Japan vs. Tonga. Pacific Nations Cup 25/05/13

[LittleGuy]

Japan vs. Tonga. Pacific Nations Cup. 25/05/13. 2:10 p.m. JST(UTC +9) @ Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Japan.

Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)

The first game of the PNC will go from Japan this Saturday, with the Blossoms taking on Tonga. The 15th and 11th ranked teams in the IRB respectively. Line ups will be edited in later when they are known.

Japan

Starters

FB 15 Ayumu Goromaru
RW 14 Yoshikazu Fujita
OC 13 Male Sa'u
IC 12 Harumichi Tatekawa
LW 11 Hirotoki Onozawa
FH 10 Kosei Ono
SH 9 Atsushi Hiwasa
N8 8 Takashi Kikutani (c)
OF 7 Michael Broadhurst
BF 6 Hendrik Tui
RL 5 Shinya Makabe
LL 4 Hitoshi Ono
TP 3 Hiroshi Yamashita
HK 2 Takeshi Kizu
LP 1 Masataka Mikami

Replacements:

HK 16 Yusuke Aoki
PR 17 Takuma Asahara
PR 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama
LK 19 Shoji Ito
FL 20 Ryuta Yasui
SH 21 Keisuke Uchida
FH 22 Yuu Tamura
WG 23 Kenki Fukuoka

Tonga

Starters
1. EDMUND 'AHOLELEI
2. ELVIS TAIONE
3. TAIONE VEA
4. JOSHUA AFU
5. TUKULUA LOKOTUI
6. HALE T POLE
7. NILI LATU (C)
8. PAULA KAHO
9. THOMAS PALU
10. FANGATAPU 'APIKOTOA
11. WILL HELU
12. SIONE PIUKALA
13. SIALE PIUTAU
14. FETU'U VAINIKOLO
15. TEVITA HALAIFONUA

Bench

16. 'ILAISA MA'ASI
17. KAMALIELE SAKALIA
18. PENI FAKALELU
19. SAKURA 'EMOSI KAUHENGA
20. VILIAMI FIHAKI
21. TANIELA MOA
22. KURT MORATH
23. VILIAME 'IONGI

 

[dudeabides]

If I can find that online I can definitely watch live, that's only 12:10 AM where I live and I'm used to staying up way past that to watch Super Rugby and the IRB 7s.

 

[LittleGuy]

If I can find that online I can definitely watch live, that's only 12:10 AM where I live and I'm used to staying up way past that to watch Super Rugby and the IRB 7s.

Sweet I hadn't looked up the time zone difference if it's available I might be able to catch it as well.

 

[Big Ewis]

If I can find that online I can definitely watch live, that's only 12:10 AM where I live and I'm used to staying up way past that to watch Super Rugby and the IRB 7s.

same for me and the NBA...FFS why the hell can't they play early in the morning over there so I can keep a normal sleeping schedule !!?!
Games are at 8pm ET, that's like 3am here...

Anyways:
no Samoa huh...they're doing their mini-tournament thingy...no offense to any other side, but frankly they've been head and shoulders above any team playing this year...I think they've separated themselves these past 2/maybe 3 years, and this year in particular.

Haven't seen Japan play in...forever.

 

[psychic duck]

same for me and the NBA...FFS why the hell can't they play early in the morning over there so I can keep a normal sleeping schedule !!?!
Games are at 8pm ET, that's like 3am here...

Anyways:
no Samoa huh...they're doing their mini-tournament thingy...no offense to any other side, but frankly they've been head and shoulders above any team playing this year...I think they've separated themselves these past 2/maybe 3 years, and this year in particular.

Haven't seen Japan play in...forever.

Not "head and shoulders above" just above. Winning margins last year were 2, 3 and 1 point against Tonga, Fiji and Japan respectively.

 

[Big Ewis]

Not "head and shoulders above" just above. Winning margins last year were 2, 3 and 1 point against Tonga, Fiji and Japan respectively.

I know, checked it right after posting that comment...pretty surprising, I remember they were close but not THAT close ! Considering their November form, and some of their 2011 RWC efforts, it's a little strange really...
they're the ones who can shock and upset Tier 1 nations though these years...

 

[dudeabides]

Yoe we could trade you the whole NBA for your Top 14 if it were up to me. And why stop there, want the MLB in exchange for Pro D2 and we'll throw in the NHL for the Federale 1?

 

[norcalbuff]

IRB site says they'll be streaming the game.

http://www.irb.com/live/video.html

 

[Big Ewis]

Yoe we could trade you the whole NBA for your Top 14 if it were up to me. And why stop there, want the MLB in exchange for Pro D2 and we'll throw in the NHL for the Federale 1?

lol, alright we're close to a deal but you have to give me Jeff Bridges in the mix for...Gérard Depardieu.

IRB site says they'll be streaming the game.

http://www.irb.com/live/video.html

oh well that's cool.

 

[LittleGuy]

The Japanese lineup has been named and added to the first post.

 

[psychic duck]

Little Guy all the teams are announced on this site.

http://www.oceaniarugby.com/tournam...13_pacific_nations_cup_match_team_sheets.html

 

[LittleGuy]

Little Guy all the teams are announced on this site.

http://www.oceaniarugby.com/tournam...13_pacific_nations_cup_match_team_sheets.html

Thanks PD, I couldn't find the Tongan side anywhere.

Edit: Tongan side has been added.

 

[psychic duck]

Thanks PD, I couldn't find the Tongan side anywhere.

Their union is so amateur they can't even put up a website. Or even failing that a mere Twitter feed or something. Very poor. I know they are not full of money, but just running a Twitter account for their fans to be informed their news is very simple, easy and cheap thing to do.

 

[LittleGuy]

Their union is so amateur they can't even put up a website. Or even failing that a mere Twitter feed or something. Very poor. I know they are not full of money, but just running a Twitter account for their fans to be informed their news is very simple, easy and cheap thing to do.

Yeah I looked at their website and it hasn't been updated since the middle of the last RWC. You'd think even a few fans would volunteer some very basic match details, or at least some scorelines, they are ranked 11th in the world and essentially have no website.

Edit: The twitter idea is great, it can be used for lienups and the like or even basic press info to give out, it's a little embarrasing they don't even have that. Do Samoa and Fiji have anything better?

 

[dudeabides]

This match is about to start, the IRB stream looks really good so far.

 

[LittleGuy]

This is actually on TV in Canada LOL despite our own game not being on. Tonga on the board early.

 

[LittleGuy]

All Tonga so far, up to 12-0, with a couple of missed kicks(though difficult ones)

 

[dudeabides]

There they go with another try, 5 to 22. How did they miss that last one at the end of the half with a knock on right at the in-goal.

Edit: But it's Japan scoring first in the 2nd... 10-22. Then Tonga score right away again.'

Edit again: The Japanese are still in there pulling back within 10 17-27. That ended up the final score, Tonga's defense was tough to the very end, stopping a late Japan comeback attempt with a huge tackle that made the Japanese player drop the ball forward.

 

[LittleGuy]

Yeah just finished watching the 2nd half since I went to bed after the first. Japan just took too long to get into the game, and the Tongans were too physical. A pretty good game though both teams looking to attack and create oppourtunities.

 

[yarmolinsky]

for...Gérard Depardieu.

Isn't he russian citizen at the moment?