Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Japan secure the bonus win they craved as first Asian World Cup gets off to celebratory start

Japan's Pieter Labuschagne scores his team's third try against Russia (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Japan launched Asia’s first Rugby World Cup with a victory the host nation craved as they beat Russia 30-10 at Tokyo Stadium.

ADVERTISEMENT

Four years after causing the World Cup’s biggest shock by beating South Africa, Japan again took centre stage, but they were made to work hard by an unheralded Russian outfit.

Russia, making a first appearance on rugby union’s global stage since 2011, led for most of the first half following wing Kirill Golosnitskiy’s early try, but hat-trick hero Kotaro Matsushima sparked Japan into life.

The elusive wing claimed a try double before the break, then flanker Lappies Labuschagne dealt Russia a major blow by collecting an opportunist touchdown early in the second half.

And it was Matsushima who secured a bonus point when he completed his hat-trick 11 minutes from time, while fly-half Yu Tamura kicked two penalties and a conversion, with Rikiya Matsuda converting the final try.

(Continue reading below…)

Video Spacer

Russia could not add to Golosnitskiy’s try, apart from Yury Kushnarov’s conversion and penalty as Japan confirmed a winning start in Pool A – a group that also includes Scotland and Ireland.

After a colourful and vibrant opening ceremony, which included World Rugby chairman and former England captain Bill Beaumont making an official welcome, Russia dimmed the lights by scoring a fifth-minute try.

ADVERTISEMENT

Japan full-back William Tupou made a hash of collecting a kick inside his own 22, and Golosnitskiy capitalised on his hesitancy to claim the competition’s opening try, with Kushnarev converting.

Russia, ranked 10 places below their opponents in the world rankings and coached by Welshman Lyn Jones, showed no sign of nerves as they looked to rattle Japan through some strong early ball-carrying.

Russia posed plenty of questions, but Japan found an answer seven minutes later when some slick handling among their backs produced the required result when Matsushima finished impressively.

Matsushima was denied a second try when replays showed the ball slipped agonisingly from his grasp as he crossed Russia’s line, but he made amends four minutes later by breaching the opposition defence, with Tamura’s conversion giving Japan a 12-7 interval advantage.

ADVERTISEMENT

A Tamura penalty early in the second period extended Japan’s lead before Russia began to show signs of creaking when Labuschagne galloped clear on a 35-metre run that confirmed his team’s third try.

Kushnarev and Tamura exchanged penalties during the final quarter, with 26-year-old Matsushima then finishing as he had started with another score to confirm a memorable contribution on the competition’s opening night.

WATCH: The RugbyPass Lego World Cup 

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

s
spencer werner 4 hours ago
Mixed Wales update on availability of Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe

As an artist, I’ve always been focused on my creative pursuits and never really ventured into the world of high-risk financial investments. But, like many others, I was drawn to the idea of making money quickly through Forex trading. Unfortunately, I fell victim to a Forex scam and lost a large portion of my savings. The financial loss was devastating, but the emotional toll was even worse. I felt betrayed, and hopeless, and wasn’t sure where to turn next. One day, while browsing through Red Note, a platform where people connect over shared experiences, I came across a post from someone who had gone through a similar situation. They shared how they managed to recover their lost funds through a company called Tech Cyber Force Recovery. Desperate for a solution, I decided to reach out to them and explain what had happened to me. I was initially skeptical, unsure whether this was just another scam or if it could be the real deal. To my surprise, the team at Tech Cyber Force Recovery was professional, compassionate, and genuinely interested in helping. They listened carefully to my story and assured me that they had the expertise and resources to help recover my lost funds. The process would take time, they said, and I’d need to provide some documentation, but they were confident that they could help. After several conversations and a thorough investigation, they started working on my case. The results were incredible. Within a relatively short period, Tech Cyber Force Recovery managed to recover nearly all of the funds I had lost. It wasn’t an easy process, and it required patience, but the team’s dedication, attention to detail, and methodical approach paid off. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude. What had once seemed like a permanent loss was now being reversed, thanks to the help of Tech Cyber Force Recovery. Not only did the recovery restore my financial situation, but it also restored my sense of trust and confidence. I had almost given up hope, but now, with my funds recovered, I feel like I can move forward. I’ve learned valuable lessons from this experience, and I’m more cautious about my financial decisions in the future. What began as a desperate search on Red Note turned into a life-changing recovery. Thanks to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, I now feel more hopeful about my financial future, with the knowledge that recovery is possible.telegram (@)techcyberforc  texts (+1 5.6.1.7.2.6.3.6.9.7)

4 Go to comments
s
spencer werner 4 hours ago
Sam Prendergast leading race for Lions 10 jersey claims recent tour captain

As an artist, I’ve always been focused on my creative pursuits and never really ventured into the world of high-risk financial investments. But, like many others, I was drawn to the idea of making money quickly through Forex trading. Unfortunately, I fell victim to a Forex scam and lost a large portion of my savings. The financial loss was devastating, but the emotional toll was even worse. I felt betrayed, and hopeless, and wasn’t sure where to turn next. One day, while browsing through Red Note, a platform where people connect over shared experiences, I came across a post from someone who had gone through a similar situation. They shared how they managed to recover their lost funds through a company called Tech Cyber Force Recovery. Desperate for a solution, I decided to reach out to them and explain what had happened to me. I was initially skeptical, unsure whether this was just another scam or if it could be the real deal. To my surprise, the team at Tech Cyber Force Recovery was professional, compassionate, and genuinely interested in helping. They listened carefully to my story and assured me that they had the expertise and resources to help recover my lost funds. The process would take time, they said, and I’d need to provide some documentation, but they were confident that they could help. After several conversations and a thorough investigation, they started working on my case. The results were incredible. Within a relatively short period, Tech Cyber Force Recovery managed to recover nearly all of the funds I had lost. It wasn’t an easy process, and it required patience, but the team’s dedication, attention to detail, and methodical approach paid off. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude. What had once seemed like a permanent loss was now being reversed, thanks to the help of Tech Cyber Force Recovery. Not only did the recovery restore my financial situation, but it also restored my sense of trust and confidence. I had almost given up hope, but now, with my funds recovered, I feel like I can move forward. I’ve learned valuable lessons from this experience, and I’m more cautious about my financial decisions in the future. What began as a desperate search on Red Note turned into a life-changing recovery. Thanks to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, I now feel more hopeful about my financial future, with the knowledge that recovery is possible.telegram (@)techcyberforc  texts (+1 5.6.1.7.2.6.3.6.9.7)

4 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Why the ‘State of Origin’ will have a big say in Schmidt’s Wallabies selection Why the ‘State of Origin’ will have a big say in Schmidt’s Wallabies selection
Search