men’s
international rugby
Led by Taniela Tupou, the Australian forward pack accounted for every single one of their eight tries as the Wallabies broke free from a close contest to comfortably defeat Japan in Townsville.
The Wallabies tighthead alongside his front-row partners teamed up to overwhelm the Japanese side following a fiercely competitive opening forty minutes in their Townsville encounter.
The home side’s 56-17 victory hung in the balance until the middle of the second period, when Massimo De Lutiis, marking his entry as the 1000th player to represent the Wallabies, came off the bench to crash over for a debut try, establishing an 18-point cushion.
That effort was among six tries registered by Australian front-row players on Saturday, delivering the comfortable buffer head coach Les Kiss wanted in his second match at the helm, following a narrow three-point victory in Osaka a week prior.
A dominant Tupou powered through for a brace of short-range tries during the opening half, complemented by a score from Angus Bell, while hooker Josh Nasser claimed the opening points before his substitute, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, sealed the win.
Japan’s head coach Eddie Jones pointed to Australia’s superiority in the air and the resulting possession as the turning point, while offering a characteristically colorful tribute to the impact of Tupou.
“It seemed like he believed a free pizza was waiting for him with every try he got today; I should probably track him down post-match and deliver one to him,” Jones joked.
“They [the Australian pack] certainly get fired up when they are close to the try line.”
Unforced mistakes allowed Japan to remain highly competitive in the first half, with the away team actually leading 17-14 until Tupou managed to force his second try just before the break, sparking a run of 42 unanswered points.
The home side gradually tightened their grip on the match, with Carlo Tizzano securing three turnovers and Fraser McReight instantly claiming another upon his introduction in the closing quarter of an hour.
The Queensland Reds back-rower came on for lock Lachlan Shaw, who suffered from cramps after anchoring the set-piece in his first start, joining forces with turnover specialist Tizzano and prompting a move for Harry Wilson into the engine room.
This adjustment ultimately shattered Japan’s defensive stand, allowing back-rowers Charlie Cale and Harry Wilson to cross the whitewash ahead of Paenga-Amosa’s final try after the siren.
“In international rugby, it often requires patience to crack an opponent open,” Kiss remarked, praising his coaching staff for the team’s efficiency in the red zone.
“We allowed them [Japan] some room to execute their highly energetic and rapid style of play, but we remained composed and focused at the interval.
“We simply focused on executing our core responsibilities correctly.”
Isaac Henry put in an eye-catching performance in just his second cap and first start at outside center, filling in for the sidelined Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and giving Kiss plenty to ponder before their two-match trip to Argentina.
Henry frequently punctured the defense with his direct running, though an assist that would have put Lonergan over was disallowed because of a prior forward pass.
It proved to be a successful outing for Kiss, who successfully navigated two potentially tricky fixtures against an opponent that slipped from tenth to twelfth in the global rankings last week.
His squad rotations, which he described as a strategy for “future-proofing,” paid off as in-form lock Josh Canham and veteran prop Allan Alaalatoa were both given a rest for this Townsville fixture.
“Our goal is to foster internal competition while developing the versatility for players to adjust and cover multiple roles,” Kiss explained, highlighting how Suaalii finished the previous match in Osaka on the wing.
The head coach also praised De Lutiis for his “storybook” debut earned through sheer determination, noting that minor injury precautions were the only reason McReight wasn’t introduced sooner to link up with Tizzano.
“McZzano,” Kiss laughed, referencing the moniker that mirrors the famous “Pooper” partnership of Michael Hooper and David Pocock from ten years ago.
“I would have loved to see that combination run for another five minutes, but we at least caught a brief glimpse of its potential.
“We are just trying to develop forward-thinking strategies and different tactical options that we can deploy against various opponents.”
In terms of fitness issues, winger Max Jorgensen was the only worry, leaving the pitch holding his ribs after an accidental collision with teammate Wilson.
