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Sam Cane weighs in on Luke Jacobson's All Blacks re-emergence with big claim
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Eddie Jones' Japan raid fortress for vital win, Fiji survive scare
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What a closing weekend for Emerging Nations fans, as Spain, Portugal, Canada, Romania, Uruguay and Georgia put out massive performances to finish in style.
Brave Blossoms have the last laugh
Lee Seung-Sin completely froze over the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, as the fly half triumphantly converted a last-minute penalty kick to give Japan a 25-23 win over Georgia, allowing the Brave Blossoms to climb to 12th place in the rankings ladder.
Despite clawing the win in the game’s final play, Japan started the game trailing by three points, following a punt from Tedo Abzhandadze. The visiting side retaliated in quick succession, as Seung-Sin added eleven points from the tee while centre Dylan Riley crashed in the corner to score his team’s first try.
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Georgia’s inconsistency when holding the ball pushed them back from the Blossoms’ in-goal area, and only through another Abzhandadze penalty kick did they add three more points to their tally before the break.
Although Seung-Sin banked another three points right after the rest, Japan started to stumble in the set-piece, allowing the Lelos to get back on their feet.
Feeling more in control, Ricard Cockerill’s side piledrove the Japanese pack, giving Abzhandadze a chance to slot in three more points. The experienced utility back didn’t miss his mark.
The Lelos, to the delight of their fans, kept hammering and proceeded to materialise two five-pointers in the final quarter. Demur Tapladze and Tornike Kakhoidze finished two well-sought team plays, with Georgia taking the lead for the first time with two minutes to go.
Japan regained possession of the ball and, from a lineout, pierced through the Georgian defence, forcing the Lelos to concede a penalty just 25 metres from the posts. Lee Seung-Sin successfully converted, giving Eddie Jones a reason to smile ahead of the World Cup draw.
Teros overpower Stejarii
Uruguay clawed a 31-21 win in their November tour closer, overcoming Romania after a brutal physical encounter played out at Stadionul Arcul de Triumf. After a scoreless opening ten minutes, Germán Kessler got Uruguay’s first. The hooker crossed the whitewash following a superb line break from number-eight Manuel Diana, giving Santiago Álvarez an easy kick to convert.
At the 18-minute mark, the Teros added a second, this time around from Bautista Basso, with the rapid wing gathering a deep kick to dot it down. In the meanwhile, Alexandru Savin was sent to the sin bin after an illegal clear-out. With the game slowly heading towards halftime, Hinckley Vaovasa went in to give his team a reason to celebrate, but the try was chalked off due to a deliberate knock-on from Jason Tomane. Nonetheless, Romania did get their first before the short rest, as prop Gheorge Gajion cashed in after a superb maul drive. Alin Conache didn’t miss the conversion from the corner.
However, Uruguay immediately struck back four minutes into the second half, as Manuel Diana wrestled his way to the try-line with no Romanian player able to stop the back rower.
The locals still managed to score a second, but it wasn’t ever going to be enough to take the game from Uruguay, as the visitors extended their lead thrice. Replacement hooker Joaquin Myszka went down to score his team’s fourth, and Álvarez bagged two penalties, with Uruguay holding a 17-point lead.
The Stejarii valiantly fought until the end, earning a third five-pointer from prop Thomas Cretu.
Regarding the World Cup draw, Uruguay will be in pot 3, while Romania will be in pot 4, meaning the two nations could clash in 2027.
Flying Fijians and Leones with an all-time classic
Spain and Fiji put on an enjoyable show for those in attendance at the Estadio Ciudad de Málaga, with the visiting side taking a 41-33 win.
For the opening twenty minutes, both sides were unable to find a way in, with Fiji missing several key passes and getting caught napping in the breakdown, giving Spain a lifeline.
The home team finally managed to settle in, and from a 5-meter lineout scored their first, as scrum half Estanislao Bay cunningly stretched his arms to put his team on the lead. From kick off, Fiji immediately riposted, with Elia Canakaivata gathering a cross kick thrown by Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, to dive into the corner, levelling the game. Gonzalo López Bontempo punted over a penalty kick, but Spain’s advantage was short-lived as Simione Kuruvoli claimed Fiji’s second, following an astonishing run from Jiuta Wainiqolo. With one minute to spare until halftime, Bay found Alejandro Laforga out wide, setting up the wing for his first Test Match try, with Spain taking a one-point lead.
The tense contest carried on to the second string of 40 minutes, as Bontempo converted another penalty kick moments before Kuruvoli got his brace.
Spain matched Fiji’s tempo and enjoyed their best period of the game, finding the try-area twice and adding a total of 15 points before it all came crumbling down.
Feeling that the game was slipping through the cracks, the Flying Fijians retook control of the set-piece and territory and, in under 15 minutes, mounted a spectacular comeback, starting with a finish from Mesake Doge. Joji Nasova was the next in line, with Armstrong-Ravula converting both, before clinching in a final penalty kick to expand his side’s lead to 41-33 with no time left to play.
Fiji, in pot 2, and Spain, in pot 3, are now eagerly anticipating the World Cup draw set to take place in December.
Lobos ironclad defence fends off ambitious Canada
Portugal claimed their second November success, after surviving a last attempt from Canada, with Simon Mannix’s side coming out on top of a 33-27 affair.
Both contestants were tightly entangled in a penalty kick duel for most of the first half, as Manuel Vareiro and Robbie Povey exchanged pleasantries with Portugal holding a 9-6 lead. Ten minutes to the break, Mason Flesch scored the visitors first, with Povey adding the extras and a third penalty.
With a few seconds left, the Lobos finally were able to stitch a few passes before Nicolás Martins put his body over the finishing line to level the scoreboard to 16 points.
The home side stepped into the second half looking more menacing, and quickly got their second following another incisive team play finished by centre Guilherme Vasconcelos.
Canada’s set-piece put Portugal under immense pressure, and after a few attempts, it was Morgan Di Nardo rushing in to score his side’s second five-pointer. Vareiro and Povey secured one penalty each before Rodrigo Marta managed to break through the Maple Leaf defence to earn a brace, setting the score to 33-24 with 10 minutes to go.
Despite Canada taking control of the ball possession and territory, they came up short, failing to tear apart the Lobos defence, who managed to clinch 25 successful tackle attempts in the last 5 minutes.
While the win was a positive outcome, it didn’t change Portugal’s fate, as they, like Canada, are sorted in pot 4 of the World Cup draw.
