Rugby World Cup 2011: All Blacks VS Japan Pool A Match Preview - Rugby News
A one sided match is expected when New Zealand take on Asian champs Japan in Waikato Stadium, Hamilton on September 16. The sides have played one game each in the ongoing Rugby World Cup 2011 in which New Zealand grabbed a confident victory of 41-10 over
Tonga whereas Japan faced a bitter defeat of 47-21 by France. Japan is standing way behind the seasoned and time tested All Blacks for this contest.
The sides have faced each other in just one match before this clash in 1995 where New Zealand created a monstrous victory of 145-17. It is also the largest margined win for All Blacks and second highest by any side in the history of Rugby World Cup matches.
Simon Culhane set a world record of scoring most individual points in a single match with 45 in that match.
New Zealand is currently ranked the No 1 side of the world in IRB standings and Japan has been place 13. The All Blacks have got a tremendous record of winning all the Pool matches since the very first stall of global shows. The only drawback the All Blacks
have got for this encounter is that of few injuries to their mainstream players. Their skipper Richie McCaw, Mils Muliaina, Dan Carter and Israel Dagg will miss the match due to various injuries.
Meanwhile, Japan the only Asian side competing in this world showpiece, has made huge changes to its side against the toughest rivals of their group. John Kirwan the head coach of Japan has made 10 changes in the front and back lines of his team. Only five
players have retained their positions from their last out going against France. Among those, two loose forwards Michael Leitch and Takashi Kikutani, one centre Koji Taira, a lock Toshizumi Kitagawa and a wing Hirotoki Onozawa are included.
Former All Blacks player John Kirwan, who is the head coach of Japan, gave the reason for huge changes and said best players will be applied to face the best side of the world. He added that, “The players that are playing on Friday night have a huge opportunity
to play themselves into what is our big Test match, which is Tonga. Everyone has done the blood, sweat and tears and this is a tournament so it's important to realise we are a team of 30.”
The All Blacks coach Graham Henry also talked the media about this match and said that, “We need to play at our pace, which is reasonably quick." That is the way Japan prefer to play, to be sure, but it is also a style of game New Zealand is very familiar
with and hardly one they should feel threatened by.”
Keven Mealamu will lead the All Blacks in the absence of Richie McCaw and the other senior players of the side will have to perform even better to fill the vacuum of injured ones. Brad Thorn, Jerome Kaino and Colin Slade will be the key players of All Blacks.
Takashi Kikutani the skipper of Japan will be required to lead his side from the front to slow down the rampant All Blacks. The other key players of Japan are Naoki Kawamata and Atsushi Hiwasa.
TEAMS:
Japan: 1. Naoki Kawamata, 2. Yusuke Aoki, 3. Nozomu Fujita, 4. Hitoshi Ono, 5 Toshizumi Kitagawa, 6. Itaru Taniguchi, 7. Michael Leitch, 8. Takashi Kikutani (capt), 9. Atsushi Hiwasa, 10. Murray Williams, 11. Hirotoki Onozawa, 12. Yuta Imamura, 13. Koji Taira,
14. Takehisa Usuzuki, 15. Taihei Ueda.
Reserves: 16. Hiroke Yuhara, 17. Kensuke Hatakeyama, 18. Yuji Kitagawa, 19. Sione Vatuvei, 20. Tomoki Yoshida, 21. Shaun Webb, 22. Alisi Tupuailai.
New Zealand: 1. Tony Woodcock, 2. Keven Mealamu (captain), 3. Owen Franks, 4. Brad Thorn, 5. Sam Whitelock, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Adam Thomson, 8. Victor Vito, 9. Andy Ellis, 10. Colin Slade, 11. Richard Kahui, 12. Ma’a Nonu, 13. Conrad Smith, 14. Cory Jane,
15. Isaia Toeava.
Reserves: 16. Andrew h**e, 17. John Afoa, 18. Ali Williams, 19. Anthony Boric, 20. Jimmy Cowan, 21. Piri Weepu, 22. Sonny Bill Williams.
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