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Japan player ratings vs USA | Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup
By Yuko Morimoto
In their Pacific Nations Cup opener, Japan defeated the USA 41-24 at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, showcasing strong performances from key players like Dylan Riley and Harumichi Tatekawa.
Despite a resilient effort from the young USA team, Japan’s strategic adjustments and standout moments ensured their victory and advancement to the semifinals as Pool B winners.
Below are the player ratings for Japan:
1. Shogo Miura – 6
Contributed in phase play but struggled to create momentum in the scrum.
2. Atsushi Sakate – N/A
Injured and left the field in the first half.
3. Keijiro Tamefusa – 6
Faced frequent penalties in the scrum during the first half, which will be an area for improvement.
4. Sanaila Waqa – 7
Maintained his presence near the opposition goal line. Scored a try from a strong forward drive.
5. Warner Dearns – 8
Although ball-carrying was better against Canada, his performance in the line-out was consistent.
6. Tiennan Costley – 8
Consistently reliable. Effectively broke up the opposition’s momentum by earning penalties.
7. Kanji Shimokawa – 7
Aggressively involved in low and painful plays.
8. Faulua Makisi – 7
Committed to various situations on both attack and defense.
9. Shinobu Fujiwara – 9
Showed significant improvement in ball handling around the ruck compared to the previous game against Canada.
10. Seungsin Lee – 8
Showed improvement in kicking game and performed calmly when filling in as full-back despite the lack of experience.
11. Malo Tuitama – 7
Made several gains and generated momentum when Japan played the “Cho-soku” (super-fast) game.
12. Nicholas McCurran – 7
Improved cohesions with Riley in their second match together.
13. Dylan Riley – 9
Not only was he instrumental in setting up the three first-half tries, but he also scored a try with his speed in the second half. Man of the Match.
14. Jone Naikabula – 8
Made an impact with his running and successful kick-charges showcasing his athleticism, until his injury.
15. Takuya Yamasawa – 6
Made his first start as a full-back under the current Japan team, and still adjusting to the team. Hoping for a strong performance to come.
Reserves
16. Mamoru Harada – 7 - Came on unexpectedly due to Sakate’s injury and immediately scored a try.
17. Takayoshi Mohara – 7 - Initially struggled with scrum penalties but gradually adapted to the game.
18. Shuhei Takeuchi – 8 - Though he didn’t display his trademark shouting, he demonstrated strength in the breakdowns.
19. Amato Fakatava – 7 - Returned to form and started his first match under Jones, maintaining his strength and running ability.
20. Isaiah Mapusua – 7 - Applied pressure to the opposition line-out.
21. Taiki Koyama – 8 - Came on as a finisher and sealed the game with strong defensive play.
22. Harumichi Tatekawa – 9 - Replaced Lee as fly-half and calmly managed the game, effectively guiding the team during a tense period.
23. Tomoki Osada – 8 - Maintained calm and error-free play in both attack and defense as usual.
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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