South Africa jumps out to early lead, manhandles Japan in pre-RWC match
Japan failed to claim another famous win over South Africa on Friday as the 2019 Rugby World Cup host lost 41-7 to the Springboks in its final warmup match before the tournament begins later this month. Japan pulled off an historic upset by beating two-time ...
Japan heads into Saturday's clash against Tonga knowing it will be more than a Pacific Nations Cup match, but a chance to test its strength and technique ahead of this autumn's Rugby World Cup. Among the three tests remaining for Japan in the run-up to ...
Japan showing off new tricks ahead of World Cup
The tone for Japan's win over Fiji on Saturday was set as early as the third minute when match captain Pieter "Lappies" Labuschagne overruled the wishes of Yu Tamura and told his flyhalf to take the points on offer rather than kick for the ...
Italy holds off Brave Blossoms
Japan fell just short of a second straight win over Italy despite a furious second-half fightback on Saturday in a 25-22 defeat to the Azzurri in the first rugby test match ever to be played in Kobe. Italy began the match looking for revenge after ...
Sunwolves coach Jamie Joseph shuffles lineup for match against Lions
Sunwolves coach Jamie Joseph named his team Thursday for this weekend's Super Rugby clash with the Lions at Johannesburg's Emirates Airlines Park. Scrumhalf Yutaka Nagare returns to the run-on XV on Saturday to lead a side that shows five changes and three positional switches from ...
Suntory Sungoliath fullback Kotaro Matsushima won the Japan Rugby Top League's Most Valuable Player Award on Sunday. "I'm so happy to receive this award. Being picked when there are so many outstanding players is an honor," said the 24-year-old Matsushima, whose club recently won its ...
Brave Blossoms boosted by return of veteran players ahead of Wallabies test
Japan coach Jamie Joseph sprung a surprise Thursday when he named his 23-man squad to take on Australia on Saturday at Nissan Stadium. Harumichi Tatekawa, who was expected to miss the first two games of the autumn test series, was named in the centers alongside ...
Ireland beat Japan 35-13 on Saturday to sweep their two-game series despite a rousing second-half performance by the 2019 Rugby World Cup hosts. Ireland thrashed Japan 50-22 in the opening game in Shizuoka the previous weekend and the visitors wasted little time in establishing their ...
Sunwolves' Matsushima relishing clash with former team Sharks
Sunwolves fullback Kotaro Matsushima has extra reason for the Japanese Super Rugby side to come away with a win against the Sharks this weekend. The 24-year-old, who was born in Pretoria, South Africa, to a Zimbabwean father and Japanese mother, joined the Sharks Academy in ...
Winger Manasa Mataele scored three tries while his uncle and teammate Seta Tamanivalu languished in the sin-bin as the Crusaders crushed the Sunwolves 50-3 Friday to remain unbeaten after seven Super Rugby matches. All Blacks center Tamanivalu was sin-binned in the 29th minute for a ...
Timothy Lafaele will lead the Sunwolves against the Bulls on Saturday as Filo Tiatia's side return from a bye week to continue their search for their first Super Rugby win of the season. The starting XV named Thursday shows nine changes from the side that ...
Suntory Sungoliath came from behind on an electric try by man-of-the-match Kotaro Matsushima, and two tries by Takaaki Nakazuru ensured a 37-22 Japan Rugby Top League victory over Canon Eagles on Sunday. Trailing 17-13 at the break, Sungoliath withstood some sustained pressure at the start ...
