Eddie Jones finds his star playmaker in 23-year-old sensation

On September 15th at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Japan's national team defeated Samoa 49-27 in the Pacific Nations Cup semi-finals, securing a spot in the final against Fiji.

Japan is ranked 14th in the world, while Samoa is ranked 13th. Although a close match was anticipated, Japan emerged victorious with a comfortable win.

The 22-point margin is the largest in 19 encounters between the two teams. This game highlighted head coach Jones' successful player selections.

Two days prior to the match, the biggest surprise during the lineup announcement was moving Seungsin Lee, who had consistently been used at fly-half, to fullback, while 34-year-old captain Harumichi Tatekawa was named the starting fly-half.

Tatekawa’s last start for Japan was against Georgia on June 23, 2018, and it had been nine years since he played fly-half for Japan, last doing so in the second match of the 2015 World Cup against Scotland.

Although Lee briefly played fullback after Takuya Yamasawa was substituted in the second half of the previous week’s match against the USA, this was his first time starting at fullback in a Test match.

“When Tatekawa joined the team, there were some challenges, but he prepared well for this game. Lee has also played fullback well for Kobe and has a good sense of decision-making,” said Jones.

Lee plays for Kobelco Kobe Steelers, where Bryn Gatland is the team's consistent starting fly-half. Lee typically pairs with New Zealand international Ngani Laumape at the mid-field and only started at fullback in the last three games of the Japan League One season. Jones clearly evaluated those performances.

The kickoff was under strong winds of 8 meters per second, with Japan playing against the wind in the first half. Samoa committed several penalties right from the kickoff, giving Japan a series of lineout opportunities near the goal line.

In the 6th minute, after the third lineout, Tatekawa connected with wing Malo Tuitama, who passed to fullback Lee. Lee's kick pass found centre Dylan Riley, who scored a try in the right-center. Lee added the conversion to make it 7-0.

“We knew from yesterday that the wind would be strong, so we reviewed our strategy for playing with and against the wind,” said Lee. “When playing against the wind, we tried to shift the ball around while using uncontested kicks and attacking kicks.”

It had been analyzed that when Samoa’s defence rushed up, it would leave space behind. The 34-year-old fly-half played safely, avoiding risky decisions and continuing to move the ball down the line. Tatekawa is known for his timing and precise passing, allowing the backline to catch the ball at full speed and maintain the pace of the game.

Jones’ concept of super-fast rugby played out as intended. In the 10th minute, Japan was awarded a penalty try after Elisapeta Alofipo deliberately interfered with Japan’s attack.

Although Samoa scored a try in the 13th minute, Japan responded quickly in the 16th minute when Lee’s kick-pass found wing Tomoki Osada for another try, extending the lead to 21-7 and quelling Samoa’s momentum.

Japan’s super-fast rugby, which had often slowed after the first 20 minutes, was still running smoothly in the 39th minute, right before halftime. After an attack initiated by Dylan Riley, Tatekawa passed the ball to Lee, who scored a try, making it 28-13 at halftime.

In the second half, with the wind in their favour, Japan comfortably added more tries, with the final score ending at 49-27. Their set pieces were stable, making it a match with plenty to gain for Japan.

Lee maintained a high standard throughout the 80 minutes. While he sometimes made riskier decisions when playing as a fly-half, he never put the team in danger as fullback.

After Tatekawa was substituted in the 22nd minute of the second half, Lee moved to fly-half and continued to control the game calmly. Additionally, he succeeded in all six of his conversion attempts, significantly contributing to Japan’s record margin of victory.

“There’s a lot to learn from Haru-san (Tatekawa). He communicates clearly about what to focus on next, both in huddles and during play. It’s about how quickly we can share the decisions. That’s something I need to improve on,” Lee reflected after the game, having watched Tatekawa’s play from the backfield.

Lee was named Player of the Match, and head coach Jones lightheartedly commented: “I’m worried that with his love for beer, he’s rewarded with 100 bottles.”

Jones has made his intentions clear for some time. “At the time of last year’s World Cup, Rikiya Matsuda was the only player capable of playing at fly-half. By 2027, I want to have three options, and those will be Lee and Tatekawa.”

Lee is stepping up to meet that goal, but Tatekawa is already 34 years old. When asked during the team announcement whether he intended to use Tatekawa at fly-half in the 2027 World Cup, Jones firmly responded: “Right now, I’m only thinking about the Samoa match.”

At the post-match press conference, Jones praised Tatekawa, saying, “I have 100% trust in him. We’ve been working together since 2015. He’s a humble and sincere player.”

Indeed, Jones has valued Tatekawa since he became head coach of Japan in 2012, initially calling him into the squad and continuing to support him throughout his career.

In this series, Tatekawa was named captain, filling in for the resting Michael Leitch. Jones and Tatekawa share a bond akin to Japan’s expression “Aun no kokyu” (perfect synchronization).

Their strong mentor-student relationship will likely see Jones passing Tatekawa’s skills and experience on to the 23-year-old Lee, building a new connection. Interestingly, Tatekawa was almost the same age as Lee when he first met Jones.