the left-flank, the Japan now dragging French players into touch and smashing into white jerseys five yards from the try line. A converted try would have levelled the playing field, the score standing at 25 – 18. A poor pass and the attacked seemed to unravel, but Japan were in the zone as it were. They drove on, eventually wining the penalty, and Arlidge took his own, and his team’s tally to 21. Four points in it, and twenty minutes to go and the French were dying for the full-time whistle already, Medard the only player currently showing strength and composure at the back with Japanese tackles forcing errors, fumbles and forward passes.
When another attack was foiled by the quick-stepping Medard, France gained a valuable thirty metres, and then thirty more from a successful kick into touch – and it became clear to the adrenaline-fuelled Japanese team that all France had to do was settled themselves, brush the dust off and wait for that final whistle. France went one better, resultant of another accurate penalty from Dimitri Yachvili. A converted try was the relatively small gap between the teams as the game veered towards its climax.
But Japan had failed to strike while the iron was hot. It had been all Japan, but once Lionel Nallet came hurtling forward, he would not be stopped by Onozawa – the little man was tossed carelessly to one side by before Nallet drove the ball into the New Harbour turf and gave Yachvili and try to convert from the touchline, which he did with precision – untouched by the nerves permeating the French team. It was these ten final tired minutes that saw France show where regular playing time and experience pays off – another counter-attack leading to another prop try, Pascal Pape and Yachvili adding another seven points. France had eventually smelled the blood, and a third try from that right flank offering up 22 points from the last ten minutes.
Much credit to the Japanese, who provided their fans with a real event of game – well worth waking up for. As for France, the idea of Dr Jekyll and Monsieur Hyde springs to mind. Their World Cup will hinge upon who turns up against the bigger teams, as the final score against the All-Blacks is less likely to flatter Les Bleus.
