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Uruguay’s national men’s test team, Los Teros, fell 40-0 against Japan this morning in the second test match between the countries. The two match series has been a warm-up for the Rugby World Cup with both Eddie Jones and Pablo Lemoine to confirm their 31-men player rosters for the World Cup shortly.
Following some evenly fought opening minutes of play in which Uruguay looked improved from the opening match in Fukuoka, Japan began finding space in Los Teros’ defensive line following the yellow carding of scrumhalf Agustín Ormaechea in the 5th minute. Without Ormaechea Uruguay conceeded two early tries and rendering the match over by the time he returned.
The well-respected Japanese fullback Ayumu Goromaru played a near flawless match kicking five out of six conversions and scoring the game’s opening try. His 12th minute try came off a step off his right foot with the absence of Ormaechea clear.
Two minutes later Goromaru made it 14-0 when he converted a try from veteran second-rower Hitoshi Ono. It came after Uruguay kicked an up-and-under into Japanese territory but lacked sufficient chase allowing Kotaro Matsushima plenty of time and space to counter-attack and run deep within the Uruguayan 22. With numbers on hand and Uruguay’s defense yet to re-position itself Japan scored with ease.
Forward Michael Broadhurst crossed for the third try in the 25th minute with Gormomaru yet again landing the conversion from a difficult position. The try was the first to truly question Uruguay’s World Cup preparations as the New Zealand born Japanese back-rower should have been stopped. It was the final score of the opening half and saw Japan ahead 21-0.
Three minutes into the second half any though of a South American fight-back was buried when Matsushima scored in the corner after a serious of remarkable off-loads in tackles. Goromaru again landed the touch-line conversion in what ought to be a strong indication of the danger Japan could pose to Samoa, Scotland and the USA in the World Cup.
Back-rower Hendrick Tui touched down for a simple score nine minutes later which again came after Japanese players had been able to recycle the ball while being tackled. It was the only try in which Goromaru failed to convert. His final effort in the 66th minute was on target which made it a 40-0 final score after winger Kenki Fukuoka had scored down the left touchline.
Uruguay will travel to Spain on Sunday morning (2am Uruguayan time) flying to Bilbao via Frankfurt, Germany. There Los Teros will prepare for the final warm-up fixture, against País Vasco in Getxo on Sunday Spetember 06.
Los Teros will then travel to the U.K on September 13 to begin the World Cup on the opening weekend of the tournament against Wales in Cardiff’s Millennuim Stadium.
Scoring
Japan
Tries: Goromaru, Ono, Broadhurst, Matsushima, Tui, Fukuoka
Conversions: Goromaru 5
Japan
1 Masataka Mikami, 2 Shota Horie, 3 Kensuke Hatakeyama, 4 Luke Thompson, 5 Hitoshi Ono, 6 Michael Leitch (Captain), 7 Michael Broadhurst, 8 Hendrik Tui, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 10 Kosei Ono, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 12 Craig Wing, 13 Male Sau, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 15 Ayumu Goromaru
Head Coach: Eddie Jones
Uruguay
1 Alejo Corral, 2 Carlos Arboleya, 3 Mario Sagario, 4 Santiago Vilaseca (Captain), 5 Jorge Zerbino, 6 Juan Gaminara, 7 Diego Magno, 8 Alejandro Nieto, 9 Agustin Ormaechea, 10 Felipe Berchesi, 11 Santiago Gibernau, 12 Andrés Vilaseca, 13 Joaquín Prada, 14 Leandro Leivas, 15 Gastón Mieres
Head Coach: Pablo Lemoine
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium (Tokyo)
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
TMO: Alain Rolland
Yellow Cards: Ormaechea (5th minute), Gaminara (80th minute)
