Chile did well in their first World Cup game, but Japan easily beat them in their first game of Pool D in Toulouse.
Rodrigo Fernandez’s try gave Chile the lead early on, but Japan quickly took over and led 21-7 at halftime.
Amato Fakatava scored twice and Jone Naikabula scored once for Japan. On September 17, they will play England.
Alfonso Escobar cut Chile’s lead, but Michael Leitch got a bonus point for Japan, and Ryoto Nakamura and Warner Dearns finished off the scoring.
Remember how Japan beat Chile with six tries
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Chile is the 26th country to play in a Rugby World Cup. In the first six minutes, the South American team got off to a great start by scoring the first try.
It looked like a quick break on their right touchline had failed, but the loose ball fell at Fernandez’s feet, and he kicked it through to score.
Their willingness to move the ball with their hands was a good thing about their offense, and they guarded well for long stretches. However, their lack of discipline cost them, as two of Japan’s first-half tries came while they were down to 14 men.
Prop Matias Dittus got a yellow card for a late, low tackle, and later, captain Martin Sigren went to the sin bin for a block that hit him in the head.
Escobar’s try for Chile from close range, which came right after Japan’s center Dylan Riley was given a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, gave people hope that an upset might happen.
But those hopes were quickly dashed when Japan’s flanker Leitch, who was playing in his fourth World Cup for his country, dove under the posts to give his team all five points.
The Brave Blossoms made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time in 2019 at home. To do it again in France, they will likely have to beat either England or Argentina.
Masirewa; Matsushima, Riley, Nakamura, and Naikabula; Matsuda and Nagare; Inagaki, Sakate, Gu, Saumaki, Fakatava, Leitch, Shimokawa, and Cornelsen; and Riley, Nakamura, and Naikabula on the Japan team.
Horie, Millar, Ai Valu, Dearns, Fukui, Saito, Osada, and Lemeki came in as replacements.
Riley (47) goes to hell
Chile: Ayarza, Videla, D Saavedra, Garafulic, Velarde, Fernández, Torrealba, Carrasco, D Escobar, Dittus, C Saavedra, Eissmann, Sigren, Martinez, A Escobar.
Bohme, Lues, Gurruchaga, Huete, Pedrero, Silva, Carvallo, and Larenas are the new players.
Dittus (24) and Sigren (38) went to hell.
