Next generation of All Blacks shine in hefty Tokyo win over Japan

All Blacks: 64 (Mark Tele’a, Patrick Tuipulotu, Billy Procter, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau; Pasilio Tosi, Tamati Williams, Cam Roigard, Ruben Love 2 tries;  Damian McKenzie 7 con) Japan: 19 (Jone Naikabula, Faulua Makisi, Opeti Helu tries; Harumichi Tatekawa 2 con) HT: 43-12

The All Blacks have started their Northern tour with a 64-19 win over Japan at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.

The winner was settled before halftime with Japan missing 22 first-half tackles and conceding 43 points. However, the All Blacks will be irritated by a ragged second half where they failed to score points for 35 minutes.

The game started at a breakneck pace with Japan daring and innovative on attack while the All Blacks were prone to error. An errant lineout throw by Asafo Aumua and a Cam Roigard kick-out on the full gifted the hosts’ early territory.

In the eighth minute, Japan broke through when a delightful inside pass from halfback Shinobu Fujiwara drew in two defenders and sent winger Jone Naikabula screaming 25m clear for his eighth international try. Naikabula was educated at Kelston Boys’ High School in Auckland.

Promising No.8 Wallace Sitti produced another barnstorming display. In the 12th minute, he ripped the ball off a Japanese attacker. The All Blacks dispatched possession wide and wing Mark Tele’a muscled past three tacklers for his 10th try in 16 tests.

Lock Patrick Tuipulotu became the 82nd All Blacks test captain in his 47th international. In the 15th minute, he emulated the power of Tele’a barging over in the same corner.

Faulua Makisi responded for Japan in the 18th minute when a lineout drive left created a hole for the No.8 to slip through.

Japan had a third try rubbed out when Makisi was ruled to have knocked the ball on in a smashing tackle on Damian McKenzie. A speculative kick by workhorse lock Warner Dearns worked out perfectly only for the television match official to spot Makisi’s mistake.

Billy Procter expanded the All Blacks lead in the 21st minute. Winger Sevu Reece broke down the right sideline and passed inside to the Hurricanes centre who joined brother Matt as a try scorer in an All Blacks international against Japan. Matt scored a try in a 69-31 win in Tokyo in 2018.

The All Blacks bullied Japan in the last 20 minutes of the first half using their combined forward weight of 959kg, the heaviest the All Blacks have fielded, to good effect.

Aumua and Sitti were especially productive with Aumua involved in the creation of tries to monster props Pasilio Tosi and Tamati Williams. Blindside flanker Samipeni Finau (17 tackles) grew in stature and there was nimble handling by lock Sam Darry. Roigard was assertive and confident at halfback.

The highlight of a muddled second half for the All Blacks were debuts for Wellington pair Ruben Love and Peter Lakai. Love scored two opportunistic tries, the first cleverly regaining his footing to drive over after being tackled and the last try of the match pouncing on a Japanese spillage.

Two try-saving tackles by McKenzie were also noteworthy though he’ll be embarrassed to have been side-stepped by a rampaging Opeti Helu. Japan’s reserve prop scored a spectacular 25m try.

Aside from Love, none of the reserves greatly enhanced their selection prospects though Peter Lakai was busy with 11 tackles in half an hour. The All Blacks were forced to make 75 more tackles than Japan. Nonetheless, the All Blacks have won all six tests against Japan and 496 of their 647 Test matches.

Australian Jordan Way refereed an All Blacks international for the first time. The All Blacks next assignment is England at Twickenham next Sunday. France hosts Japan on November 10.