The scene of Australia’s exit at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the Shenko Dome carried with it some demons of the past. Come the final whistle in Oita on Saturday afternoon though, those so-called demons had been banished. With victory by a score of 32-23 over the Brave Blossoms, Dave Rennie’s rejuvenated Wallaby side had made it five wins on the trot. Not since 2008 had Australia put together such a streak outside of a World Cup, testament to their promising resurgence in 2021. For a moment though, Wallabies fans had hearts in mouths, their team managing to hold off a late Japanese surge, and sealing the deal with a late five pointer to debutante Connal McInerney. It wasn’t pretty, but it had its moments, Rennie’s outfit ultimately proving too much.
It’s hard to recall the last time an Australian tour squad had been so heavily anticipated. But such has been the Wallabies form in 2021, you get the feeling that the country’s rugby following has slowly begun to reappear from their shells. The big gains to come out of the squad announcement were the recall of another cohort of European based players. Among them, Rory Arnold, Will Skelton, and Tolu Latu, all providing further experience to an already dangerous pack. Quade Cooper also kept his place after four immense performances in the Rugby Championship, although there are suggestions that he may get the call to head back to the Kinetsu Liners at some stage over the course of the tour. The absence of Marika Koroibete proved the major talking point though, with the winger deciding to stay at home and spend some much deserved time with his wife and young kids. With a contract in Japan sorted for next season too, there are also rumours that we may have seen the last of the influential winger in a golden jumper.
Suggestions that this was the test to try out new combinations and experiment ahead of contests with the ‘home’ nations fell on deaf ears. Dave Rennie put out the best starting fifteen he had at his disposal, with the only real question marks coming at blindside and second five. Rob Leota came in for a second shift at six, rotating with Pete Samu and keeping the Brumbies flanker to his accustomed role off the bench. With no Harry Wilson in the travelling squad, either man will be looking to establish themselves in that spot over the coming tour. Elsewhere, Quade Cooper and Nick White kept their places in the halves, whilst an injury to Samu Kerevi meant the return of Hunter Paisami at second five. Jordan Petaia seemed the likely candidate for a start on the left wing following his promising showing against the Pumas to finish the Rugby Championship, but Tom Wright was the man preferred instead, Rennie choosing to go with a little more experience. There was also a debut for Connal McInerney off the bench, the reserve hooker capping off a meteoric rise over recent seasons.
The big news to come out of Jamie Joseph’s squad naming was the benching of inspirational leader, Michael Leitch. A figurehead of Japanese rugby for the past ten years, his drop came with the theory that the big flanker is starting to wind down, his eyes firmly set on maintaining a good level of fitness for the 2023 World Cup. That meant Lappies Labuschagne would step up to take the captaincy, a role he’d also held whilst helping the Cherry Blossoms to victory over Scotland in 2019. Aside from that, there was also an international debut for Jack Cornelsen in the second row, coming against his nation of birth and the team that his father ran out for. Former Australian schoolboy Ben Gunter was also given a start, taking Leitch’s place on the blindside. Yu Tamura and Rikya Matsuda rotated places at first five, the former making his way onto the bench, whilst the absence of Kotaro Matsushima afforded a start for Lomano Lemeki on the right wing.
A dry, hard track in Oita greeted both nations upon kick-off in Oita, the start of a colossal month of international action. And right from the off Japan got their line speed going, halting an early attack from Tom Wright down the right wing (of course, no pun intended) and seeing off a further foray down the opposite flank. Quade Cooper was in a mood though, running the center of the park and dictating play from side to side with some eccentric ball movement. As the magician continued to pull the strings, the cracks began to show, and Cooper would set away Wright for the contest’s first try with a lovely inside ball. Australia’s solid start took a bit of a hit though, Reece Hodge forced to make way from the field with what appeared to be a shoulder injury shortly after the opening score. That would open up some space for Jordan Petaia’s entrance (although you can bet the Wallaby coaching staff will have been stressing what Hodge’s absence means for the rest of the tour, with no genuine fullback now left in the squad). The youngster would quickly erase that slight blip though, feeding off a cut out ball from Kellaway to cross the chalk as Australia punished their opponents out wide.
