CARDIFF, Wales — Japan's dreams to win two games at the 2007 Rugby World Cup was shattered on Thursday at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, where the Brave Blossoms suffered a disheartening 72-18 loss to the Welsh hosts.
Japan's Hirotoki Onozawa runs to score a try against Wales in their Rugby World Cup match on Thursday. Wales won 72-18.
AP PHOTOWales scored 11 tries in its biggest Rugby World Cup victory to date, but the Blossoms can also book an improvement since the previous time the two teams met in the same arena three years ago, when the game ended in a whopping 98-0.
"Three years ago our defense didn't work," said Japan's captain and No. 8 Takuro Miuchi. "This time we could score tries and achieve turnovers. Before, we couldn't play our Japanese style of rugby, but in this tournament we can see that our style is working. We just need to keep attacking without giving up for 80 minutes."
Center Shotaro Onishi scored the game's first points in the fourth minute with a penalty kick, that was quickly followed by a try from Welsh lock Alun-Wyn Jones that fly half Stephen Jones converted.
In the 19th minute, Japan came up with a spectacular response.
Lock Hitoshi Ono won the ball from a Welsh ruck near the Japanese try line, passed to fly half Bryce Robins, who handed down to Onishi. The ball was then fed to center Yuta Imamura and the five-man counterattack saw winger Kosuke Endo score the 90-meter breakaway try.
"We took advantage of their mistake," Endo said after the game. "Ono responded extremely quickly, and Imamura's reaction was great, he gave an excellent pass."
Onishi missed the conversion, and Wales followed with two tries in a row, from center James Hook and hooker Rhys Thomas, both successfully converted by Jones.
Welsh fullback Kevin Morgan added try after the 40th minute.
The first half of the game, which ended with a Welsh lead of 29-11, saw some strong opposition at turnover from Japan, which had a brief 8-7 lead.
"I'm happy with the way we played in the first half," said captain Jones. "We made basic mistakes, but overall I am happy with the performance."
The second half saw a more concentrated Welsh offensive, where scrum half Michael Phillips then wings Shane Williams and Dafydd James all crossed the Japanese try-line in quick succession, followed by Jones' conversions.
In the 57th minute, Japan wing Hirotoki Onozawa intercepted a one-handed pass from Welsh No. 8 Alix Popham and slalomed his way around Welsh defense on the field to score a spectacular individual try from more than 50 meters, the last one for Japan in the game, which fly half Bryce Robins successfully converted.
In the final 20 minutes the hosts finished off with two tries from flanker Martyn Williams, converted by substitute fly half Ceri Sweeney.
A final try by wing Shane Williams in the 80th minute marked the end of the hard-fought game.
"It is very important for the growth of this team to play against teams like Wales, because if you make a mistake you get punished," said Japan head coach John Kirwan after the game. "It is very important to learn lessons from today and take it forward to Canada which is our last important game in this World Cup."
Japan plays its final game in the tournament against Canada on Sept. 25 at the Stade Chaban-Delmas stadium in Bordeaux, France.
The loss against Wales, however, also means that Japan is eliminated from the tournament, as Australia, Wales and Fiji all held 10 points in the pool, from which only two teams will advance.
Japan currently stands fourth in the group, ahead of Canada, with one point for tries scored against Fiji.