World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024 at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, as Japan put 100 points past Hong Kong China in the first match of the day,
Japan began their quest to win a fourth World Rugby U20 Trophy title with the biggest score in the history of the competition as they beat Hong Kong China 105-20.
No less than 20 tries were scored in the match to get the 14th edition of the competition off to an entertaining start.
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World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024
POOL A: JAPAN 105-20 HONG KONG CHINA
Japan broke the record for most points scored in an U20 Trophy match as they comfortably brushed aside Hong Kong China in the competition’s first all-Asian tie.
Naoya Okubo’s team ran in 17 tries as they surpassed Namibia’s 104-7 win against Cayman Islands in 2009 with a display of power and pace.
Right winger Kento Iioka was the star of the show with two tries in each half, while hooker Kemshin Shimizu also scored a hat-trick as Japan demonstrated they had multiple ways to score, out wide through the backs or in the close quarters up front.
Tight-head Towa Nunobiki started the procession with only a minute on the clock and Japan had the try bonus point in the bag with 18 minutes gone after a brace from Iioka and a try from fellow wing Kohaku Ebisawa.
Full-back Jingo Takenoshita was the next to score as Japan established a 27-0 lead, before Hong Kong China’s first meaningful foray into Japanese territory resulted in a try in the corner for number eight Dom Hedley.
Blake Elliot then kicked a penalty as Hong Kong China enjoyed their best spell of the half. However, normal service was soon resumed when loose-head Sojiro Otsuka crashed over from close range.
Left wing Marcus D’Acre hit a brilliant line to run in Hong Kong China’s second try from 40 metres out but Japan had the final word in a free-scoring first half when Shimizu completed a full set of tries for the front row union.
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Shimizu and Takenoshita scored their second tries of the match either side of Iioka’s hat-trick try before replacement Rieto Ito got in on the act. Shimizu then crossed for a third time and Japan led 72-15 approaching the hour mark.
Japan refused to let the rain starting to fall from the leaden Edinburgh skies dampen their attacking instincts and tries from Nunobiki, Iioka and Daichi Yoshikawa and Chuka Ishibashi sent Japan’s score into three figures.
Amongst the flurry of Japan tries, Justin Edan managed a third try for a well-beaten Hong Kong China, who wore black armbands against Japan in memory of Finlay MacDonald, a close friend of one of the players who passed away recently.