Perhaps that was the point where Rennie’s troops just flicked the recliner switch though, Japan building into the contest as the first stanza wore on. Down 3-14, it already looked as if there was no way back for the Brave Blossoms, but they stuck to their guns and found a way to drag themselves back into the test match. Guilty of a string of comedic handling issues to start, when Labuschagne’s men finally showed some patience, they got their reward. Having put together a number of phases inside the opposition twenty-two, Rikyo Matsuda successfully took the ambitious route, picking out Lomano Lemeki near the corner flag with an inch perfect kick. It had come from almost nowhere, Japan having scored their first ever opening stanza try against the Wallabies, duly sparking them into life.
Just four points separated the two nations at the break, Australia holding a 17-13 lead. That deficit was quickly blown back out as the visitors refound their concentration though, firing out of the blocks at the initiation of the second half. The Wallabies side that had been sighted through the first twenty-five minutes was back, and this time it looked as if they’d sealed the contest for good. A cheeky piece of link up play at the front of the lineout came first, Taniela Tupou capping off a solid performance by barging over. That was soon followed by another five pointer out wide, this one for Rob Leota as Australia continued to prise open the gaps with their willingness to spread play from side to side. That switch that had been flicked in the first half, was flicked on again though, Cooper proving the epitome. Up to that point he’d run the game so well, but the first five eight just became too casual with the result already secured in the mind of himself and his peers. Timothy Lafaele, one of Japan’s standouts, was the man to cut out an audacious looping pass from Cooper, jogging home for a simple finish from an intercept that came within the opposition's twenty-two. Two earlier stray conversion attempts from the man himself, meant that with that one try, Japan were now right back in it at 20-27. With twenty minutes to play and the Cherry Blossoms sniffing another upset over a tier one side, the pressure was on. Tamura’s entry into the game appeared pivotal when the reserve flyhalf slotted a penalty goal from near halfway, closing the gap back to just four. Perhaps that was also when Michael Leitch should have made his entry, but to the surprise of many, he never did, Joseph looking for his young bucks to prove their worth in such a situation.
Unfortunately, just as the Wallabies were slowing down and losing their momentum, Japan did the same. Chaos descended on the breakdown, Australia in particular guilty of giving away a number of soft penalties in that area as the clock ticked down. It wouldn’t count against them though, their defense coming up trumps and holding off a late driving maul. With the Cherry Blossoms now just beginning to show a little bit of stage fright, Valetini took his chance. The big number eight won a turnover of his own at the breakdown with less than five to go, allowing Australia to set away into the corner. They could’ve opted for the safer option from the kicking boots of Cooper off the tee, but the flyhalf had lost his rhythm and the visitors were prepared to risk it for a go at the line. In the past, such decisions may have backfired, but this Wallabies side is different. Having enjoyed so much dominance up front across the majority of the match, they finally went to their driving maul inside the red zone, and Connal McInerney would eventually come up with the goods. A huge sigh of relief followed shortly after for those in yellow, Australia finally confirming the result after what had been a rather dreary showing.
It won’t have been a performance that will have ticked all the boxes for Dave Rennie, instead one that may shake off some cobwebs following a couple of weeks away from the scene. It certainly may have been a few gears back from those Rugby Championship showings, but better to do it here in Oita rather than at Murrayfield against what may prove to be sterner opposition. Both nations now have a week off as they center their preparations around their coming tours to Europe. Japan resume action against Ireland at the Aviva, a team they’ve already met in 2021, going down 39-31 on that occasion to what was a heavily rotated Irish fifteen at the same venue in Autumn. As mentioned, the Wallabies return to the fray against Scotland in two weeks from now, for what promises to be another rigorous examination at Murrayfield. Time will tell if Rennie’s men can go one better and make it six.
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