EvanL
05-30-2004, 11:31 PM
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan lifted rugby's Super Powers Cup after coming from behind to beat Canada 34-21 in the final.
Debutant fly-half Kyohei Morita was the toast of the Japanese after touching down to put the home side ahead in the 66th minute and rounding off the win with an injury-time penalty.
Canada had started strongly with a third-minute try through Jared Barker and went into the break 18-10 up following Quentin Fyffe's 39th-minute score.
Japanese full-back Koichi Ohigashi pulled one back just two minutes into the second half but a Barker penalty kept Canadian hopes alive.
However, Morita's try put the home side 22-21 up before right winger Daisuke Ohata stretched their lead with nine minutes to go.
"I had expected him (Morita) to do well as soon as he went onto the pitch. When I saw his first kick, I was sure that he would do very well," said Japan's coach Mitsutake Hagimoto.
Morita said his first kick had settled some pre-match nerves.
"I felt a bit nervous. I felt good when I kicked the ball for the first time," said the 20-year-old.
Coach Hagimoto was pleased to lift the cup but still saw room for improvement.
"I'm happy to win the tournament but this is not our real potential. We made too many mistakes and we lost the ball very easily," he said, looking towards the July 4 Test against Italy.
"If we can get a very good result against Italy, I can say this team got past one big hurdle. We haven't played at a level of the World Cup."
Earlier, the United States defeated Russia 41-11 to finish third in the tournament.
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Anybody happen to catch that game?
Sounds like it was a good one.
Debutant fly-half Kyohei Morita was the toast of the Japanese after touching down to put the home side ahead in the 66th minute and rounding off the win with an injury-time penalty.
Canada had started strongly with a third-minute try through Jared Barker and went into the break 18-10 up following Quentin Fyffe's 39th-minute score.
Japanese full-back Koichi Ohigashi pulled one back just two minutes into the second half but a Barker penalty kept Canadian hopes alive.
However, Morita's try put the home side 22-21 up before right winger Daisuke Ohata stretched their lead with nine minutes to go.
"I had expected him (Morita) to do well as soon as he went onto the pitch. When I saw his first kick, I was sure that he would do very well," said Japan's coach Mitsutake Hagimoto.
Morita said his first kick had settled some pre-match nerves.
"I felt a bit nervous. I felt good when I kicked the ball for the first time," said the 20-year-old.
Coach Hagimoto was pleased to lift the cup but still saw room for improvement.
"I'm happy to win the tournament but this is not our real potential. We made too many mistakes and we lost the ball very easily," he said, looking towards the July 4 Test against Italy.
"If we can get a very good result against Italy, I can say this team got past one big hurdle. We haven't played at a level of the World Cup."
Earlier, the United States defeated Russia 41-11 to finish third in the tournament.
---------------------------
Anybody happen to catch that game?
Sounds like it was a good one.