The recent mid-year international match between Japan and Italy in Sapporo culminated in a resounding 42-14 triumph for Italy, placing Eddie Jones, the head coach of Japan, in a challenging predicament. Italy’s dominance was unmistakable as they scored five tries compared to Japan’s two, with Azzurri players Ange Capuozzo, Martin Page-Relo, Andrea Zambonin, Alessandro Garbisi, and Ross Vintcent crossing the try line. Paolo Garbisi and Leonardo Marin adeptly converted the tries, while Page-Relo also secured three penalties. In contrast, Japan’s Dylan Riley scored two tries and Rikiya Matsuda added a couple of penalties.
This defeat adds to the string of setbacks for Japan under the new guidance of Eddie Jones, who has yet to secure a victory since assuming the role of head coach. Preceding this defeat, Japan also encountered a substantial loss against England last month and a narrow defeat against Georgia last weekend. Conversely, Italy experienced a loss in their first mid-year Test against Samoa but swiftly rebounded with back-to-back triumphs over Tonga and Japan.
Italy dominated the match, surging to a 10-0 lead early on before progressing to a 24-7 lead at halftime. Despite Japan’s valiant efforts to stage a comeback in the second half, Italy continued to deliver a strong performance and clinched the victory with late tries from replacement scrum-half Garbisi and Vintcent.
The Azzurri unequivocally displayed their strength and skill in this match, asserting their superiority over the Brave Blossoms in a fast-paced and captivating encounter. Conversely, Japan will need to regroup and refine their strategies to reverse the tide in future fixtures.
The manner in which Japan and Eddie Jones recover from this defeat and enhance their performance in upcoming matches remains to be observed. On the other hand, Italy aims to sustain their winning momentum and further consolidate their standing as a formidable presence in international rugby.