Lock Wimpie van der Walt scored a try as Japan thrashed Georgia 28-0 at the Toyota Stadium on Saturday.
Despite the Test being played in front of a disappointing crowd of just 14,776 spectators, in part due to the wet weather conditions and the stadium’s broken roof, Japan put in a clinically polished performance to upend Georgia.
Notwithstanding their considerably smaller stature in comparison to the Georgians, Japan edged the physical battle, forcing the Lelos to make errors out of sheer frustration.
Flyhalf Yu Tamura kicked two penalties and fullback Ryuji Noguchi added a third – from long range – on the stroke of half-time as Japan went 9-0 up.
The hosts went for the jugular in the second half. Van der Walt and wing Lomano Lemeki scored within the space of three minutes after each other and Tamura was successful with both conversions to extend the hosts’ lead to 23 points.
And when replacement No 8 Kazuki Himeno crossed in the 66th minute, it was game over for Georgia as Japan wrapped up a big win.
Japan – Tries: Wimpie van der Walt, Lomano Lemeki, Kazuki Himeno. Conversions: Yu Tamura (2). Penalties: Tamura (2), Ryuji Noguchi.
Japan – 15 Ryuji Noguchi, 14 Lomano Lemeki, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Harumichi Tatekawa, 11 Akihito Yamada, 10 Yu Tamura, 9 Yutaka Nagare, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Shunsuke Nunomaki, 6 Michael Leitch (c), 5 Shinya Makabe, 4 Samuela Anise, 3 Ji-Won Koo, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Keita Inagaki.
Subs: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Shintaro Ishihara, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Wimpie Van Der Walt, 20 Kazuki Himeno, 21 Masakatsu Nishikawa, 22 Fumiaki Tanaka, 23 Rikiya Matsuda.
Georgia – 15 Merab Kvirikashvili, 14 Sandro Todua, 13 Davit Katcharava, 12 Giorgi Kveseladze, 11 Soso Matiashvili, 10 Lasha Khmaladze, 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8 Otar Giorgadze, 7 Vito Kolelishvili, 6 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 5 Kote Mikautadze, 4 Giorgi Nemsadze (c), 3 Irakli Mirtskhulava, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Kakha Asieshvili.
Subs: 16 Shalva Mamukashvili, 17 Zurab Zhvania, 18 Giorgi Melikidze, 19 Nodar Tcheishvili, 20 Mikheil Gachechiladze, 21 Giorgi Begadze, 22 Lasha Malaghuradze, 23 Anzor Sitchinava.
Photo: Ken Ishii/Getty Images
