TOKYO — In a standout display of defensive grit and clinical finishing at a packed, red-and-white clad Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Japan secured a landmark 27-10 victory over Italy in the Nations Championship, claiming their first win against the European side in six years.
Italy got off to a promising start, drawing first blood when flyhalf Paolo Garbisi slotted a pass through a gap in Japan’s defense for midfielder Juan Ignacio Brex to score, before converting the try to put Italy up 7-0. But it took Japan less than 10 minutes to turn the tide and seize control of the scoreboard.
Buoyed by quick, clean ruck ball from scrumhalf Naoto Saito, Japan captain Warner Dearns powered across the try line to level the scores. Fullback Takuro Matsunaga, who would go on to anchor Japan’s performance with 17 total points, finished a sharp break from winger Yuya Hirose to score, converted his own try, and added a penalty kick to push Japan to a 17-7 lead. Italy closed the first half with a strong push, but Japan’s defense held firm against Garbisi’s repeated grubber kicks into the in-goal area, forcing Italy to settle for just three points from a scrum penalty. That left the host with a 17-10 lead going into halftime.
The second half belonged entirely to Japan. The Brave Blossoms’ defense locked down, holding Italy scoreless for the full 40 minutes while notching 12 dominant tackles that left the Italian offense with no space to generate attacking opportunities. Just minutes after the break, after 16 consecutive phases of sustained pressure, man of the match Ben Gunter broke through four Italian defenders to score Japan’s third try of the match, extending the lead to 24-10.
As Japan rotated in five fresh substitutes including veteran flanker Michael Leitch, Italy’s error rate climbed sharply under unrelenting defensive pressure. Matsunaga, who finished a perfect five-for-five on kicking attempts, slotted his third penalty just after the 60-minute mark to cap the 17-point win.
The upset win came as a surprise to many pre-match analysts, who had questioned how Japan would perform starting without star flyhalf Seungsin Lee. Lee, who started every test match for Japan last year, finished as the top point-scorer in global test rugby with an 88% goalkicking success rate, and was set to miss the match to undergo hand surgery. His replacement, 20-year-old Ryunosuke Ito called up directly from Meiji University, delivered a composed, error-free debut that included setting up Matsunaga’s first try, quieting all pre-game concerns.
After the match, Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada acknowledged his side’s struggles, saying: “We were tired and physically challenged, and when you lose 25 possessions it’s difficult to create opportunities.”
Both teams will head to the Southern Hemisphere for their next matches next weekend. Japan will travel to Sydney to face Ireland, while Italy will take on the All Blacks in New Zealand.