Northland's Arriane Christie (right) and William Morunga saw their second All Blacks game in Japan, this time in Tokyo against Namibia on Sunday. Photo / Supplied
Northland's Arriane Christie (right) and William Morunga saw their second All Blacks game in Japan, this time in Tokyo against Namibia on Sunday. Photo / Supplied
The Northern Advocate's Rugby World Cup correspondent Arriane Christie gives her second update of the Japan competition as the All Blacks took on Namibia at Tokyo Stadium on Sunday.
We'd been in Tokyo for a couple of days and the city is so large that you didn't feel like thewhole place was behind the rugby like they were in Oita. There were pockets of it however, mostly near the train stations closest to the stadium. The fan zones that were set up were great, with street food stalls, beer and sake stalls and big screens to watch all the matches on.
An early afternoon kick off was something a bit different for this game. There are many ways to get to Tokyo Stadium and for this game we headed off after breakfast to catch the train. The trains in Japan are straightforward once you get used to using them and the beauty is they are always on time.
Christie's party was one of many who made the trip to see the All Blacks in action over the weekend. Photo / Supplied
We had to change trains for this journey and on the second train we were jammed in tight with just some of the 50,000 others that were heading our direction. Lucky we had become somewhat used to being like sardines in the 10 days we've been here. Everything was made easy for us along the way with the train announcer telling us exactly where to get off, and from the station a line-up of volunteers guiding us in the right direction.
This was actually our second time at Tokyo Stadium as we had attended the England vs Argentina match the night before. This time we were on the lower level, unfortunately in the opposite corner to where TJ Perenara scored his incredible last-minute try. The field looked immaculate once again as we settled in to enjoy the spectacle.
As Christie and her crew found out, it wasn't hard to get a drink in the stadium. Photo / Supplied
As the stadium filled we noticed the crowd seemed more multi-coloured for this game. There were a lot of All Black shirts still, a few Namibian shirts, but also a lot of others, from Japanese to Australian, to South African. We even spotted a Sri Lankan flag.
The light rain which had been around in the morning cleared just as the game was starting. We were sitting with a big group of All Blacks fans including Sam Whitelock's parents. The atmosphere was happy and fun and it was great to see the All Blacks get another win and score some superb tries.
There was so much going on during the games that it is easy to get distracted watching everything around you. One of the impressive things is the number of people (mostly female) carrying huge backpacks of beer on their backs delivering it right to your seat. Unlike home, there is no limit to the number of drinks you can order and they keep serving you long after the match has finished. The half time karaoke is a bit of fun too.
The halftime karaoke was just one of the impressive aspects of the stadium in Japan's capital. Photo / Supplied
It was a lot easier getting out of Tokyo Stadium as the crowd dispersed in multiple directions. After the match we made our way back to a nearby unofficial fanzone to watch the next game and taste some of the delicious street food on offer. It was just another great day being part of the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
