Home / Sports / Japan Dominates Italy in Nations Championship Opener
Japan Dominates Italy in Nations Championship Opener
4 Jul
Summary
- Japan secured a decisive 27-10 victory over Italy.
- Debut flyhalf Ryunosuke Ito impressed with sharp kicking.
- The match marked the start of Japan's Nations Championship campaign.
Japan began their Nations Championship campaign with a commanding 27-10 win against Italy on Saturday evening in Tokyo. The Brave Blossoms displayed significant improvement, scoring three tries to Italy's single converted try. Despite Italy's earlier Six Nations successes against England and Scotland, they were hindered by unforced errors.
Key to Japan's success was the sharp kicking of debut flyhalf Ryunosuke Ito and scrumhalf Naoto Saito, who consistently put Italy under pressure. Captain Warner Dearns and centre Yuya Hirose, along with full-back Tatsuro Matsunaga, were pivotal in securing tries. Flanker Ben Gunter scored the third try after a sustained period of Japanese pressure.
The match was the second of the new Nations Championship, a competition featuring 12 teams from both hemispheres playing a series of fixtures in July and November, culminating in a finals weekend in London. Japan's head coach, Eddie Jones, was absent due to a prior suspension.
