Spring Tour: All Blacks Notch Half Century Against Brave Blossoms
by Brendan Bradford -
The All Blacks proved inexperience is no obstacle to class by running out 54-6 winners over Japan in Tokyo on Saturday. In the sides’ first meeting outside a World Cup, the visitors overcame a patchy start to score eight tries while limiting Japan to a couple of penalties.
Playing for coach Eddie Jones, who suffered a stroke two-and-a-half weeks ago, Japan displayed glimpses of early promise, but were ultimately shown to be several notches below a rampant All Blacks outfit.
Playing with a virtual B-side against a team that defeated an admittedly depleted Welsh squad earlier in the year, the All Blacks were dominant and entertaining, if slightly erratic from pillar to post. With 14-changes to the line-up that defeated the Wallabies in Dunedin last month, that was always going to be the case.
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